Who is eligible to apply for residence card (“carta di soggiorno”) for family members of EU (European Union) citizens?
The residence card is issued to non-EU citizens who enter Italy to live with their European (or Italian) family members already residing in the country.
This procedure also applies to cases where the family member accompanies the EU or Italian citizen to Italy. In any case, it is necessary that the EU or Italian citizen is (or becomes) registered as a resident in Italy.
Please note that the residence card can also be applied for by family members of citizens of the following countries, even if they are not members of the European Union:
– Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein;
– The Swiss Confederation;
– San Marino.
The following family members are considered eligible:
• Spouse or partner in a civil union (registered same-sex unions) done in an EU Member State that recognizes such unions as equivalent to marriage, as well as partners in a registered partnership duly attested by official documentation;
• Children of the EU citizen or of their spouse who are under the age of 21 or economically dependent. Adopted children are also considered equivalent to direct descendants or ascendants.
• Parents of the EU citizen or of their spouse, if economically dependent;
• Parent of the EU citizen who is a minor and already residing in Italy;
• Siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles if dependent and cohabiting with the EU citizen in the country of origin;
Main requirements to apply for the residence card as a family member of an EU citizen
– The applicant for the residence card must enter Italy with a valid passport only (without a tourist visa);
– The EU or Italian family member must have or obtain registered residency in Italy;
– The Italian or EU citizen must prove that they have a minimum gross annual income from lawful sources not lower than €11,000 (for the first family member), increased by €3,500 gross for each additional family member. The income of both cohabiting spouses can be taken into account to meet the legal requirements.
Main Procedural Steps
1. Registration of the Italian or EU citizen’s residence (if not already registered);
2. Application for a residence card for the family member;
3. Registration of the applicant’s fingerprints at the Police Headquarters and submission of the relevant documentation in original;
4. Issuance of the residence permit.
The procedure does not require the previous obtaining a national family Visa if the applicant for the residence card is allowed to enter the Schengen area with the sole passport, without the need for a tourist visa.
Validity of the residence permit for family members
The residence permit issued to family members of an Italian or EU citizen is valid for five years and renewable.
The residence permit is renewable under the same substantive conditions as the first issue, as long as the foreigner does not leave Italian territory for six months or more in a year.
The residence permit for family reasons allows the foreign national to work in Italy.
After five years of holding a residence permit, one can apply for a permanent residence permit (also known as a long-term permit), provided they are registered as a civil and tax resident in Italy at the time of application and can demonstrate knowledge of the Italian language at level A2 (the second level on a six-level scale).
Time Frame
The average processing time for obtaining a residence permit for family members of EU citizens is approximately 3 months from the date of application.