In short. To check family reunification nulla osta status, log in to the Interior Ministry’s ALI Services Portal with the same SPID or CIE identity used to apply, open the submitted applications and click the information icon. Since Decree-Law 146/2025, converted by Law 179/2025, the Immigration Office has 150 days from the application to issue the nulla osta or reject it, but this is not a guaranteed reply date. Also check your PEC or email for requests for documents.
To check your family reunification nulla osta in Italy, log in to the Interior Ministry’s online Services Portal. You access it with SPID or CIE, using the same digital identity you used to apply. Since 2025, the Immigration Office has 150 days to issue the nulla osta or reject the application.
This guide shows how to read your application status, what each stage means and what to do if things take too long.
How do you check family reunification nulla osta status online?
The nulla osta application can only be submitted online, through the ALI Services Portal of the Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration. You follow the application on the same portal.
The steps are simple:
- log in with the SPID or CIE credentials used for the application;
- open the “Domande” (Applications) menu and go to submitted applications;
- find your application in the list;
- click the information icon to see its status and any messages.
If a patronato or consultant filed the application, the status appears in their account. In that case, ask them for updates.
Check the portal at least once a week. Also check the PEC or email address given in the application, as some messages are sent there.
What stages does the application go through?
Each Prefecture works slightly differently, but the path is similar everywhere. After submission, the application usually goes through these stages:
- receipt and registration by the Single Immigration Office (Sportello Unico);
- a request for the Police Headquarters’ opinion on public order;
- checks on income and housing, with the town hall for the housing certificate;
- possible requests for extra documents;
- in many Prefectures, an appointment to show the original documents;
- release of the nulla osta or a refusal decision.
Once issued, the nulla osta is sent electronically to the competent Italian consulate. Your family member can then apply for the visa.
What does a request for additional documents mean?
It means the office needs one more document or a correction. It may concern payslips, the rental contract or the housing suitability certificate.
Reply as soon as possible and in the way the office asks. An incomplete reply adds delays and can lead to a refusal.
Which documents should you keep ready while you wait?
Even after you apply, the office may ask to see the originals. Keep these close at hand:
- the sponsor’s residence permit and passport;
- the latest tax return and recent payslips;
- the employment contract or self-employment documents;
- the rental contract or property deed;
- the housing suitability certificate from the town hall;
- the submission receipt with the application number.
If you move house or change jobs while waiting, tell the office. You must still meet the requirements when the decision is made, not just when you applied. For income rules, see our guide to family reunification in Italy: requirements, income, documents and procedure.
How long does the nulla osta take?
Decree-Law 146/2025, converted by Law 179/2025, raised the legal time limit from 90 to 150 days. The period runs from the date of application.
In practice, waiting times vary a lot between Prefectures. In large cities the wait can exceed the legal limit, especially when extra documents are needed.
Once issued, the nulla osta has limited validity, usually six months. Your relative must apply for the visa within that period. The consulate should then decide within 30 days of the visa application.
What happens when your relative arrives in Italy?
The process does not end with the visa. Within 8 working days of arrival, your relative must go to the Immigration Office to apply for a family residence permit.
Bring the passport with the visa, a copy of the nulla osta and any documents listed in the appointment notice. Whoever hosts the relative must also meet the legal reporting duties for guests (see our guide to the declaration of hospitality).
You can follow this stage online too, with the same credentials. The full text of the Immigration Act is available on Normattiva.
What can you do if the nulla osta is late?
If 150 days have passed without an answer, there are several options. It is best to move step by step.
- Check the portal for any unanswered request for documents.
- Send a written reminder by PEC to the Immigration Office, quoting your application number.
- You can request a written status update and verify that the application is complete. A qualified lawyer can assess formal remedies; SH provides administrative and document assistance.
- For a prolonged delay, ask a qualified lawyer whether a legal remedy may apply and which deadlines must be met.
The implementing rules also allow the consulate, once the deadline has passed, to issue the visa based on a copy of the application. In practice this route is rarely used and needs case-by-case review.
Judicial decisions in other cases do not automatically determine the outcome of a different application. A qualified professional should assess any remedy against the documents, procedure and applicable law.
What mistakes slow down or block the application?
- Never checking the portal and missing a request for documents.
- The relative’s personal details not matching their passport.
- An expired housing certificate, or one not suited to the number of occupants.
- Income too low for the number of family members.
- Less than two years of legal residence, where the law requires it.
- Filing a second identical application while the first is still open.
If the process ends with a refusal, read our guide on family reunification visa refusals. It explains how to appeal to the civil court, a remedy that also applies to nulla osta refusals.
If your relative is already in Italy on another permit, family cohesion may be the right route instead. See also our guide on accompanying family members, who travel together with the permit holder.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check the application if a patronato filed it?
The application appears in the ALI portal account of whoever filed it. If a patronato or consultant submitted it for you, you will not see it in your own account, so ask them regularly for status updates and for any messages or requests for documents received from the office.
How long does the Immigration Office have to issue the nulla osta?
Decree-Law 146/2025, converted by Law 179/2025, raised the legal time limit from 90 to 150 days from the date of application. It is not a guaranteed reply date: in large cities waiting times can exceed the limit, especially when extra documents are requested.
How long does the consulate take after the nulla osta?
The nulla osta is sent electronically to the competent consulate and is usually valid for six months, so your relative must apply for the visa within that period. The consulate should then decide within 30 days of a complete visa application, although appointment availability can add time.
What if I move house while waiting?
Tell the Immigration Office and get a new housing suitability certificate from the town hall. Housing and income requirements must still be met when the decision is made, not only when you applied, and an expired or unsuitable certificate is a common reason for delays or refusal.
Should I file a new application if the first one is stuck?
No. Filing a second identical application while the first is still open slows things down. Check the portal for unanswered requests, send a PEC reminder quoting your application number and request a written status update. A qualified lawyer can assess formal remedies for a prolonged delay.
Official sources
- Consolidated Immigration Act, art. 29 – Normattiva (Italian legislation)
- Decree-Law 146/2025 – Normattiva (Italian legislation)
- Law 179/2025 converting Decree-Law 146/2025 – Normattiva (Italian legislation)
These sources were consulted on 15 October 2026. Laws, procedures and fees can change, so always check the latest instructions from the competent office.
How can SH Immigration Specialists help?
Managing a family reunification file means answering every request on time, with the right documents, and one missed step can cost months. We can monitor the application, prepare replies to requests for documents, check housing and income paperwork and send written reminders to the Immigration Office. SH Immigration Specialists provides administrative and document assistance. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. If your application is stuck, contact us and we will review your next steps together.
This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
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