'What I wish I'd known': An American's advice on getting residency in Italy

Most Americans visiting Italy will never need to go through what we went through. An American passport allows you to spend up to 90 days in any 180 day period, happily exploring the country and the culture.

An American can even buy property In Italy. But you are held to a maximum stay of 90 days, which works for people with summer homes.

FOR MEMBERS: The ultimate guide to getting residency in Italy

However. Wanting to live in Italy as a legal resident is a whole different story. 

Over a two-year period, we counted 168 discrete steps: I would compare it to being in a maze, with dead ends, blind corners, and confusing circuitous paths.

We wish we had been mentally prepared.

For those wishing to live in Italy longer or permanently, we offer three cautionary notes:

1. Everything will take longer. Much longer. Likely double or triple anything you guess.

2. There will always be another form required. Something not on any list you find online.

3. Eventually, it will come down to your dealing with a real person behind a glass-fronted counter. If you have an entitled attitude, they will quickly see that. I guarantee that person will find a rule that says no to you.

These are the three big permits you'll need, along with my experience applying for them.

1. The visa

To get one of these glued into your US passport, you'll probably need to fall into one of the following categories: a student with proof of enrolment, a worker with a signed job contract, a dependent of someone else with the legal right to be in Italy, or a person who doesn't plan to work and has a sufficient pension or savings to support themselves.

Photo: DepositPhotos

You apply to the Italian consulate that serves your region in the US. They will require a long list of documents. You will also need to get an appointment for a personal appearance, which you can get online.

This step is where Cautionary Note #3 is crucial. We came with the attitude of being supplicants. Every document they asked for we had in a tabbed file.

While we were waiting, we saw a student turned away in tears because she did not have a copy of her degree curriculum. Two acquaintances were rejected because they wanted to live near their son who was stationed in Italy.

They will want bank records, a rental or purchase agreement, health insurance and an FBI background check (a whole other process!). You also have to prove your ability to live with a certain income. (The amount varies by region.)

Approving a visa application will take several months. Meanwhile, a visa is usually only valid for a year from the date of application. That gives you enough time – but just barely – to complete the next steps.

2. The permesso di soggiorno

Essentially this allows you to stay longer than 90 days. You can only apply for it once you are in Italy: it necessitates going to the regional police headquarters, where they will want everything you gave the consulate, plus more. You will be finger-printed and checked by Interpol.

It took us several false leads to realize that the Questura (police headquarters) was even the right place. Our British-Italian real estate agent misled us, saying "Oh, your local city can handle it". Not true.

Photo: DepositPhotos

We heard about a non-profit agency that offers assistance. We found ourselves waiting in tiny room packed with refugees. But the agency did help us fill out forms and send them electronically. After two hours, they handed us a thick stack of completed forms and told us to mail them from a nearby post office. They said: “Keep the receipt.” (Spoiler alert: VERY IMPORTANT!)

Two months later we received a notice to appear at the Questura, located in a city an hour away. We were given a specific time – 9:00 am. This turned out to be only the time they opened the office.

As we walked in the door, we again found ourselves in another tiny waiting room. With 50 other people. Standing up. For three hours.

Only after standing two hours did we realize we had to put a form in a box near a door. There was no sign saying to do this.

FOR MEMBERS: 'How Little Britain helped me deal with Italian bureaucracy'

After getting called, we were told we had to attend an Italian civics class before we could receive a permesso. They gave us a date for the class, which we assumed was there. Not so. We showed up only to be told it was in another city. An hour away. 

And, because we were in the wrong place, we missed the class. And there was no available date for the class for two more months.

Finally, we received a text message to pick up the permesso – a full five months after we first applied. Same waiting room. Another 50 people standing for three hours. I was the next to last to be called. Before me, a couple was called up to the window. The clerk asked, “Where is your postal receipt?” They had not kept it. So they were rejected.

In the ensuing discussion, the clerk slapped a receipt onto the glass window. I saw it. And I realized I had it!

Two minutes later I had my permesso.

3. The identity card

Everyone in Italy must carry this card at all times. It is as important as a driving licence in the US. The electronic version has key information on it required by banks and even some stores when you make large purchases.

FOR MEMBERS: How to survive bureaucracy in Italy: the essential pieces of Italian paperwork

Photo: DepositPhotos

The place to apply for your ID card is the anagrafe, or registry office. Book your appointment online via the Interior Ministry website to stand a better chance of finding someone there.

Good luck and don't let the crazy process get to you!

Mark Hinshaw is a retired city planner who moved to Le Marche with his wife two years ago. A former columnist for The Seattle Times, he contributes to journals, books and other publications.

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This article was originally published in 2019.