After legally living in Italy for at least five consecutive years, non-EU nationals become eligible to apply for a EU Long-Term Residency Permit – known in Italian as permesso di soggiorno per soggiornanti di lungo periodo or permesso di soggiorno illimitato (formerly known as carta di soggiorno permanente).
Unlike other residency permits, which are usually issued for a maximum of one or two years and then need to be renewed to remain valid, the Long-Term Permit grants the holder a permanent right to residency and doesn’t expire (the document itself should be updated every ten years, but failure to do so does not affect your permanent residency rights).
Besides freeing the holder from having to make annual or biennial trips to the questura (provincial police headquarters), the permit comes with a range of other advantages, including the right to freely work or study in the country, as well as full access to social welfare and benefits.
Here’s how you can apply for the permesso di soggiorno illimitato.
Requirements
The first requirement for the Long-Term Residency Permit is to clock up five uninterrupted years as a legal Italian resident.
To be allowed to keep renewing your initial, temporary Italian residency permits, you won’t be able to leave the country for more than six consecutive months if your permit is for less than two years, or more than half the duration of your permit if your permit is for two years or more.
To apply for the long-term permit, you can’t have been absent from Italy for more than 10 months in total during the five-year residency period on which you’re basing your application.
In either case, if the interruption was due to “serious and documented” reasons such as military service or health problems, you can be granted an exemption.
Besides showing you’ve been legally living in Italy for at least five years, you’ll have to prove you meet other requirements, including:
- Proficiency in Italian at the A2 (pre-intermediate) level
- An annual income above a minimum threshold
- Proof you don’t pose a threat to Italian national security or public order
To take the official A2 language test, you'll need to start by visiting this instruction page on the interior ministry's website and following the link to this portal; your local prefecture has 60 days to get back to you with a time and date for the test.
Residents who hold an equivalent language certification or level of experience, such as an Italian middle- or high-school diploma or university degree, can apply based on this instead: find a complete list of recognised qualifications HERE.
Children under 14, refugees, and those with significant illnesses or disabilities that prevent them from learning Italian (your local health authority, or ASL, must sign off on this) are exempt from the language requirement.
READ ALSO: Do you need to pass an Italian language test for permanent residency?
Applicants must also prove that they receive a minimum annual income that’s above the threshold for qualifying for social security benefits, which as of 2025 is €7,002.97.
That figure increases by half for each family member you want to add to your application, regardless of their age – so currently €10,504.46 for one additional family member, €14,005.94 for two, etc.
According to Giulia Vicari, a lawyer specialising in Italian immigration law, you don’t need to prove you’ve met this minimum income threshold throughout the full five-year period – only for the previous tax year, as demonstrated by your most recent tax return.
Finally, you’ll need to provide both a criminal record certificate (certificato casellario giudiziale) and a certificate of outstanding criminal proceedings (certificato dei carichi pendenti), both of which can be requested from the nearest court with jurisdiction over your place of residence; in many cases, this can be done online.
How to apply
The process of applying for a permesso di soggiorno illimitato is very similar to that involved in filing for an initial residency permit or a permit renewal, though you’ll need different supporting documentation.
You’ll start by going to a post office with a ‘Sportello Amico’ counter and asking for the residency permit application forms known as a kit a banda gialla.
Once you've filled out all the relevant forms, you'll need to return them to the Sportello Amico desk with the following:
- A photocopy of your valid passport or an equivalent document
- Copies of your old Italian residency permits
- A copy of your most recent tax return
- Your criminal record certificate and certificate of outstanding criminal proceedings
- Your payslips for the past year (if applicable), or other documents showing you receive an annual income above the minimum threshold
- A copy of your residency certificate and documents proving your family status
- If you’re applying on behalf of other family members in addition to yourself, a certificato di idoneità alloggiativa (‘certificate of housing suitability’) proving you have adequate accommodation, which you can request from the Ufficio Tecnico del Comune (Municipal Technical Office) at your local comune (town hall) – you may be able to do this online.
- Proof you meet the A2 language requirement (if applicable)
You may need different or additional documents depending on your circumstances: if in doubt, it’s advisable to seek advice from your local patronato.
READ ALSO: Italian bureaucracy: What is the 'patronato' and how can they help you?
You'll also need to pay for a €16 tax stamp, €30 postage costs, €30.46 for the physical card, and €100 for the permit itself.
Once you’ve sent off the application, you’ll be given a cedolino/ricevuta (receipt slip) and should be given the time and date for an appointment at your nearest questura to complete the process.
Due to a chronic backlog when it comes to processing residency permit applications, it could be several months before you’re called to this appointment - during this time, it’s very important to hold on to the cedolino as proof of your rights as an Italian resident.
READ ALSO: How to check the status of your Italian residency permit application
The Local’s readers have reported differing experiences in applying for the long-term permesso, and your own experience is likely to vary significantly depending on where in Italy you’re based.
As well as applying for yourself, you can also apply for family members including your spouse, dependent minor children, dependent adult children who are permanently unable to provide for their own basic needs, or dependent parents who are without adequate family support in their own country.
The permit is valid for ten years, after which time it will need to be renewed in order for you to continue using it as proof of legal residency.
Restrictions
Italy’s current rules say that the EU Long-Term Residency Permit cannot be issued to foreigners who:
- Are staying in Italy for study or professional training purposes;
- Are staying in Italy for humanitarian reasons;
- Are staying in Italy on a short-term residence permit (90 days or less);
- Have a legal status provided for by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the 1969 Convention on Special Missions or the 1975 Vienna Convention on the Representation of States in their Relations with International Organizations of a Universal Character.
However, time spent in Italy for the above reasons can be counted towards the five-year residency period, with the exception of short-term stays and stays for the performance of diplomatic or state representation functions.
Can you lose your right to permanent residency?
According to Italy’s official immigration portal, your status as a permanent resident can be revoked if you spend more than 12 consecutive months outside the European Union, or stay outside Italy for more than six consecutive years.
You can also have your right to permanent residency revoked if you get a Long-Term Residency Permit from another EU country, receive an expulsion order as someone considered a threat to public order and national security, or are found to have fraudulently acquired the permit.
READ ALSO: Can I be stripped of permanent residency in Italy?
Foreigners who lose their right to permanent residency due to being away from Italy, or after getting an equivalent long-term permit from another EU country, can re-apply for permanent residency after legally living in Italy for three years (as opposed to five).
If you’ve been stripped of your right to permanent residency for any of the reasons mentioned above, you can challenge the decision by filing an appeal with your Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) within 60 days.
Please note that The Local is unable to advise on individual cases. Find more information on the Italian Interior Ministry’s website or seek independent advice from a qualified immigration consultant.
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