You don’t need to wait for Italian citizenship to stay in Italy and enjoy an unlimited right of residence. All family members of Italian citizens have a right to reside in Italy, no matter what their nationality.
Family members – spouse or partner, children up to 21 years old and the partner’s children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents… – have a right to a residence permit. After five years, they have a right to permanent residence.
Which family members are entitled to a Residence Card?
- Spouses and partners
- Children of the couple (until 21 years of age)
- Children of the Italian citizen or of the non-Italian spouse or partner (until 21 years of age)
- Children above 21 years of age, if maintained by the Italian citizen
- Parents, if maintained by the Italian citizen
- Grandchildren and grandparents of the Italian citizen
- The parent’s of the Italian citizen’s spouse (or same-sex registered partner)
Example:
The parents of a Chinese daughter who resides in Italy and is married (or registered in a same-sex partnership) with an Italian citizen have a right to enter (visa-free) and stay in Italy under option #6. If their daughter has children in Italy, the right of said parents to enter and stay in Italy falls additionally under option #5.
Basis: Article 2 of Italian Legislative Decree of February 6th, 2007 no. 30
Did you know that…?
> Since February 2017 Italy has extended the right to citizenship and all residence rights to same-sex spouses/partners.
> The right of residence extends to any other of the 27 states which are part of the European Union. You can take up residence and stay as long as you wish, no matter if you work, study or enjoy your retirement. That is the core of family rights for every Italian (thus European) citizen.
How does it work?
Just move to Italy with your Italian family member.
In some cases, you may need a visa to move to Italy. That depends on your nationality. Find out here how to obtain a visa.
Once in Italy, you will register with the immigration authorities (Questura). I have a tip for you: sometimes the Italian authority grants a temporary “Family Residence Permit” to the family members of Italian citizens.
That is a 2-years residence permit called Permesso di Soggiorno per Motivi Familiari.
This permit is enough for family members to access health care coverage, work, study, and travel visa-free to the other 27 European Union member states.
However, this type of permit has some distinct disadvantages. It doesn’t allow you to:
… stay in any other European Union member state after three months;
… work or study in any other European Union member state, even on a temporary basis;
… enjoy any social/healthcare benefit in any other European Union member state;
… avoid a time-consuming renewal process: every second yearyou must undergo a full review of requirements and documents which takes months.
Is there an alternative?
Yes. My advice is to opt for a RESIDENCE CARD.
In fact, family members to Italian citizens (or to any other European Union citizen) have a right to a long-term residence card. Besides, after 5 years of residence in Italy, you are entitled to a permanent card. In Italian, it is officially called “Permesso di soggiorno per familiari di cittadino comunitario”.
A Residence Card is a special treat for the family members because the family is so important in Italy.
As a family member of an Italian citizen, you are eligible for the 5-years residence card and have free access to work, business, studies, health care, and most rights on a par with Italian citizens.
Italian authorities tend to give a 1 or 2-year “Family Residence Permit” if you don’t insist on a 5-year Residence card. That might have to do with the fact that a Residence Card sets you free from bureacratic renewal procedures for a long time and enjoys benefits for at least five years. But the law is on your part. So it’s up to you to claim your rights and demand a Residence Card.
Residence cards for Italian citizens’ family members are free of charge.
How can you obtain a Residence Card?
You just hand to the local immigration office the following:
A copy of your passport (show the original)
An official certificate proving that you are a family member (e.g. a marriage certificate)
Copy of your Italian family member’s id card
Documents of your income, showing that your family have a sufficient income and do not have to depend on the public security (you don’t ned to have a job for that)
Remember: Residence cards are for families residing in Italy. In order to obtain it, both you and your Italian citizen family member need to move to and reside in Italy.
Alternatively, you can have a similar residence card if you move with your Italian family member to another country within the European Union.
For parents:
In case the applicant is the parent of an Italian citizen or of the Italian citizen’s spouse (or same-sex registered partner) as per categories #4 and #6 above, additional documents are required to prove that the applicant is partly or totally maintained by the concerned child (i.e. the Italian citizen or of the Italian citizen’s spouse or same-sex registered partner). This requirement is called “Vivenza a carico”.
Viable documents to this end are bank statements showing that the concerned child sent money to the parent, tax reports, and statements by accountants, as well as any other official statement from Italy or from the authorities of the applicant’s country of origin/residence. Such documents should be translated into Italian and legalized by the Italian Consulate.
Alternatively, the parent may first apply for a residence permit for family reasons and the child should add the parent to the Italian tax report for that year. The following year, the Italian tax report will be accepted as a sufficient document to obtain a 5-year residence card.
In some circumstances, the parents of minors with Italian citizenship can be granted a residence permit, even if they do not live together. In that case, it is important to show the authorities both proof of family tie (the child’s birth record showing parentship) and of the parent’s right of shared custody or visit.
Now it’s your turn…
Let me know with your comment on this page: how does this information work for you?
Which other information would be useful for you to know?
Free compact guide SPECIAL RESIDENCE CARD KEY
Are you interested to know more about some requirements for the residence card?
You can receive more information about sufficient income limit to apply for a residence card, or the conditions to keep or lose your card, or how you can obtain a Residence Card if you settle in another country in Europe.
I put this information together in a compact guide: SPECIAL RESIDENCE CARD KEY. If you want to have it for free, ask for it and I will send it to you shortly by email.

Special Residence Card Key
Hi i am a dual citizen to non eu nations. my aunt and uncle however are italian citizens am i eligible for a residency card
The family members considered for a residence card do not include nieces and nephews. However, they are eligible for residence permits as described here: Family members of Italian citizens: how to obtain a residence permit
Hello,
Thank you for such a helpful and informative article, I really appreciate it. I have a question to ask about my situation- I am a British citizen living in Italy and my non-EU parents came to stay with me, so they already have the 5-year “Carta di soggiorno di familiare di un cittadino dell’Unione” residence permit issued by the Questura in December 2019. If I understand correctly, in December 2024 would they be eligible to renew their residence permit to the permanent residence card with a 10 year validity? My other question is that since I am not considered an EU citizen anymore after Brexit, instead of the EU family member card will my parents and I have to apply for the new “Carta di soggiorno elettronica permanente” permanent residence permit as (family member of) a British citizen?
Thank you very much,
Aniruddh
By December 2024 your parents will be eligible to obtain a permanent residence card, if they can show that they registered in the local Anagrafe (municipality) before 31 December 2020. You and they can obtain a digital “documento di soggiorno” at the local Questura. These special measures are based on the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. They apply to British citizens and to their family members (irrespective of their nationality) who reside in Italy since before 31 December 2020.
Hello and thank you for making these helpful information available.
My father got an italian citizenship by living in italy.Can i claim my citizenship on behalf of my father.currently im living in italy with my permanent residence permit.
One may claim Italian citizenship when their parent obtains such Italian themselves, only if they are children of minor age. If you are above age, there is no such opportunity. You may obtain Italian citizenship in one of the ways described in the law. You can read the text of the Italian citizenship in English at this page. If you wish to evaluate your options for Italian citizenship, you are welcome to ask for advice.
Hi,
I’m a dual citizen of another EU country and also an Italian citizen (AIRE). I plan on moving with my non EU wife.to Italy soon to reside there for a while together. Is it then possible for me to get the “Permesso di soggiorno per familiari di cittadino comunitario” 5-year residence even though I’m a Italian citizen or is this exclusive to EU-nationals not from Italy? How fast is the process of obtaining the permit in that case?
Sincerely
Robin
Hello, Robin. As an Italian citizen, you need no residence permit or card to stay in Italy. You just register your address in any municipality. In practice, the municipality (Anagrafe office) will transfer your name from the AIRE list – Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all’Estero – to the APR list, the Anagrafe della Popolazione Residente.
There is no other incumbent for your residency in Italy. Your wife, instead, being a non-EU national, may apply in Italy for a 5-year residence card as a family member of an Italian national. Obtaining the permit should take 30 days, according to the law. In practice, it may take 90 days or more, depending on the workload of the specific office in which you will apply, depending on your address (Questura in every province).
If you need more help, you are welcome to contact us.
Sorry Lara, I was a bit unclear in my question.
The question was specifically if my wife could get the “Permesso di soggiorno per familiari di cittadino comunitario” instead of the one for an Italian citizen in this situation. This since it would help us when we later return to the country where I currently live and also is a citizen (Sweden). Upon returning we want to be able to use the EU-right of free movement when we re-locate here again. That’s the point of the whole trip and why we need the EU version to be able to convert it here.
I’m so thankful for your help and depending on the answer from you I will also book a proper long consultation to arrange everything. But is has to be able for us to come back to Sweden using the EU-right for us to go to Italy in the first case. Otherwise we go to another EU country and use the EU.right there.
Looking forward to some further assistance. Would greatly appreciate it. Sorry for not being specific in my question earlier.
Sincerely
Robin
Now I see your point. Italian law provides that the EU 5-years residence card applies even to the family members of Italian citizens residing in Italy. That is in fact a peculiarity in the European Union. Most of the other member states, including Sweden, do not apply the same rule. So Swedish law does not provide granting the EU 5-years residence card to the family members of Swedish citizens.
You may also notice that, when you find yourself in the country of which you are a citizen, you cannot settle based on another citizenship. So, when you are in Sweden, you cannot claim the EU right for your wife based on EU law on freedom of movement as an Italian citizen.
For more information, you are welcome to contact us.