{"id":6664,"date":"2026-10-14T18:15:37","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T16:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/permanent-residence-card-italy\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T18:15:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T16:15:37","slug":"permanent-residence-card-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/permanent-residence-card-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Permanent Residence Card in Italy: Requirements, Costs and Renewal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201c<strong>Carta di soggiorno<\/strong>\u201d (residence card) <strong>is the incorrect name commonly used for the EU long-term residence permit<\/strong> (also known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/indefinite-residence-permit-italy\/\">EU long-term residence permit<\/a>). It is undoubtedly one of the documents most sought after by foreign nationals, because <strong>it is valid for 10 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>However, <strong>there is another document whose real name is indeed carta di soggiorno<\/strong>. This is the <strong>residence card for family members of EU citizens<\/strong> under Legislative Decree 30\/2007, Articles 10 and 14 (read our guide on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/residence-card-family-members-eu-citizens\/\">residence card for family members of EU citizens<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>In this complete, up-to-date guide, I explain clearly the requirements, the documents and the procedure for obtaining the so-called unlimited residence card.<\/p>\n<h2>What is the \u201cunlimited\u201d residence card?<\/h2>\n<p>Many people confuse the long-term residence permit with the carta di soggiorno. <strong>It is the same document, but its name changed in 2007<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>\u201cunlimited\u201d residence card is in fact no longer unlimited<\/strong>. It is valid for 10 years, after which it must be updated.<\/p>\n<p>The carta di soggiorno is a European document that <strong>allows you to travel and work<\/strong>, subject to conversion, <strong>in all European Union Member States<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the benefits of the residence card?<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>unlimited residence card grants its holder a number of freedoms<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>entering Italy without a visa;<\/li>\n<li>access to welfare and social security benefits;<\/li>\n<li>carrying out any kind of employed or self-employed work;<\/li>\n<li>entering Schengen Area countries for less than three months (the declaration of presence is still mandatory);<\/li>\n<li>working or studying in other EU countries, by applying for the relevant permit in the destination country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What are the requirements for the residence card?<\/h2>\n<p>To apply for the unlimited residence card, <strong>check carefully that you meet the following requirements<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) held for at least 5 years<\/strong>: short stays (such as tourism, business and short training periods, as explained above) are not counted, and the requirement also applies to minor children;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Residence in Italy<\/strong>: you must be registered as resident in an Italian municipality, and the competent Questura (police immigration office) will handle your application;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Minimum income<\/strong>: if the applicant has no dependants, this equals the annual amount of the assegno sociale (social allowance) (\u20ac7,002.97 for 2025). It is increased by half (\u20ac3,501.49) for each dependent family member;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Suitable accommodation<\/strong>: meeting the minimum standards set by law for public housing;<\/li>\n<li><strong>No danger to society<\/strong>: the applicant must not be considered a danger to public order and State security;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Knowledge of Italian<\/strong>: an A2-level certificate issued by a recognised body.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Beneficiaries of international protection<\/strong> (refugee status) <strong>do not have to prove knowledge of Italian or suitable accommodation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The Italian language test is also not required when the residence card is applied for in the following cases:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>for children under 14;<\/li>\n<li>by people with serious limitations in their ability to learn languages, certified by a healthcare facility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Shortly we will see together which documents you need to prove these requirements and obtain the residence card without problems.<\/p>\n<h3>Who cannot apply for the residence card?<\/h3>\n<p>Be careful, because <strong>not all foreign nationals are allowed to apply for the unlimited residence card<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.normattiva.it\/uri-res\/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:1998-07-25;286\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article 9(3) of the TUI<\/a> \u2013 the Testo Unico Immigrazione (Consolidated Immigration Act) \u2013 the residence card cannot be issued to holders of any of the following types of residence permit:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>for study or vocational training (Article 9(3)(a) TUI);<\/li>\n<li>for asylum application;<\/li>\n<li>for medical treatment (Article 36 TUI);<\/li>\n<li>for social protection (Article 18 TUI);<\/li>\n<li>for natural disasters (Article 20-bis TUI);<\/li>\n<li>for victims of domestic violence (Article 18-bis TUI);<\/li>\n<li>for labour exploitation (Article 22(12-quater) TUI);<\/li>\n<li>for acts of particular civic merit (Article 42-bis TUI);<\/li>\n<li>for special protection (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.normattiva.it\/uri-res\/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2008;25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article 32(3), Legislative Decree no. 25\/08<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It follows that <strong>if you hold a residence permit other than those listed above, you can apply for the unlimited residence card<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Note. A question that troubles many people is whether holding these residence permits counts towards the 5 years of legal residence (which, as we will see, is the basic requirement for the residence card).<\/p>\n<p>The answer is yes. Article 9(5) TUI provides that, for the purpose of calculating the period referred to in paragraph 1, periods of stay for the reasons listed in letters (d) and (e) of paragraph 3 are not counted.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, <strong>the following cannot be counted towards the 5 years<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>periods of <strong>short stay<\/strong> (tourism, business, short study courses) provided for by the Consolidated Immigration Act and its implementing regulation;<\/li>\n<li><strong>periods of stay as the holder of a legal status<\/strong> provided for by the 1961 Vienna Convention on <strong>Diplomatic Relations<\/strong>, the 1963 Vienna Convention on <strong>Consular<\/strong> Relations, the 1969 Convention on Special <strong>Missions<\/strong> or the 1975 Vienna Convention on the Representation of States in their Relations with International Organisations of a Universal Character.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s right. If you studied in Italy and held a residence permit for study, <strong>the years spent in Italy count towards applying for the unlimited residence card<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The only point to watch is that, <strong>if you hold a study permit, you must first convert it into another type of permit before you can apply for the residence card<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/convert-study-permit-to-work-permit-italy\/\">read our guide on converting a study residence permit<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Since 11 March 2014, following the entry into force of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.normattiva.it\/uri-res\/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2014;12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Legislative Decree no. 12\/2014<\/a>, which transposed <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/IT\/TXT\/PDF\/?uri=CELEX:32011L0052\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Directive 2011\/52\/EU<\/a>, beneficiaries of international protection can also obtain the residence card, on more favourable terms.<\/p>\n<h3>What income do you need for the residence card?<\/h3>\n<p>Applicants for the unlimited residence card must have a <strong>gross annual income no lower than the annual amount of the assegno sociale<\/strong>, which <strong>for 2025 is \u20ac7,002.97 a year over 13 monthly payments<\/strong> (\u20ac538.69 a month).<\/p>\n<p>To prove the income requirement, you must submit your latest tax return or CU form (annual employer income statement) and your last three payslips.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you have dependent family members<\/strong>, however, including children under 14, the residence card applicant must have an <strong>income no lower than the annual amount of the assegno sociale increased by half for each family member<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>So:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u20ac10,504.45 for 1 family member (even if under 14);<\/li>\n<li>\u20ac14,005.94 for 2 family members;<\/li>\n<li>\u20ac17,507.43 for 3 family members.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note that beneficiaries of international protection must also meet the income requirement.<\/p>\n<h3>What if your income is not enough for the residence card?<\/h3>\n<p><strong>If you do not reach these income levels, remember that the income of family members living with you can also be taken into account<\/strong>, as can any sums held in bank accounts.<\/p>\n<p>As we always point out, the <strong>income requirement for the residence card, as for all immigration procedures, is open to interpretation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous rulings by various courts have clarified that income cannot be the only parameter assessed in deciding whether the financial requirement is met (<a href=\"https:\/\/simpliciter.ai\/app\/search\/public\/giurisprudenza\/16eec62b-3fb2-56b9-a53e-c4bd4da185da\/giustizia_amministrativa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TAR Toscana (Regional Administrative Court of Tuscany), Section II, judgment no. 2132\/2014<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The Questura must in fact take into account <strong>other factors, such as future job and earning prospects, any employment contracts or job offers, the length of stay in Italy and the degree of integration<\/strong>, as well as family ties (<a href=\"https:\/\/simpliciter.ai\/app\/search\/public\/giurisprudenza\/1058c50a-41a5-594a-8380-fe6ef2a5b8be\/giustizia_amministrativa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TAR Emilia-Romagna, Section I, no. 406\/2015<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h2>Which documents do you need for the unlimited residence card?<\/h2>\n<p>Here is a comprehensive list of the documents needed to obtain the unlimited residence card.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Form 1<\/strong> (personal details, residence and marital status) and <strong>Form 2<\/strong> (income details) of the kit postale (the postal application kit), completed;<\/li>\n<li>Copies of your <strong>identity documents<\/strong> (passport, codice fiscale (Italian tax code), residence permit);<\/li>\n<li>Proof of <strong>income<\/strong> (employment contract, latest CU and last three payslips);<\/li>\n<li><strong>Criminal record certificate<\/strong> and <strong>pending charges certificate<\/strong> (to be requested from the Court);<\/li>\n<li>Certificate of <strong>housing suitability<\/strong> issued by the Municipality;<\/li>\n<li>Copy of the <strong>residence and family status certificate<\/strong>;<\/li>\n<li>Proof of <strong>knowledge of Italian<\/strong> (lower secondary school certificate, upper secondary diploma, university degree or A2 language certificate);<\/li>\n<li>A \u20ac16 <strong>marca da bollo<\/strong> (revenue stamp);<\/li>\n<li>Paid <strong>postal payment slip<\/strong> of \u20ac130.46 (of which \u20ac30.46 for the card and \u20ac100 as a contribution).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In addition, on the day of your appointment at the Questura, you will need to show the original postal receipt for sending the kit, 4 passport-size photos (and the same number for each minor child), your original passport and the originals of all the documents listed above.<\/p>\n<h2>When does the unlimited residence card expire?<\/h2>\n<p>As explained above, the residence card is valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors.<\/p>\n<p>The expiry date is often not shown on the card, so you need to remember yourself that, <strong>after 10 years, you must prepare the kit postale to update your residence card<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>How do you update the residence card?<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>residence card can be updated from 60 days before the document\u2019s expiry date<\/strong>. If you still have a residence card marked \u201cillimitata\u201d (unlimited), you need to count 10 years from the date of issue.<\/p>\n<h3>Can you update the unlimited residence card online?<\/h3>\n<p>The <strong>application to update the unlimited residence card is submitted using the kit postale<\/strong>, enclosing a photocopy of your valid passport and of the residence document you currently hold.<\/p>\n<p>An update is also required when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>you need to apply for a residence card for a child under 14 who was born in Italy or who entered Italy with a family reunification visa or as an accompanying family member;<\/li>\n<li>your passport or personal details need to be changed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Which documents do you need to update the unlimited residence card?<\/h3>\n<p>Since holders of the unlimited residence card <strong>do not have to renew their right of residence but only update the document<\/strong>, the procedure is much simpler.<\/p>\n<p>The documents for updating the unlimited residence card are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Form 1 (personal details, residence and marital status) of the kit, completed;<\/li>\n<li>Copies of your identity documents (passport, codice fiscale, residence permit);<\/li>\n<li>A \u20ac16 marca da bollo;<\/li>\n<li>Postal payment slip of \u20ac30.46 (for issuing the physical card).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On the day of your appointment at the Questura you will need to bring new photographs, and also state your address of residence and domicile if it has changed (otherwise you will have to start all over again).<\/p>\n<h2>How much does the unlimited residence card cost?<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>cost of the residence card is \u20ac130.46, paid by postal payment slip, + \u20ac30 postage + a \u20ac16 marca da bollo, for a total of \u20ac176.46<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>There are some exceptions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>when updating, the \u20ac100 contribution is not paid, so the postal payment slip is only \u20ac30.46;<\/li>\n<li>holders of a political asylum permit do not have to pay the \u20ac100 contribution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Is there an Italian test for the residence card?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.normattiva.it\/uri-res\/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2009-07-15;94~art1-com22-leti\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Law no. 94\/2009<\/a>, containing provisions on public security, established that to obtain the residence card for the first time foreign nationals must also prove knowledge of Italian at least at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.<\/p>\n<p>Knowledge of Italian at A2 level can be proved in several ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A2-level Italian language certificate<\/strong> issued by one of the recognised certifying bodies, namely: Universit\u00e0 per Stranieri di Perugia, Universit\u00e0 per Stranieri di Siena, Universit\u00e0 degli Studi Roma Tre, Societ\u00e0 Dante Alighieri, Universit\u00e0 per Stranieri \u201cDante Alighieri\u201d di Reggio Calabria;<\/li>\n<li>holding a <strong>qualification obtained in Italy<\/strong> (lower secondary school certificate, upper secondary diploma, university degree);<\/li>\n<li>proving that <strong>you are enrolled on a course at an Italian university<\/strong>, state or legally recognised non-state, or on a doctorate or university master\u2019s programme;<\/li>\n<li>attending, or proving that you have attended, an <strong>Italian course at a CTP<\/strong> (adult education centre), at the end of which you receive a qualification certifying knowledge of Italian at no lower than CEFR level A2;<\/li>\n<li>recognition of a level of Italian no lower than A2 as part of the credits earned under the <strong>accordo di integrazione<\/strong> (integration agreement);<\/li>\n<li>certification that <strong>you entered Italy under Article 27<\/strong> of the Immigration Act to work as: a manager or qualified staff member of a company, university professor, translator or interpreter, journalist or employee of a media organisation;<\/li>\n<li><strong>passing the A2-level Italian language test<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Therefore, if you have no certificate of knowledge of Italian, you will need to sit a specific test to obtain the unlimited residence card, as set out in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gazzettaufficiale.it\/eli\/id\/2021\/12\/30\/21A07771\/sg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ministerial Decree of 7 December 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Italian language test for the residence card can be booked directly on the <a href=\"https:\/\/portaleservizi.dlci.interno.it\/AliSportello\/ali\/home.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ministry of the Interior website<\/a> (Portale ALI, the Ministry\u2019s online application portal), logging in with SPID (Italy\u2019s digital identity system). Within 60 days you will receive the date and venue of the exam. On the same website you can check your result and, if you fail, you can retake the test after 90 days.<\/p>\n<h2>What is a preavviso di rigetto (notice of intended refusal)?<\/h2>\n<p>In all administrative procedures, when the Prefettura (Prefecture) or the Questura considers that you do not meet the requirements or that documents are missing, it issues a preavviso di rigetto (notice of intended refusal) for the unlimited residence card under Article 10-bis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Within 10 days you must submit suitable documentation so that the residence card procedure can resume<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>What if the unlimited residence card is refused?<\/h3>\n<p>It often happens that, after months of waiting, a <strong>decision refusing the residence card<\/strong> is issued.<\/p>\n<p>This means that you do not meet the requirements for the unlimited residence card, or that you did not respond properly to the Article 10-bis notice of intended refusal you received.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you have received a decision refusing the residence card, you can appeal to the Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale (TAR \u2013 Regional Administrative Court) within 60 days<\/strong> of the date on which the decision was notified to you.<\/p>\n<h2>When can the permanent residence card be revoked?<\/h2>\n<p>In some cases, the <strong>unlimited residence card can be revoked<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>if it was obtained fraudulently;<\/li>\n<li>if the foreign national is a danger to public order and State security;<\/li>\n<li>in the event of absence from the EU for 12 consecutive months;<\/li>\n<li>expulsion from Italy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Only in cases of <strong>revocation for absence from Italy is it possible to obtain the permanent residence card again after 3 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, you can apply for another type of residence permit if you can prove that you meet the requirements.<\/p>\n<p>In any case, I recommend relying on an expert to avoid revocations or refusals of your residence card application.<\/p>\n<p>This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Italian \u201ccarta di soggiorno\u201d (EU long-term residence permit): 10-year validity, requirements, documents, Italian test, costs, renewal and revocation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":6662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-residence-permits"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6664"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6664\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shimmigrations.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}