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Italy confirms post-Brexit visa rules for British nationals

The Local Italy
The Local Italy - [email protected]
Italy confirms post-Brexit visa rules for British nationals
The bureaucratic process involved in moving to Italy is set to get a lot more complex for Brits from January 1st. photo: AFP

After the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31st 2020, British citizens hoping to move to Italy will require a long-stay visa, Italian authorities have confirmed.

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"Starting from January 1st 2021, British citizens planning to stay in Italy for more than 90 days (‘long stay’) within 180 days, will be subject to national visa requirements, according to the Italian immigration rules applied to third country nationals," read a statement posted on the website of the Italian consulate in London on Thursday.

It read: "Starting now, British citizens may submit a Long Stay visa application for entry on 1 January 2021 or later".

If applying for the following purposes:

• Study
• Religious purposes
• Mission
• Elective residency

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Applications for long-stay visas for the following reasons can be made from January 1st, 2021 (as these require you to obtain the 'Nulla Osta' permission document):
 
- Work (including sport related activities and research)
- Family reunion and adoption
- Investment and start-ups
- Conversion of residence permits originally issued for study or traineeship purposes.
 
British citizens coming to Italy for a short stay of less than 90 days (in a 180-day period) will not require a visa, the consulate confirmed.
 
"In accordance with the provisions of the EU Regulation 2019/592, starting from 1 January 2021 (the end of the transition period) the United Kingdom will be added to Annex II of the EU regulation 2018/1806."
 
This means that "British citizens will therefore not need a Schengen short-stay visa to spend up to 90 days in Italy within a period of 180 days."
 
No details on the process or cost of obtaining a long-stay visa were given.
 
The consulate advises visiting the Interior Ministry's website for more details about the process of applying for a long-stay visa.
 
Further details about visas can also be found on the Italian government's dedicated visa information website (available in English).

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If you are already lawfully living in Italy by the end of this year, your rights should be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. This extends to your close family members.
 
British citizens who are moving to Italy before December 31st, or are already here but haven't yet registered as a resident, are strongly recommend to register before the end of the year.
 
Anyone hoping to move to Italy after the end of the transition period however would be subject to the new visa requirements.

See The Local's Brexit section for more details and updates.

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[email protected] 2021/02/05 09:12
Me and my partner are in a similar scenario. We also arrived in early December but failed to apply for residency before the cut-off date. <br /><br />My understanding is that the 90 days starts from the 1st Jan. This was confirmed by an immigration solicitor. Here is their website - https://www.mazzeschi.it/<br /><br />They were very quick to reply so might be worth sending them an email yourself.<br /><br />
[email protected] 2021/01/23 17:28
Does anyone know if the 90-day rule applies to UK citizens arriving before 31-Dec?<br /><br />Arrived in Italy early Dec and submitted residency app that is currently snarled up in bureaucracy and local uncertainty over policy.<br /><br />Next appointment is scheduled just over a week before I'd need to leave if 90 days counts from my arrival date.<br /><br />Hoping I can stay until at least 31 March to give this time to resolve but the back up plan is to return to UK and apply for the long-term visa so obviously want to avoid an overstay report.<br /><br />Can't seem to find any guidance on whether:<br />a) 90 days does apply and starts from when I arrived in EU<br />b) 90 days applies only from 1 January when I became a third-country national (so have until 31 Mar)<br />c) it doesn't apply because I arrived before Brexit as an EU citizen<br /><br />I will contact the consulate/FCO for their take on it but just wanted to check to see if anyone else has already checked the same scenario and what their answer was.<br />

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