Nationals from outside Schengen/EU/EFTA areas intending to work or carry out research activities in Italian educational or research institutes (not as a grant-holders) are asked to declare and show proof of the reason for and length of their stay along with, in some cases, the availability of adequate financial means and accommodation.
To Non-EU/Non-EU-equated citizens an entry visa is required, which can be applied at the Italian diplomatic and consular representation in the country of residence. For further information please click here: Do you need a visa?

Your entry

Admission to Italian territory through the external borders of the Schengen Area is only permitted to visitors who:

• are in possession of a valid entry or transit visa, if required;
• are holding a valid passport or equivalent recognised travel document permitting them to cross the border. No visa shall be apposed on a travel document that has expired. The expiry date of the validity must be more than three months from the date of the visa;
• are in possession of documents substantiating the purpose and the conditions of the planned visit and have sufficient means of support, both for the period of the planned visit and to return to their country of origin (or to travel in transit to a Third State);
• seek entry through a border crossing point;
• have not been prohibited to enter through an alert in the Schengen Information System;
• are not considered to be a threat to public policy, national security or the international relations of any of the Contracting Parties, under Italian law or the law of another Schengen State.

If you are in Italy for WORK/EMPLOYMENT purposes you have also to:

• have received the requested “nulla osta” (work authorisation) issued by the competent Italian authority. The nulla osta has to be submitted by the employer to the Provincial Labour Office that seeks with the Immigration Office (Questura) if all the basic criteria are met. In case of positive feedback, the local authorities summons the employer to collect the work permission and sends it to the Italian Embassy/Consulate of reference;

If one of the aforementioned conditions is not met, the person concerned may be denied entry by the border authorities even if in possession of a valid entry or transit visa. A visa, which comprises a special "stamp" (or "sticker") affixed to the applicant's passport or other valid travel document, is an authorisation granted to a Third Country national to enter the territory of the Italian Republic or that of the other Contracting Parties for transit or visit purposes. It is issued on the basis of criteria related to the preservation of good international relations and to the protection of national security and public order.

Link of Italian Embassies/General Consultes: Where to apply for a visa

Your stay

Starting from the 30th January 2012 a new tax on the Permits of Stay has been introduced by
the Italian Government. Fees to be paid for the issuing and renewal of the permit of stay will remian the same: 27,50 euros for the electronic card, 14,62 Euros for the revenue stamp; 30 euros as the postal fee.
The amount of tax to be paid for the first permit and for renewal of the permit varies depending on the validity period of the permit.

Fee:
-from  three months to one year: 80 euros
-from  one year up to 2 years: 100 euros
-EC long-term residence permit (Carta di Soggiorno): 200 Euros

• Short and long stays for WORK/EMPLOYMENT purposes

  Short stay (less than 90 days) 
      
  Declaration of presence 
  All Third countries citizens who enter Italy legally, including those who are not required to hold a visa are required to  report their presence on Italian territory to the local Central Police Station (Questura) of the province in which they are staying within 8 working days from the date of entry.
  Since law nr. 68 dated 2/06/2007 has become effective it is no longer necessary for foreign nationals who are entitled to stay in Italy for a period not exceeding 3 months (for the shorter period established in the entry visa for visits, business, tourism and study)  to apply for a stay permit . Instead, you will have to register your presence following one of the procedures mentioned below:

  • in case you entered Italy from a non-Schengen border, you will have to declare your presence to the Border Authority or to the Questura;
  • in case you entered Italy from a Schengen border, the declaration must be presented, within 8 working days from the day of your arrival, to the Questura submitting the following documentation:

  1. declaration of presence form (dichiarazione di presenza) 
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     ;
  2. original of the passport and copy of the only pages with stamps;
  3. housing contract/hotel booking, both in original and in copy.

  If foreigners do not abide by the above-mentioned procedure, except in cases of force majeure, they will be expelled. Expulsion will be applied also to those foreigners who overstay the 3-month limit or the shorter period indicated in the entry visa.

  Long stay (more than 90 days) 
    
  Permit of stay 
  It is absolutely obligatory that all foreigners request a permit of stay (permesso di soggiorno) within 8 working days from the date of entrance to the Italian territory or to a Schengen state. The Permit to stay must be addressed to the local Central Police Station (Questura) of the province in which the applicant is staying. 
  It is the permit of stay itself, which is issued for the reason and for the period indicated on the visa, which authorises a guest to stay in Italy. Applicants requesting the residence permit are subjected to be fingerprinted.
    
  In order to apply for a stay permit (first issuing) you will need to:

  • collect the so-called “ permit of stay Kit ” (envelope with a yellow band containing forms and instructions), available at one of the authorized Post offices;
  • fill in Form 1 ("Modulo 1") in capital letters and with a black pen, sign it and put  a € 14,62 revenue stamp (marca da bollo) , previously purchased, on it. If you are a working student, you must also fill in Form 2 ("Modulo 2");
  • cover € 27,50 to be paid using postal current account slip available (bollettino postale) at any Post offices;
  • enclose the copy of all the pages of your passport (also the blank ones) in A4 format into the envelope;
  • annex the copy of the invitation letter (or other document stamped by the Italian Embassy/Consulate in your country) declaring your visit purpose and according to which your visa was issued or copy of your enrolment certificate. Please make sure that the Italian Embassy/Diplomatic Representation makes a stamp on your invitation letter. The stamp is necessary when you will apply for the stay permit upon arrival in Italy;
  • annex the copy of the health insurance policy (or payment receipt), valid in Italy and for the entire duration of the stay permit;
  • receipt of the postal bulletin of € 27,50 (to be paid in case of stays longer than 90 days);
  • pay a post charge of € 30,00 to post the kit to the Questura;
  • personally hand in the open envelope at one of the authorized Post Offices showing your identity document.

  The Post office will issue you a receipt of the Stay permit application (which contains two personal identification codes: User-id and password) that you must keep jointly with the receipt of € 27,50 payment and your passport. All these forms and data will enable you to check the status of your procedure by logging on to the    Immigration Website 

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  Please note: since anomalies are frequent, we suggest you to constantly check the status of the procedure of your stay permit application on the Immigration Website and to notify us in case. 
  Afterwards you will be summoned by Questura (usually through registered letter to the address indicated on the kit form) to be fingerprinted. On the day of the appointment you will be asked to bring:

  • your passport ;
  • the register letter received from Questura or, optionally, the printed page from Immigration Website where your appointment had been scheduled;
  • your tax code (codice fiscale) issued by Agenzia delle Entrate;
  • the postal receipts given to you when you sent the stay permit application;
  • updated hardcopies of all documentation you put in the envelope (invitation letter if you are applying for a first stay permit, enrolment certificate or declaration, economic means amounting at least to € 500/month for at least 6 months, receipt of payment of health insurance coverage);
  • 4 passport-sized photographs with light background;
  • copy of the housing contract at your name;
  • in case of a renewal, the old stay permit.

  In case the housing contract is not at your name, please be sure to submit also a declaration of hospitality filled in and signed by your landlord together with his/her identity document.
    
   Before going to Questura make sure to have a copy of all the above documentation!
    
  IMPORTANT! If you miss the date of the appointment with Questura for the finger-prints, your will have to apply for a new appointment. You have to return to the Questura information Desk in the opening times (Mon.-Fri. from 8.30 am to 1.30 pm and on Thur. also from 3.10 pm to 6.00 pm) and show the number and the letter with the appointment you have missed. A new date will be fixed in about 2 months’ time.
    
  In order to try to get the longest stay permit as possible (12 months starting from the date of the appointment) make sure that all the above-mentioned documentation is still valid until the necessary lapse of time. For this reason, please check to be in possession of:

  • economic means of at least €500,00/months for the following period of stay;
  • the certificate of enrolment with the whole duration of the programme/course;
  • your housing contract covering the following months needed;
  • your health insurance valid for the following stay.

  You will be then contacted a second time by Questura in order to receive your permit. Please check carefully your personal data and the permit’s validity duration before signing any receipt!

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• Short and long stays for STUDY purposes

  Permit of stay 
  It is absolutely obligatory that all foreigner citizens request a permit of stay (permesso di soggiorno)within 8 working days of entering Italy or any Eu member/Schengen state. The permit of stay will be addressed to the local Central Police Station (Questura) of the province in which the applicant is staying.
  It is the stay permit itself, which is issued for the reason and for the period indicated on the visa, which authorises a foreigner to stay in Italy. Applicants requesting the residence permit are subjected to be fingerprinted. 
  If this is your first request for a permit of stay for work purposes, then the application will be provided by the Immigration Office (which has already issued the necessary “nulla osta”). The Immigration Office will give you the application, along with the “permit of stay kit” (envelope with a yellow band containing forms and instructions), that has to be sent via the post office, when you sign the residency contract.
   
  In order to apply for the issue of permits of stay related to a work experience in Italy, you will need to:

  • fill in Form 1 and 2 ("Modulo 1 and 2") in capital letters and with a black pen, sign it and put a € 14,62 revenue stamp (marca da bollo) , previously purchased, on it.
  • copy of all the pages of your passport (also the blank ones) in A4 format ;
  • copy of the work authorisation (nulla osta) issued by the Provincial Labour Office;
  • cover € 27,50 to be paid using postal current account slip available (bollettino postale) at any Post offices and enclose a copy of receipt of the postal bulletin payment;
  • pay a post charge of € 30,00 to post the kit to the Questura ;
  • personally hand in the open envelope at one of the authorized Post Offices showing your identity document.

  The Post office will issue you a receipt of the permit of stay application (which contains two personal identification codes: User-id and password) that you must keep jointly with the receipt of € 27,50 payment and your passport. All these forms and data will enable you to check the status of your procedure by logging on to the  Immigration Website 

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  Afterwards you will be summoned by Questura (usually through registered letter to the address indicated on the kit form) to be fingerprinted. On the day of the appointment you will be asked to bring:

  • your passport ;
  • the register letter received from Questura or, optionally, the printed page from Immigration Website where your appointment had been scheduled;
  • the hardcopy of the  work authorisation (nulla osta) issued by the Provincial Labour Office;
  • 4 passport-sized photographs with light background ;
  • your tax code (codice fiscale) issued by Agenzia delle Entrate;
  • the postal kit receipt given to you when you sent the stay permit application;
  • the housing contract at your name ;
  • in case of a renewal, the old stay permit.

  In case the housing contract is not at your name, please be sure to submit also a declaration of hospitality filled in and signed by your landlord together with his/her identity document.
  Before going to Questura make sure to have a copy of all the above documentation!
  You will be then contacted a second time by Questura in order to receive your permit. Please check carefully your personal data and the permit’s validity duration before signing any receipt !
   
  Permit of stay duration 
  The first permit of stay normally has the same duration as the visa but, considering the long times for the appointment, you can try to apply for a longer stay permit by submitting at the appointmentupdated documentation valid until the date you wish your stay permit to be valid . 
  The duration of the permit of stay is the same as the one of the “contract to stay” (or work contract) stipulated between the Italian employer or foreign employer legally residing in Italy and a foreign worker. Nonetheless, it cannot exceed:

  • up to 9 months if you have one or more contracts for seasonal employment;
  • up to 1 year for subordinate employment with a temporary contract, and for study or vocational training;
  • up to 2 years for self-employed work, for subordinate work and for family reunion.

  The consequences of an expired permit are very serious (you will be forced to immediately return to your own country with no chance of re-entering Italy). 
   
  Permit of stay renewals 
  You must present your request for permit of stay renewal to the Office of the Chief of Police of the Province in which you have your legal residence, respecting the following deadlines:

  • 90 days before the expiry date if your permit of stay is valid for 2 years;
  • 60 days before the expiry date if your permit of stay  is valid for 1 year;
  • 30 days before the expiry date in all other cases.

  A permit of stay cannot be renewed or extended if you have interrupted  your stay in Italy living in another country for an continuous period longer than 6 months, or for a period equal to more than half the period of validity of your permit to stay, unless you can prove there are serious reasons (such as military service and or gravity) for your extended absence from the country.
   
  Permit of stay entitlement 
  The stay permit or the postal receipt entitle Non-EU citizens to:

  • go back and forth from your home country and circulate within the Schengen area up to 90 days every six months for tourist reasons (nevertheless after 3 working days you have to report your presence to the local Public Security Authority);
  • be away from Italy not longer than half of the validity of your stay permit (ex: for a 12 months stay permit you can leave Italy up to a maximum of 6 months)
  • before planning any travels outside the Schengen area you are advised to contact the foreign diplomatic representation in Italy in order to get the necessary information for the entry visa. Usually a valid Italian permit of stay is necessary;
  • a permit of stay purposes allows its holder to work for a maximum of 1040 hours per year with a contract as an employee (which therefore includes the 150 hour students collaborations,  Law 390 of 1991);
  • a permit of stay for study reasons can be converted to a work permit as long as it  remains within the rates set by the Government every year. 

  Requirements for immigrants leaving Italy temporarily 
  Foreigners awaiting renewal of their permit of stay can leave and re-enter Italy if they hold:

  • the receipt issued by Italian Post offices certifying the submission of the application for renewal of their permit of stay or EC residence permit for long-term residents;
  • the expired permit of stay;
  • the valid passport or other equivalent travel document.

  The facilitated procedure is granted to foreigners who have submitted their application for their first permit of stay for employment, self-employment, or family reunion, provided that they:

  • leave and re-enter Italy through the same border crossing point ;
  • show their passport or other equivalent travel document, along with the entry visa specifying the reasons of their stay (employment, self-employment, or family reunion ) and the receipt issued by Italian Post offices;
  • do not transit through other Schengen countries. Transit in Non-Schengen areas is allowed if you are travelling by airplane (technical stop), anyway please make sure if a transit visa is needed.

  IMPORTANT: While crossing the border, please make sure the police make an exit stamp both on your passport and on the receipt mentioned above .

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