Italian immigration law stipulates that non-EU citizens who intend to stay in Italy for more than three months must apply for a residence permit within eight days of entering Italy.
Those interested must submit their application for a residence permit at any post office with a “Sportello Amico” counter, where they can pick up the kit needed to complete the application.
To find your nearest Sportello Amico office, visit the following link.
For assistance in completing the application, you can contact the patronage offices in the city of Pavia. The service is free of charge.
The documents required for the application are:
- a photocopy of your passport with your personal details, the visa page, and all pages with other visas and entry stamps for Italy and other countries;
- a photocopy of your tax code;
- a photocopy of the letter of acceptance from the IUSS School specifying the course you are enrolled in, stamped by the Italian diplomatic/consular representation at the time of issue of the entry visa;
- a 16 euro revenue stamp (to be purchased at tobacco shops and stamp dealers);
- photocopy of documentation certifying the availability of adequate financial resources for the duration of the residence permit; for those who have a scholarship, a copy of the letter provided by the IUSS School with the details of the scholarship;
- medical insurance;
- declaration of accommodation (from the University College or a duly registered rental contract).
After completing the application with the assistance of the patronage services, it must be delivered in person to a post office with a “Sportello Amico” service within a maximum of 8 working days of entering Italy. The postal costs for the application amount to €30.00 to send the postal kit by registered mail plus €70.46 for the issue/renewal of the electronic residence permit (the payment slip is included in the kit) with a duration of more than three months and up to one year.
When you submit your application at the Italian Post Office counter, the postal operator will give you a receipt for the registered letter that will be sent to the Immigration Office.
The receipt issued contains your USER ID and PASSWORD.
You must always carry the postal receipt for the residence permit (or a copy of it) and your passport with you until you receive your electronic residence permit.
The Post Office will also communicate, through the paper appointment slip, the date of your appointment at the Police Headquarters - Immigration Office for photo identification (fingerprinting) and the possible addition of some documents (you will need to bring 4 identical passport-size photos and the original documents, copies of which have been included in the kit).
On the day of the photo identification, you will receive and must sign the “integration agreement”: by signing the agreement, the foreigner undertakes to achieve specific integration objectives during the period of validity of the residence permit:
By signing the agreement, the foreigner is awarded 16 initial credits.
These 16 credits are confirmed following attendance at a free civic training and information session on life in Italy, which will last between 5 and 10 hours and will be held at the Prefectures' One-Stop Shops for Immigration. Failure to attend the training session will result in the loss of 15 of the 16 credits awarded.
The agreement also stipulates that within two years, the foreigner must reach a total of 30 credits. Credits can be earned through the acquisition of certain knowledge (Italian language, civic culture, and civil life in Italy) and the performance of certain activities, such as:
- Knowledge of the Italian language (24 credits);
- Knowledge of civic and civil culture in Italy;
- Vocational training;
- Educational qualifications;
- Registration with the National Health Service and choice of a general practitioner;
- Signing of a lease agreement or certification of the taking out of a mortgage for the purchase of a residential property;
- Carrying out economic and entrepreneurial activities, etc.
Credits earned may be lost in the following cases:
- criminal convictions;
- application of personal security measures, even if not definitive;
- definitive imposition of financial penalties of not less than €10,000 in relation to administrative and tax offenses.
It will also be possible to check the status of your residence permit using your USER ID and PASSWORD (without the hyphen) by visiting the website www.portaleimmigrazione.it
(enter your password and user ID in the area reserved for foreigners); another website where you can check this is the Italian Police Headquarters portal (enter your password in the white space, again without the hyphen).
Those who have dual citizenship (Italian or European/non-European) do not need to apply for a residence permit.
EU citizens
If you are an EU citizen, you can stay in our country for up to 3 months without any formalities, provided you have a valid identity document for travel abroad. After 3 months from your arrival, you must register at the Registry Office of the Municipality of the city where you live.
To register, you must bring with you:
- your passport or identity card;
- a self-certification attesting to your enrollment at the university;
- a photocopy of documentation certifying that you have adequate financial resources (approximately €5,400), such as proof of a scholarship or bank account;
- a copy of your health insurance payment receipt.