If you've been granted an elective residency visa to live in Italy, there are still a few more steps to complete before you can put up your feet and relax – the most important being your application for a permesso di soggiorno, or residency permit.
You'll need to apply for your permit within eight days of arriving in Italy.
To do this, you'll have to go to your local post office, which has the application form you need to fill out and send to your questura (provincial police headquarters).
Make a beeline for the post office's Sportello Amico counter. Not all post offices have these, so if yours doesn't, you'll need to track down one that does.
At the Sportello Amico you'll be given the residency permit application packet in a large envelope with a yellow stripe on it, known in Italian as the busta gialla or kit giallo ('yellow packet').
The form is around eight pages long and in Italian, so you probably won't want to fill it out there and then.
If you're struggling to understand the questions, you can get help from a patronato – a government-funded organisation that provides free assistance with bureaucratic tasks, including to foreigners applying for residency permits. Find a full list on this official website.
READ ALSO: Five expert tips for getting your Italian elective residency visa approved
Once you've filled out all the forms, you'll need to return to the Sportello Amico desk along with photocopies of your passport (photo page and the pages with your ERV), a €16 marca da bollo tax stamp bought from a tabaccheria, and your original passport for the postal worker to check.
You'll also need to supply copies of the supporting documents you gave to the consulate when you made your ERV application, including proof of accommodation in Italy, a health insurance policy, and financial documents showing you have the resources to support yourself without working (the government's passive income threshold for issuing the ERV is at least €31,000, though consulates often revise upward)
You'll be charged €30 to send the application, plus a €40 fee for a one-year permit (€50 if you were granted a two-year visa and are eligible for a two-year permit), plus another €30.46 to pay for the permesso di soggiorno elettronico card, or PSE.
Once you've done all this, the post office will submit the application for you and give you a small cedolino/ricevuta (receipt slip) proving that you've applied.
It's very important to hold onto this slip, as it acts as proof of your right to stay in Italy until your residency permit is issued.
The post office worker should also give you a date and time for an appointment at the questura police headquarters and confirm the documentation you'll need to bring - though in recent months many of The Local's readers say that they've had to wait to receive details of their appointment via post or text message.
Be warned that, as things currently stand, you may face a long wait for this initial appointment at the questura. International residents, including readers of The Local, have reported waits of several months for their questura appointment in recent months.
As you wait for your official appointment, the questura officials could ask for further documentation if they think your application is lacking in any way – so it’s better to err on the side of caution and provide as much supporting documentation as possible when first applying.
When your appointment at the questura arrives, you'll be called to a counter and sent off for fingerprinting.
You'll be asked to supply four passport-sized photos at this point, along with the originals of your passport and any other documents you sent in your postal application.
Once your fingerprints have been taken, you'll be given an alphanumeric reference code you can use to check the status of your application online using the Polizia di Stato’s online portal.
READ ALSO: How to check the status of your Italian residency permit application
When the portal says your permit is ready and a green checkmark appears on the screen, you'll need to make one last trip to collect your permesso di soggiorno elettronico.
The questura is supposed to issue your permit within 60 days of your appointment – though with current delays, be prepared for it to take longer.
Unfortunately, as an ERV holder you'll need to renew your permit within one year (two years if you were lucky enough to be granted a two-year permit), and Italy's interior ministry says you should apply at least 60 days before it expires; so you may find there's barely any gap between receiving your permesso and having to apply to renew it.
While this process might sound exhausting, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
After living in Italy for five continuous years, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent residency permit – though you'll need to meet certain language and minimum income requirements to secure it.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to apply for permanent residency in Italy
Obtaining the status of permanent Italian resident comes with several advantages, including freedom from the requirement to renew your residency every one to two years.
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