Getting a "Permit to Stay" in Italy

If you've made it through the work permit process, getting your "Permit to Stay" will be a piece of cake. Simply go to your local post office and request a "kit" for your residency permit. English instructions for completion can be found on Italian immigration web site - Portaleimmigrazione.it site. Once you fill out the forms, you'll need to purchase a revenue stamp from any local tobacconist. These cost around 15 Euro. After this, head back to the post office, have a local employee look over the documentation, and upon approval (AND ONLY AFTER APPROVAL) sign and date the documents. Otherwise, you risk having to complete the process again. Hand over the revenue stamp plus money for the Permit fee and postage - usually around 60 Euro in total.

You'll then be given a receipt with you ID and password - you can use this info to check the progress of the permit. Eventually,  you'll be contacted by the police to come in for fingerprinting and identification.

After this point you should receive the permit. The whole matter usually takes three months, but then again, it's Italy - so you never really know what's happening behind closed doors.

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Effective January 2011, persons who are applying for long term residency must take an Italian language proficiency test as a pre-requisite for the residency permit. The test is not difficult for an intermediate level speaker. Reading, writing and listening are tested. Go to the Italian immigration website for more information.