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Frequently asked questions
the answers to the main questions/doubts concerning international mobility issues (entry and stay conditions, health insurance, accommodation, family issues).
Please note that the information is of a general nature, any specific and more complex cases should always be discussed with the respective reference offices of the municipality (Prefecture, Police Headquarters, Health Districts).
For specific support write us at mobility@areasciencepark.it
The main questions/doubts concerning international mobility issues are listed below, divided by topic and by target (S – R). Please note that the information is of a general nature, any specific and more complex cases should always be discussed with the respective reference offices of the municipality (Prefecture, Police Headquarters, Health Districts).
S= student (residence permit for study)
R= researcher (residence permit for research)
Foreigner = non-EU country citizen
Entry and stay (NON-EU citizens)
1) S/R When is the Declaration of Presence required?
The declaration of presence is required from foreigners who enter the national territory for stays of less than 90 days with a visa or exemption and who have passed through the Schengen area. The declaration serves to certify the date of entry into the territory in the absence of a stamp in the passport, for the purposes of calculating the length of stay in Italy and in the Schengen area. Movement in the Schengen area follows the principle of 90 days every 180. The declaration of presence is NOT required if
• you transit directly to Italy
• you are staying in an accommodation facility such as a hotel, B&B, residence.
2) S- I will be staying in Italy for a few months, do I have to apply for a residence permit?
The permit must always be requested by non-EU citizens if their stay in Italy exceeds 90 days (from the 91st day on) and always with a long-term visa (type D visa).
3) S- Before arriving in Trieste I will be staying in Rome for a week, can I apply for the first issue of a permit to study once I arrive in Trieste?
No, the application for the first issue of the residence permit must be made within 8 days of your arrival in Italy, not of your arrival at the place/institution of study. The kit for the permit can be sent from anywhere in Italy, it is sufficient to indicate in the form the Questura where you will be domiciled (e.g. Trieste).
4) R- Before arriving in Trieste I will be staying in Rome for a week, can I apply for the first issue of the research permit once I arrive in Trieste?
No, the application for the first issue of a residence permit must be made within 8 days of arriving in Italy. In addition, anyone entering on a research visa must inform the institute of their arrival in Italy, as the institute must make an appointment at the Immigration Office of the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia to register their entry and deliver the pre-filled permit application kit. The researcher must therefore go to their place of work to send the kit.
5) S- Before arriving in Trieste I will be staying in Rome for a week, can I apply for the first issue of a permit to study once I arrive in Trieste?
No, the application for the first issue of the residence permit must be made within 8 days of your arrival in Italy, not of your arrival at the place/institution of study. The kit for the permit can be sent from anywhere in Italy, it is sufficient to indicate in the form the Questura where you will be domiciled (e.g. Trieste)
6) R- Before arriving in Trieste I will be staying in Rome for a week, can I apply for the first issue of the research permit once I arrive in Trieste?
No, the application for the first issue of a residence permit must be made within 8 days of arriving in Italy. In addition, anyone entering on a research visa must inform the institute of their arrival in Italy, as the institute must make an appointment at the Immigration Office of the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia to register their entry and deliver the pre-filled permit application kit. The researcher must therefore go to their place of work to send the kit.
7) S/R - Can I send the residence permit kit even if I have not found accommodation?
Yes, the kit must be sent within 8 days of your arrival in Italy. Any missing documentation (usually the registered rental contract, the property disposal - 'cessione di fabbricato' - and the tax code) can be brought in the original form at the time of the appointment at the Questura. Evaluating the application for residency starts from the moment the immigration office has all the documentation supporting the request.
8) S/R: When do I have to renew an expiring permit?
Permits can be renewed (if the conditions are met) from 60 days before they expire until the day they expire.
9) S/R - I have a permit that is expiring but I have to stay for a while, do I have to renew it even if I am only staying for a month?
Yes, you cannot stay with an expired permit. Those who renew their permit for a period of less than 3 months will not have to pay the cost of the electronic permit. The request for renewal must be justified and supported by documentation proving the need for further residence. In the case of a research permit, the hosting agreement and the corresponding work contract (cheque or other) must also be renewed.
10) S/R: Can I travel to other Schengen countries/stopover in Schengen?
Yes, only with a valid residence permit; Yes, with the application for the first issue of a residence permit and valid entry visa D; NO with only an application for renewal of the residence permit.
11) S- I am a NON-EU student and am finishing my studies, can I stay in Italy after my studies?
Yes, students who obtain the following qualifications from an Italian institution can apply for a student-employment seeking permit that can last from 9 to 12 months:
• higher technical diploma
• first or second level academic diploma
• Bachelor's or Master's degree
• Master's degree (first or second level)
• PhD
12) R- I am a researcher (with a research permit), can I stay in Italy after completing my research project?
Yes, when your research permit expires you can apply for a Researcher - Employment Seeking permit which can last from 9 to 12 months. Proof of completion of the research project must be provided.
13) S/R - I had applied for a seeking employment permit and now I have found work, do I have to convert the permit?
No, it is not necessary. You can work with your seeking employment permit. If your permit expires and your contract is still active, you can ask to convert it into a work permit. Depending on the type of job and when you find it, you may keep working with the seeking employment permit or convert it in a work permit as soon as you find the job.
14) S - I have a study permit but I would like to work to pay for my studies, is this possible?
Yes, under certain conditions. With a study permit you can work for a maximum of 20 hours per week and a maximum of 1,040 hours per year. If you work longer hours, you must convert your permit from study to work. Please be aware that a work permit cannot be converted in a study permit!
15) S/R - When should I move my residence to Italy?
For periods exceeding one year, it is advisable to move your residence to Italy.
Permanent residence is a requirement for the ISEE (Economic Situation Indicator), enrolling children in school and for other bureaucratic formalities (e.g. obtaining SPID - 'Public System of Digital Identity). In addition, residency is required for voluntary registration with the National Health System (Please note: for students, domicile is sufficient).
Note: before moving your residence to an accommodation, you must inform the landlord.
16) S/R - In the case of an Italian citizen abroad - When should I move my residency to Italy?
Italian citizens abroad should be registered with AIRE (Anagrafe Italiani residenti all'estero - Registry of Italians residing abroad) at the Consular Representation with territorial competence in their country of residence. Residence should be moved according to needs and the period of stay in Italy.
17) Does the permit for long-term residence have to be renewed?
No, the permit is indefinite; however, in certain cases it must be updated. For example, it must be updated every 10 years in order to be valid as an identification document or if the abovementioned data have changed. In essence, the acquired right to stay is indefinite but the permit in the sense of 'the plastic card' is valid for 10 years.
Health insurance
For any EU and for Italian citizen residing abroad and registered with AIRE or Italian descendants residing abroad, it is recommended to have health insurance coverage valid for the national and European territory for the entire duration of their stay, to be taken out before or at the time of entry into Italy. For NON EU citizens it is mandatory!
18) S - What insurance must I take out when applying for a residence permit?
Issuing of the permit is also conditional on the health coverage presented. In fact, it must be equal to the duration of your stay (e.g. if I have to stay for a year but I have health coverage for 6 months, I will have a 6-month permit).
It is therefore advisable to register with the National Health System (SSN Sistema sanitario nazionale) to benefit from full coverage and a general practitioner and a freely chosen paediatrician in the case of minors.
In cases of compulsory enrolment (those with an employment contract paying Irpef), enrolment will be equal to the duration of the contract in the case of fixed-term contracts.
In cases of voluntary enrolment (generally students and research grant holders), since annual coverage is valid from January to December, for those who have to apply towards the end of the year (e.g. between September and November) the options could be as follows:
- registration with the National Health System (SSN) for the current year + copy of payment for registration with the SSN for the following year;
- private health insurance for the current year + copy of payment for SSN registration for the following year.
If you wish to take out private insurance, it is advisable to take it out in Italy, so that the Questura can read the relevant documentation. The policy must have minimum requirements in order to be accepted.
Any private policies taken out abroad must be validated by the Italian embassy, which authenticates the requirements, in order to be recognised in Italy by the Questura. Note: this only applies to the first issue of the permit; for any renewals, registration with the SSN or a policy taken out in Italy is advisable.
TRAVEL AND TOURIST INSURANCES ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
19) S/R - I voluntarily enrolled in the National Health System, is the card I received valid in Europe?
NO. Anyone who voluntarily registers with the National Health System receives a health card that is only valid for Italy. When travelling abroad you must take out additional cover. Only those who pay Irpef (with their contract/grant or other) are entitled to compulsory registration and therefore to the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which is also valid in other Member States for medically necessary treatment and for short stays.
20) S/R - In the case of Italian citizens resident abroad and registered with AIRE, is there coverage in Italy in case of need during their stay?
Yes, the Ministerial Decree of 1 February 1996 provides that a citizen with emigrant status (born in Italy but residing abroad) or a pensioner with a pension paid by Italian social security bodies, and who temporarily returns to Italy without having public or private insurance cover, has the right to emergency hospital services free of charge for a maximum period of 90 days in a calendar year, if he/she does not have appropriate health insurance (source: Ministry of Health; MAECI - Services to Italians Abroad). For Italians registered with AIRE without emigrant status (e.g. citizens who have Italian citizenship by descent), temporarily in Italy, the payment of all benefits, including those of an urgent nature, is required.
Accommodation
21) S/R - What is the property disposal (Dichiarazione di ospitalità)//declaration of hospitality and who must do thist?
The dichiarazione di ospitalità // Declaration of ospitality is a document that must be filled out, signed and sent to the Questura (Police Headquarters) by the person who transfers an accommodation or part of it to a non-EU citizen. It must be sent within 48 hours (also by e-mail) from when you hand over the house/room (i.e. from the handing over of the keys) or simply if you are hosting someone. One form must be filled in for each foreigner, including minors.
Usually, it is the homeowner who rents to the foreigner who makes the handover of the building. However, the cessione di fabbricato must also be sent by all those (landlords or tenants) who host a foreign national. For example, a spouse who is reuniting his or her family with the other spouse and any children must send the cessione di fabbricato (and not his or her landlord), as must anyone who is hosting a foreign national in their home for more than 48 hours.
The cessione di fabbricato is a document required by the Immigration Office for the first issue of a residency permit.
For EU/EEA citizens and Italians, the communication must be made only for stays of more than 30 days and in the absence of a rental contract (e.g. they are guests).
22) S/R - What is the suitability of accomodation and when do I need it?
Suitability of accomodation is a certificate issued by the municipality at the request of the landlord or tenant. It should not be confused with the suitability or habitability of the house. It is compulsory for foreigners who wish to apply for family reunification (in the case of a foreigner with a research permit, this document is NOT required) and for all foreigners (including researchers) who apply for a long-term resident's permit.
23) S/R - I have changed my home, who should I inform about this?
Agenzia delle Entrate (for sending your health card, if you are registered with the National Health System and you do not have moved your permanent residence in Italy. If you are a permanent resident, the Registry office will inform Agenzia delle Entrate in case you change the address).
Your health district (and your general practitioner) if you are registered with the National Health System.
24) R - I am a researcher/post-doctorate can I sign a student rental contract?
No, student contracts are for those attending a course of study.
Family
25) S/R - My wife/husband/son/daughter has arrived (with family reunification), what health insurance can I take out for them?
It being understood that a foreigner arriving in Italy should already be insured for the first period of their stay:
• the student with a private policy must also take out an ad hoc policy for each family member.
• the student enrolled in the National Health System (voluntary enrolment) can enrol dependent family members by paying a supplement to what was already paid when they enrolled.
• In the case of those entering on a research visa, health cover (private or registration with the National Health System) for the researcher and his/her family members is the responsibility of the host institution as provided for in the hosting agreement.
26) S/R - How long does the permit requested by the reunified family member last?
The family permit has the same duration as the permit of the family member with whom you are reunited.
27) S/R - Can a person with a family residence permit issued in Italy work?
Yes, the family permit allows you to work, even full-time, and to study (note the expiry date in the case of multi-year courses of study. In this case, an entry visa is required for specific studies, e.g. matriculation, doctorate, master's degree, etc.).
28) S/R - I am a student/researcher with European citizenship. Will my spouse, a NON-EU citizen, have to apply for a family permit?
No, the family members of Italian or European citizens, once they arrive in Italy (with or without an entry visa as the case may be - see Visa for Italy) will have to apply for a Residence Card for Italian or EU Citizens' family members/Carta di soggiorno per familiari di cittadini Italiani o Eu. The residence permit (first issue) will have a duration of 5 years.
29) S/R - What can I do in Italy with a residency permit for a family member of an Italian or EU citizen?
NON-EU family members of Italian or EU citizens in possession of a residency permit may work or study in Italy. They can also travel to EU countries for short periods.