PERMESSO DI SOGGIORNO UE

Permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo is a residence permit in Italy that grants long-term resident status (soggiornante di lungo periodo) and places non-EU citizens almost on the same footing as EU citizens (except for political rights).

---

⚖️ 1. Legal framework

• D.Lgs. 286/1998, Art. 9 — Testo Unico sull’Immigrazione;
• Direttiva 2003/109/CE — long-term residents in the EU;
• Circolare del Ministero dell’Interno 5/2007 — application procedure;
• D.P.R. 394/1999, Art. 16 — practical implementation;
• D.L. 2 ottobre 2024, n. 145, conv. Legge 166/2024 — new rule: holders of a Permesso UE issued by another EU Member State may now convert it into an Italian Permesso UE under simplified conditions.

---

👤 2. Who can apply

Main eligibility conditions

1. Continuous lawful residence in Italy for at least 5 years

• Counted from the date of the first permesso di soggiorno, provided it was always valid and renewed without gaps;
• Temporary absences allowed if: each absence ≤ 6 consecutive months; total time outside Italy ≤ 10 months over 5 years;
• Exceptions apply for justified reasons (work, study, serious family circumstances).

⚠️ Important: Periods under a permesso per studio (student permit) do not count towards the 5-year requirement (Art. 9, comma 1, D.Lgs. 286/1998). A student permit must first be converted to a qualifying permit (lavoro, famiglia) before the 5-year count begins.

2. Stable and sufficient income

• Minimum: ≥ €7,101.12/year in 2026 (Assegno Sociale 2026, Circ. INPS 153/2025).
• For families, the required income is higher (about half of the same social amount for each additional family member).

Household	Minimum income (2026)
Applicant alone	€7,101.12
+ 1 dependent adult	€10,651.68
2+ dependent children under 14	€14,202.24
Each additional dependent	+€3,550.56

• Income can be proven by:
  • Certificazione Unica (CU) from the employer;
  • Modello 730 or Modello Unico;
  • contracts, statements of income from Partita IVA, tax returns.
• For applicants filing together with family members, household income is considered.

3. Housing that meets legal standards

• Idoneità abitativa from the Comune — confirms dwelling meets sanitary and technical standards;
• Minimum guideline: 14 m²/person; 28 m² for two; +10 m² each additional person.

4. No criminal convictions

• Grounds for refusal may include:
  • conviction for a serious criminal offence;
  • a threat to public order or security.

5. Valid Permesso di soggiorno

• You may apply with any type of Permesso (work, family, study, humanitarian, international protection, etc.), except temporary and seasonal permits.

6. Knowledge of the Italian language

• Minimum level A2 (CEFR).
• Proven by:
  • a certificate from accredited centres (CELI, CILS, PLIDA);
  • proof of completing the integration course (accordo di integrazione).
• Exemptions: children under 14, and persons with serious illnesses or disabilities.

---

❌ Who cannot apply

• Holders of temporary Permessi (permesso stagionale and similar).
• Those who cannot prove 5 years of lawful residence.
• Persons without stable income or without idoneità abitativa.

---

⚙️ 3. Step-by-step actions

1) Check your eligibility

Before starting, make sure:

• you have 5 years of uninterrupted lawful residence in Italy (with a valid Permesso, without long gaps);
• last year’s income meets at least the Assegno Sociale threshold ≥ €7,101.12/year (2026) (higher if you have family);
• your housing meets sanitary standards (idoneità abitativa);
• you have no serious criminal convictions;
• you have an A2 Italian language certificate.

2) Obtain the language certificate (if you don’t have one)

• Enrol with an accredited centre (CELI, CILS, PLIDA) or take the free test via CPIA (Centro Provinciale per l’Istruzione degli Adulti).
• Exemptions: children under 14, persons with serious illnesses, persons with disabilities.

3) Obtain the idoneità abitativa certificate

• Request it from the Ufficio Tecnico at your Comune of residence.
• You will need:
  • apartment floor plan (planimetria catastale);
  • cadastral data (visura catastale);
  • copy of the housing document (atto di proprietà or registered contratto d’affitto).
• Typical issuance time: about 1–3 weeks.

4) Prepare your document package

Usually includes:

• completed kit postale (Modulo 1);
• copies of all passport pages;
• copies of current and previous Permessi di soggiorno;
• Codice Fiscale;
• Certificato di residenza;
• Certificato storico di residenza (proves 5 years of residence);
• Idoneità abitativa;
• Italian language certificate A2;
• Certificato penale (from Italy; sometimes also requested from the country of origin);
• income documents (CU, Modello 730, buste paga, estratto conto INPS, F24 for Partita IVA);
• Marca da bollo €16 and other payment receipts.

5) Submit your documents through Poste Italiane

• Pick up the kit postale at any Poste Italiane (Sportello Amico) branch.
• Fill in Modulo 1 (for EU soggiornanti di lungo periodo).
• Attach all copies of the documents.
• Pay:
  • €30.46 – electronic Permesso card;
  • €30 – postal service fee;
  • €16 – marca da bollo.
• Receive the ricevuta — a temporary document confirming your right to stay and giving access to most services.

6) Convocation by the Questura

• Within 1–2 months, you will receive an SMS or letter with your appointment at the Questura for:
  • fingerprinting (fotosegnalamento);
  • presentation of all original documents.
• Additional documents may sometimes be requested.

7) Application review

• Processing time: 3 to 6 months, but in practice it can be longer.
• They verify:
  • legality of your stay over the last 5 years;
  • income;
  • housing;
  • absence of criminal records;
  • social integration (language, employment, children in school).

8) Receiving the Permesso UE

• If approved, you will collect the plastic card at the Questura after receiving an SMS that it is ready.
• Validity: unlimited (but the physical card must be renewed every 10 years, and every 5 years for children).

---

📑 4. Required documents

1) Main documents

• Completed Modulo 1 (from the kit postale).
• Copy of the passport (all pages, including blank pages).
• Copy of the current Permesso di soggiorno (and previous ones, if any).
• Codice Fiscale.
• Marca da bollo €16 (affixed to the module).
• Receipts for payment of the electronic card (€30.46) and postal services (€30).

2) Proof of residence

• Certificato di residenza (from your municipality).
• Certificato storico di residenza (confirms 5 years of continuous residence).
• If you changed cities, provide additional certificates from previous Comuni.

3) Proof of income

For employees:

• CU (Certificazione Unica) for the last year;
• Modello 730 or Modello Redditi;
• Buste paga (at least for the last 12 months).

For self-employed / Partita IVA:

• Modello Redditi PF;
• Visura camerale (from the Registro delle Imprese);
• F24 showing taxes paid;
• Estratto conto INPS (contributions).

For pensioners:

• INPS certificate stating pension amount;
• bank statement showing pension deposits.

4) Housing

• Idoneità abitativa from the Ufficio Tecnico of the Comune (or idoneità alloggiativa).
• Copy of the registered rental contract (with the Agenzia delle Entrate) or property deed (atto di proprietà).
• Visura catastale (short cadastral extract).
• Planimetria catastale (apartment plan).

5) Language

• Certificate of Italian language proficiency at A2 level or higher:
  • CELI, CILS, PLIDA, CERT.IT — official exams;
  • or a certificate from CPIA.
• Exemptions:
  • children under 14;
  • persons with serious illnesses or disabilities;
  • graduates of schools/universities in Italy.

6) Criminal record

• Certificato penale from Italy (richiesta al Casellario Giudiziale).
• In some cases — a criminal record certificate from your country of origin (translated and legalized).

7) For family members (if applying together)

• Copies of passports and Permessi di soggiorno.
• Marriage/birth certificates (with apostille and translation).
• Certificato di stato di famiglia (from the Comune).
• Proof of cohabitation (official registration at the same address).

---

⏳ 5. Validity period

Unlimited — the status itself has no time limit.

Plastic card (permesso):

• valid 10 years for adults;

• valid 5 years for minors.

When the card expires, you must replace it (aggiornamento), but the procedure is simpler than the initial issue:

• income and housing are not rechecked unless there have been substantial changes;

• photo, data, and chip are updated.

---

💰 6. Costs

💰 Initial issue or replacement:

• Contributo per il permesso — €100.00
• Electronic plastic card (carta di soggiorno elettronica) — €30.46
• Marca da bollo — €16.00
• Poste Italiane service (Sportello Amico) — €30.00

Total: approx. €176.46.

Additionally:

• If family members apply at the same time, each person pays their own fees.
• When updating due to changes (surname, address), the cost is the same as for card replacement.
• In case of theft or loss, file a denuncia with the police and request a duplicate.

---

❌ 7. Main reasons for refusal and common mistakes

Main reasons for refusal

• Insufficient income
• Missing or non-compliant housing
• Insufficient residence period
• Incomplete documentation
• Missing Italian language certificate
• Criminal record or risk to public security
• Expired or invalid current Permesso

Common mistakes

• Applying without first checking income

Many applicants bring payslips for recent months but do not consider that annual income is assessed.

• Submitting incomplete copies

You must copy all pages of the passport and Permesso, even blank pages.

• Not registering early for the A2 test

Test slots can be fully booked months in advance; without the certificate, the application is refused.

• Missing the submission/renewal window

Although the status is permanent, the card must be renewed in advance — apply a few months before expiry.

• Problems with idoneità abitativa

A certificate issued long ago may no longer be accepted if Comune rules have changed.
Unregistered rental contracts are not valid evidence.

• Ignoring time spent abroad

Long absences (work, medical treatment, etc.) beyond permitted limits can reset the residence period.

• Errors in the kit form

Mistakes in codes, addresses, or inconsistencies between documents.

---

🔄 8. Conversion from other types of Permesso

Qualifying permits for conversion

Permit type	Qualifies for 5-year count?
Lavoro subordinato	✅ Yes
Lavoro autonomo (Partita IVA)	✅ Yes
Motivi familiari	✅ Yes
Protezione internazionale (asilo, sussidiaria)	✅ Yes
Protezione speciale / umanitaria	✅ Yes (verify current practice)
Permesso per studio	❌ No — excluded by Art. 9 TUI
Stagionale / cure mediche	❌ No

New — Conversion from Permesso UE of another EU Member State

D.L. 145/2024 (conv. Legge 166/2024): Holders of a Permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo issued by another EU Member State who have resided lawfully in Italy may now apply for conversion into an Italian Permesso UE under simplified conditions, without needing to re-accumulate a full 5-year Italian residence period (subject to requirements set by the Questura).

---

🧠 9. Tips and important information

1. Plan 3–4 months ahead — idoneità abitativa and certificato storico di residenza can take several weeks.

2. Minimize gaps in residence:

• Over 6 consecutive months abroad → entire period may be lost;
• Over 10 months total in 5 years → risk of refusal.

3. Prove income correctly — annual income is assessed, not just recent months.

4. A2 test — register early — slots fill months in advance.

5. Student permit years do not count — convert to a qualifying permit first.

6. Check tax and INPS debts — outstanding debts may affect the decision.

7. The right is not automatic — the Questura also evaluates integration (language, employment, no legal issues).

8. Advantages of the Permesso UE:

• Permanent status; no work sector restrictions;
• Simplified procedure to move/work in another EU country;
• Stronger basis for citizenship applications.

9. Submit a complete package first time — incomplete files are returned, causing delays.

---

Useful links:

Questure — Polizia di Stato: https://questure.poliziadistato.it/

Portale Immigrazione: https://www.portaleimmigrazione.it/

Poste Italiane: https://www.poste.it/

Ministero dell’Interno: https://www.interno.gov.it/

INPS: https://www.inps.it/

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

---

1. What is a Permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo? A permanent residence permit for non-EU citizens who have legally lived in Italy for at least 5 years, granting nearly the same rights as Italian citizens. It replaced the former carta di soggiorno in 2007.

2. Who can apply? Anyone who has resided continuously in Italy for at least 5 years with a valid qualifying permesso, meets income (≥ €7,101.12/year in 2026), housing, language (A2), and clean record requirements.

3. What level of Italian is required? Minimum A2 (CEFR). Accepted: CELI, CILS, PLIDA, CERT.IT, CPIA. Exempt: minors under 14; serious illness/disability; Italian graduates; refugees and holders of protezione sussidiaria.

4. Can family members be included? Yes. Each pays their own fees. Cohabiting income can be combined under specific conditions.

5. What income is required? At least €7,101.12/year (2026) for the applicant alone. +€3,550.56 per dependent adult; minimum €14,202.24 for two or more dependent children under 14.

6. Does this permit expire? The status is permanent. The physical card must be renewed every 10 years (adults) or 5 years (minors).

7. Can it be revoked? Yes: absence from the EU for >12 consecutive months; absence from Italy for >6 consecutive years (while remaining in the EU); obtaining a Permesso UE from another EU Member State; fraudulent acquisition; serious public order/security threat.

8. Can I live or work in another EU country? Yes — under simplified procedures. Working in another EU country typically requires a work permit from that country’s authorities.

9. Can I apply for Italian citizenship? Yes — after 10 years of total lawful residence in Italy. Refugees may apply after 5 years.

10. Is a language test mandatory for everyone? Yes, with exceptions: under 14; serious illness/disability; Italian educational qualifications; refugees and beneficiaries of protezione sussidiaria.

---

---