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Hello Chandi! Greetings from Toronto, Ontario, Canada! Just wanted to let you know that I’ve just come across your blog, Paradise of Exiles, via Facebook and it is just incredible – with invaluable, first-rate information. Many thanks for inspiring me! Hope you have a great day & take care, Beatrice 🙂
Buon Giorno!
What a lovely note!
Are you planning to move to Italy or do just love traveling there?
Hello and thank you for this blog! I have a question about information I’ve. Read stating that one must have $50,000.00 in the bank and $3000 income a month to qualify for Italian residency. Or is it citizenship? Both these numbers would be an obstacle for me Is this information accurate? Thanks so much.
Helena, this is the big mystery. The consulates don’t seem to want to specify a figure, which means we are always guessing and stressing! People going through the process have reported that they have gotten a sense that $2,000 to $3,000 coming in a month is necessary and that is what I planned on when I applied.
Regarding the amount of savings, that is also guess work. Obviously the more the better. It is hard to say if they deem 50K to be enough. Plus the consulates vary. If you don’t have 50K in the bank, try to make the amount coming in monthly look higher. Or if that is low, try to have a lot of savings.
When you ask about residency vs citizenship, one leads to the other. I blog about the process for those who don’t have Italian relatives and who therefore need to get a visa, then a permesso, and can get themselves on the 10 years track for citizenship.
I looked into this once with the Italian embassy in DC, and all I was told was that I’d need “a lot of money” to qualify for the visa. When I asked how much that would be, no amount was specified, again just “a lot of money.”
The residency visa is different from a work visa though, and doesn’t permit you to work in Italy. How are you supposed to have a legitimate income then (aka not “under the table”)? Or is under the table the way that most people go?
Very confusing and frustrating!
Thanks,
Michele (not an Italian “Michael”, just a Michelle with one “L”) 🙂
Hi Michele,
Your experience is typical with the consulate not providing you with concrete info about the amount. You will notice below in my reply to Helena, that the consulates don’t seem to like to specify what amount will be acceptable.
You are correct that an ER (elective residency) visa is different from a work visa. Work visas are hard to get so many people who want to live in Italy opt for the ER visa. The idea with this is that you have a pension or investments or both that provide enough $ coming in a month to live on. The consulate wants you to demonstrate a “certain amount” a month plus savings. (See my reply below to Helena.)
Thanks!
Hello Chandi…..
I wondered whether you can advise me on what I should do next…… Im a Brit who has recently returned to my house in Liguria after a few years absence but with regular visits home showing my face at the comune! I bought my house in 2006 and lived there until 2013, I managed to get a codice fiscale and a residence card ( now needs renewing) but despite attempts to get a Permesso di soggiorno i never got one, being told my EU citizenship meant it was no longer required! Brexit ( the greatest self harming act of National suicide inflicted on British people by its own inept, incompetent Government) means I could now loose my rights and citizenship, and i will be a migrant in Italy with no rights.
I am back living in my house and hope to renew my Residence card with the comune ( live in Bajardo, a mountain village outside of San Remo) As an artist I make a modest living but not enough to pay tax. My partner is living with me so we earn enough to support ourselves without being a burdon to the Italian system. Do I have to start all over again because of my time away from Italy if I want to try and apply for Italian citizenship? I am also not sure i can tick all the criteria they require.
Hi Fiona,
I know more about the situation for Americans who don’t have EU citizenship and who don’t have Italian relatives. However I want to be as helpful as possible to all inquiries. The British situation has gotten murky due to Brexit so many British expats in Italy are in your situation wondering what their exact status is and what exact procedures to follow.
It is my understanding that for 2 years British citizens in Italy still have all EU rights. I also understand that Brits in Italy need to apply for residence after a stay of more than 3 months, and in your case you’d need, as you said, to show that you are self-supporting. Often no specific amount per month is stated for what they will consider “self supporting” so you have to just make your financial statements look as good as possible and present them at renewal time and see what happens.
For your question about renewing your residency, I would try asking here:
http://attorneyitaly.com/immigration-into-italy-and-late-renewal-of-the-visa-permit/
Nice article here pretty, pls what advice did you have for the people that came from Mediterranean Sea. In terms of seeking of permission to stay or have found?.
My main piece of advice is to go to the local INAC office (also called Patronato) and see the person there that helps immigrants. I have found them to be very helpful and knowledgable.
Chandi, when and how did you obtain your codice fiscale? I can’t seem to find that info. My realtor was asking for mine today, but I’m only here as a tourist. I’ll apply for my ER visa in April when I return to the states. I was having my realtor write a one- year rental contract for me. Above, you mentioned that you presented your codice fiscale at the Anagrafe Office.
Thanks,
Victoria
Ciao,
Apply for it at the Agenzia delle Entrate. Yes, they will want it for the contract.
Hello Chandi,
Your posts are all so great an informative. Thank you! I am on the long road to citizenship here in Bologna. I wish I got my permesso in 1 month! They told me to check back in two, but my American friend here said that hers took 3 months… 🙁
I had a question about the residency certificate. I received a letter when we applied saying that we had submitted our application and the police woman has already come and gone to prove that we live where we say; that was about 4-6 weeks ago. So my question is, did you end up having to go back to the Anagrafica office to pick up your residency or was it sent to you via mail/post?
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Jess, I am glad my posts have been helpful! I went back to the Anagrafe after about 50 days had passed. You can see what happened here.
Hi, welcome to come to italy to study or work. The interview time can be also just after 3 months, but its ok, you just need to wait. If you don’t want to waste time and energy, I can help you to get codice fiscale for a small fee: https://getcodicefiscale.com/.
Hi, you might be interested to know that after I got my Permesso last week I went to the Florence Anagrafe office to apply for a Certificato di Residenza. They issued it on the spot!
I applied at the same meeting for my Carta d’ Identita. They said I should receive it in a week in the mail at my home. We shall see.
The lesson here is that nothing is ever the same on 2 days or in 2 places in Italy. Case in point: Lucca, 45 day wait for Certificato. Florence, issued on the spot.
Wow, that’s unusual. I have always heard that for everyone there is the 45 day thing because during that time they send someone to check that you really live where you say you do. Once in a while they don’t go check but they give that 45 day time frame to allow for the check if they chose to carry it out.
Hi Chandi!
I was wondering if I could also get the certificate of residency. I am an international student and I am planning to stay in Rome for the long term. When I looked at rentals there were apartments and shared rooms. is it possible to declare residency if I choose the shared room option ( I will have a rental contract) and get the Idenitity Card or does it have to be apartment for declaring residency and getting an identity card?
Hi Paul, you have to find a landlord (whether shared rooms or apartment on your own) who will do a registered rental contract which will allow you to use it in order to get residency.