Procedure and documents for employment

Upon arriving in Italy and signing the “Contratto di Soggiorno” (contract of stay) with your employer at the Immigration Desk of the competent Prefecture (“Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione”), you will receive the Module 209 (Have a look at our guide about Permits and Authorizations to learn more).

The appointment at the Immigration Desk must be requested within 8 working days from your arrival in Italy.

Once you receive the Module 209, you must visit the Post Office to submit your residence permit application. Please see the complete list of the enabled offices.

Document to present for submission of the residence permit application:

• Module 209 (already filled out and signed at Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione)
• Contratto di soggiorno signed at the Immigration Desk of the competent Prefecture (“Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione”);
• Copy of the tax code (issued by the Immigration Desk);
• Hotel /hostel reservation, rental contract or a declaration of hospitality by the owner or tenant;
• Copy of a valid passport (all pages containing personal data, visas, and stamps);
• Revenue stamp duty of €16;

• Postal payment of €70.46 for residence permits valid for up to one year, or €80.46 for residence permits valid for more than one year and up to two years.

  
  

After submitting the required documents with a specific postal kit, you will receive a receipt called “assicurata”, which means receipt of tracked mail.

You will also be given the first available appointment (on a form stating the time, date and place) for your meeting with the Police, which is the next step of your Residence Permit application.

Procedures and documents for self-employed workers

• Module 1 and 2
• Hotel/hostel reservation, rental contract or a declaration of hospitality by the owner or tenant
• Copy of a valid passport (all pages containing personal data, the national visa issued for free-lance work, and last entry stamp);
• Revenue stamp duty of €16;
• Postal payment of €70.46 for residence permits valid for up to one year, or €80.46 for residence permits valid for more than one year and up to two years;
• Copy of the entry clearance issued by the Police;
• Copy the Chamber of Commerce certificate of minimum economic resources (“ parametri finanziari”);
• Copy of the chamber of commerce certificate of "free of license profession" or of the licence issued in favour of the free-lancer carrying out a regulated profession;

If you already hold a valid residence permit in Italy and wish to convert it, this is possible depending on the type of permit and applicable regulations.

RESIDENCE PERMIT CONVERSION FROM STUDY TO WORK

Submission of the Conversion Request:

FIRST STEP

The request to convert the residence permit must be submitted electronically through the Ministry of the Interior's Services Portal. The application will be reviewed by the Immigration Desk (Sportello Unico Immigrazione) of the Prefecture in the province where the employing company has its registered office.

Enter the portal and select the application model that is best suited to your request:

• Modello VA (not yet graduated students) - SUBORDINATE WORK
• Modello V2 (graduated students) - SUBORDINATE WORK
• Modello Z (not yet graduated students) - SELF-EMPLOYED WORK

• Modello Z2 (graduated students) - SELF-EMPLOYED WORK

  
  

Keep at hand the following documents:

• Passport
• A valid residence permit

Note: The request can be submitted before the conclusion of the University study cycle, so you can start the process anytime; the important thing is that the residence permit that needs to be converted is still valid and, therefore, has not expired.

• Certificate of residency that can be requested from the municipality website after you have registered your address of residency (not mandatory)
• Graduation certificate (if you have already completed your studies)
• Proof of work opportunity:
  
  • Job offer letters or proposals, for employment permits
  • Certificates of free-of-license activity and of the minimum required economic resources, both issued by the chamber of commerce.
• Proof of accommodation: rental contract or property deed and house suitability certificate (“Idoneità Abitativa”). Obtaining the latter certificate may take around 2 months, so plan accordingly).

After sending your application, it will take 1 to 3 months to review your application and grant you with the "nulla osta".

SECOND STEP

Appointment at the Immigration Desk:

An appointment will be scheduled at the Immigration Desk of the Prefecture of the province where the employing company has its registered office. Both the employee and a legal representative of the employer must attend this appointment.

During the appointment, the Contract of stay (Contratto di Soggiorno) will be signed by the Prefecture officer, the employee, and the employer. An original copy of the signed Contract of stay will be provided, along with the postal kit for the residence permit request and the pre-filled residence permit application prepared by the Prefecture.

THIRD STEP

Submission of the Postal Kit:

The postal kit, including the necessary documentation, must be sent to the competent Police Headquarters (Questura) via the Post Office. At this stage, the postal system will generate an appointment at a specific police office.

Check what the further steps are in the section “I have submitted the application kit. What’s next?”

RESIDENCE PERMIT CONVERSION FROM STUDY TO LOOKING-FOR-JOB (ATTESA OCCUPAZIONE)

The looking-for-job permit of stay (permesso di soggiorno per attesa occupazione) is a type of residence permit that allows non-EU citizens who have obtained a degree in Italy (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Specialised Master’s or PhD) to remain in the country after graduating while searching for employment opportunities.

It is important to note that the university program must be officially recognised by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR). We recommend that you verify with your university whether your degree program meets the eligibility requirements for this type of residence permit.

This type of permit CANNOT be renewed, and it is issued for 12 months. After this time-frame, the foreigner should apply for a job permit demonstrating their work activity in Italy.

Submission of the Conversion Request:

You can do this procedure by submitting the Yellow Kit (Kit Giallo) at the post office closest to you. The request should be made while the study permit of stay is still valid.

Documents for the looking-for-job permit of stay:

• Module 1 (already filled out);
• Copy of a valid passport (all pages containing personal data, visas, and stamps);
• Copy of permit of stay;
• Copy of the tax code;
• Declaration stating your availability to start work immediately – DID (Dichiarazione Di Immediata Disponibilità Al Lavoro) which can be requested to the Employment Center (Centro per l’impiego). Read more about the DID.
• Hotel /hostel reservation, rental contract or a declaration of hospitality by the owner or tenant;
• Proof of sufficient economic means of at least 7,000 EUR (not lower the Italian social allowance).
• Private health insurance covering medical expenses in Italy for a minimum amount of 30 K per year or registration with the Italian National Healthcare (NHS);
• Revenue stamp duty (marca da bollo) of €16;
• Postal payment of €70.46 for a residence permit valid for up to one year.

Check what the further steps are in the section “I have submitted the application kit. What’s next?”

RESIDENCE PERMIT CONVERSION FROM LOOKING-FOR-JOB (ATTESA OCCUPAZIONE) TO WORK

Submission of the Conversion Request:

You can do this procedure by submitting the Yellow Kit (Kit Giallo) at the post office closest to you. The documents that you will need to provide depend on whether you will apply as an employee or self-employed worker.

Documents for permit of stay for employment:

• Module 1 and 2 (already filled out);
• Copy of the tax code;
• Hotel /hostel reservation, rental contract or a declaration of hospitality by the owner or tenant;
• Copy of certificate of house suitability (“certificato di Idoneità Abitativa”).
• Copy of a valid passport (all pages containing personal data, visas, and stamps);
• Copy of the UNILAV form (given to you by your employer);
• CU form (Certificazione Unica), if you have received any type of support or income in the previous year (scholarship from university, paid internship, etc.);
• Revenue stamp duty (marca da bollo) of €16;
• Postal payment of €70.46 for residence permits valid for up to one year, or €80.46 for residence permits valid for more than one year and up to two years.

Documents for permit of stay for self-employment:

• Module 1 and 2 (already filled out);
• Copy of the tax code;
• Rental contract or a declaration of hospitality by the owner or tenant;
• Copy of a valid passport;
• Copy of the certificate of VAT number assignment;
• Chamber of Commerce certificate of "free-of-licence" activity or the license issued by the relevant professional body;
• Revenue stamp duty of €16;
• Postal payment of €70.46 for residence permits valid for up to one year, or €80.46 for residence permits valid for more than one year and up to two years.

Check what the further steps are in the section “I have submitted the application kit. What’s next?”

Appointment at the Police Headquarters:

The next phase takes place at the Police Headquarters on the date specified in the appointment. During this appointment, the applicant's fingerprints will be collected, and the documents for the application will be verified.

Check the application status:

On the postal receipt slip (so-called “assicurata”), you will see a postal tracking number for your application.

After meeting the Police headquarters on the day of the given appointment, you can check the status of the issuance of your residence permit on this website.

Enter the user ID number (12 characters) or your password number (12 characters) from the application receipt.

In any case, a text message will be sent to your Italian mobile phone number included in your application. The text message will indicate the day, time, and location for the collection of your residence permit.

Note. Please note that before your Residence Permit is issued, your application receipt (“assicurata”) will be proof of your legal immigration registration and status, so always keep it with you. If you lose it or it's stolen, you need to file a report at a police/carabinieri station.

Issuance and Collection of the Permit:

Once the residence permit has been issued by the central offices in Rome and sent to the competent Police Headquarters, the applicant will receive an SMS on their mobile phone with the time and place for the collection of the new permit.

The renewal of the residence permit must be requested to the relevant police headquarters (Questura) in the province of residence not later than the last date of validity of the current residence permit.

However, it is advisable to initiate the renewal process 90 days prior to the expiration of the current permit to try to avoid time gaps between the expiration of the old permit and the issuance of the new one.

The process is similar to the initial application for a residence permit and involves visiting the post office. However, in this case, the application kit must be completed with an indication that it is intended to renewal purposed. The applicant must meet the same requirements as those established for the initial issuance of the residence permit.