Getting a Permesso di Soggiorno: Your Questions Answered

One of the most important documents you’ll need if you plan to live in Italy (after your visa) is the permesso di soggiorno. It’s super important…yet there’s not a lot of cohesive information online about how to get one.

In my book, How Apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno in Italy, I share everything I learned from my research and from my own experience of moving to Calabria two years ago.

Here I’d like to answer a few questions to help you plan your move to Italy.

1. What IS a Permesso di Soggiorno?

Permesso di soggiorno translates to “permission to stay,” and it’s exactly that. Once you receive your visa (typically good for one year), you’ll need to apply for this document to remain long-term in Italy.

2. What are the Types of Permesso di Soggiorno?

The type of permesso you apply for will depend on your reason for being here, and will likely tie to the type of visa you were approved for.

There’s a permesso di soggiorno for:

• Self-employment (what I got)
• Family reasons (you’re joining family who already lives here)
• Study
• Religious reasons (like…