The permesso di soggiorno (residence permit)

The permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) is the document that allows non-EU citizens to live in Italy. You need a permesso di soggiorno if you stay in Italy for more than 90 days.

If you are a citizen of a European Union country you do not need a visto (visa) and a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) to enter and stay in Italy. But if you are a citizen of a non-European country you need a visa to enter Italy and a permesso di soggiorno if you want to stay in Italy for more than 90 days.

The permesso di soggiorno is a document linked to the type of visa with which you enter Italy. For example, if you enter Italy with a visto di lavoro (work visa), you will have a permesso di soggiorno per lavoro (residence permit for work reasons) or if you enter Italy with a visto per studenti (student visa) you will have a permesso di soggiorno for per studio (residence permit for study reasons).

The types of permesso di soggiorno

In Italy there are many different types of permesso di soggiorno. The most common types of permesso di soggiorno are:

This permesso is given to allow a person to study in Italy. It is generally valid for one year and is renewed every year until the end of the course of study. With this permesso the person can also work part-time for a maximum of 20 hours per week. It can be converted into a permesso di soggiorno per motivi di lavoro (work).

This permesso is linked to the decreto flussi. If the employer is issued the nulla osta for the worker from the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione, the worker can enter Italy according to the rules of the decreto flussi. The worker obtains a permesso for 1 year if the employment contract is for tempo determinato (fixed term) and for 2 years if the contract is for tempo indeterminato, thus permanent.

This permesso is given to people who come to Italy to work in the agriculture or tourism sector for a period ranging from 20 days to 9 months. Also this type of permesso is linked to the decreto flussi and the employer must request a nulla osta from the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione for the worker to enter Italy. The permesso is valid for a maximum of 9 months. With this permesso, the worker cannot perform employed or self-employed work, but only the seasonal work for which he comes to Italy. However, it can be converted it into a permesso per lavoro subordinato if he obtains a contract of at least 1 year or a  tempo indeterminato contract.

This type of permesso is also linked to the decreto flussi and the person who decides to start a work activity in Italy must apply for a nulla osta at the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione. The person must also meet specific requirements, such as accommodation and the necessary licenses to carry out the activity for which he comes to Italy. This permesso has a maximum duration of 2 years.

 

This type of permit can be requested by people who need to renew their permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato, but no longer have a job. It is valid for one year. During this time the person has to actively look for a new job in order to stay in Italy. To apply, you must register with the Centro per l’Impiego (Employment Center) as soon as possible and before your permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato expires.

This permission is given to people who

– enter Italy for ricongiungimento familiare (family reunification), for ricongiungimento con figlio minorenne (reunification with minor child) or for familiari al seguito (accompanying family members).
marry an Italian citizen or a person who holds an Italian permesso di soggiorno or a permesso di soggiorno from another country of the European Union.
– are parents of a child with Italian citizenship who is younger than 18.
-are members of the family of a person who has obtained status di rifugiato (refugee status).

The duration of the permesso depends on the duration of the permit of the person who you reunite with or with whom you marry. It can be converted into a permesso di lavoro or di studio.

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