Applying for an Italian Permesso di Soggiorno (Sept 2026)

Non-EU citizens have to file for a residence permit (Permesso di Soggiorno) at a designated Poste Italiane office within 8 days of arriving in Italy. We wanted it out of the way fast so we could actually go travelling.

Worth saying up front: get the tax code first, since a lot of what follows expects you to have it.

Getting hold of the kit

Some universities hand out the kit. I was early, so I went to pick one up from a post office myself.

I would go to one of the big offices near the Duomo. The staff there speak more English, and they seem to keep more kits in stock (?). I tried several small branches and came away empty-handed every time.

What goes in the envelope

1. Copy of your passport
2. Copy of your student visa
3. Copy of your proof of enrolment (an accredited university or language school)
4. Proof of funds in English (not strictly required, and they did not ask for mine: at least €5,400 in a bank statement. I brought a Wise statement)
5. Copy of your student insurance in English. Get the English version sorted before you fly. I used the same Cathay Schengen travel and study policy I used for the visa application
6. Marca da bollo, the duty stamp: €16 from any Tabaccheria. Walk into any tobacco shop and they print it from a machine
7. Cash or card: I paid €102.76 by card

For filling in the forms themselves, this ciaogogowang post covers it clearly, so I will not repeat it here.

Two small things I learned:

• Write in pencil first and go over it in black pen. I got a field wrong, and it turns out you can just strike it through, which is what the clerk did for me anyway
• Everything in capital letters

The day we filed it

The annoying part: we had everything ready in the envelope, turned up at the Duomo post office around midday, and were told "Unfortunately, we do not accept it now". Apparently they had hit the day's quota for permit kits.

I had not considered that this could happen. Luckily we found another branch nearby and got the envelope in right before closing.

Nobody at this branch spoke much English either, so bring a translation app or have everything prepared in advance.

If I did it again I would go first thing in the morning, right when the Duomo office opens. That feels like it would go a lot more smoothly.

What you walk away with

€102.76 on the card, which is what the post office charges:

Then the registered-mail receipt (assicurata). The USER ID and PASSWORD on it are what you use to track progress on portaleimmigrazione.it, so this is the one to guard:

And a summons from the Questura with the date, time and address for fingerprinting, plus a list of what to bring on the day:

Keep all three receipts safe, and scan or photograph them. I keep mine with my passport in an anti-theft pouch, and you absolutely want them on you when you travel.

A few takeaways

• The 8-day clock is tighter than it sounds, especially if you still have to hunt down a kit
• Basic Italian goes a long way. Post office counters mostly do not speak English, so a translation app or a few looked-up words saves a lot of time
• Do not leave the country before you have the receipt. It is your proof of legal stay while the permit is processed
• Treat picking up the kit and filing it as two separate errands. Get the kit at a big central office where English is more likely and stock is better, then file early in the morning when it is quiet

References

• Residence permit application guide (ciaogogowang)
• Portale Immigrazione status tracker