Permanent residency in Italy: how to get it — step-by-step guide 2026

Permanent residency in Italy is an open-ended residence permit (permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo) granted after five years of legal residence on an ordinary residence permit. It removes the need to renew your document every year and gives you rights almost equal to a citizen's: to work without restrictions, to receive healthcare, to study, and to travel across the EU. But there are three things that are most often left unsaid. The income threshold is tied to the social allowance and rises every year (for 2026 it is about €7.101 a year), a mandatory Italian exam at level A2 is required, and the status itself can be lost after a long absence from the country. And separately: the "carta di soggiorno" that many people search for is now called something different and refers to another document. Below we break it all down in order.

What Italian permanent residency is and how it differs from a residence permit and citizenship

Let's start with the confusion that makes people apply for the wrong document. Until 2007, the permanent residence permit was called "carta di soggiorno". Then that name was passed to a completely different document, the card for a family member of an EU citizen. And the permanent status became officially known as permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo. If you are searching for a "carta di soggiorno", most likely what you actually need is this open-ended residence permit.

Now about the differences between the three statuses.

The main difference between permanent residency and an ordinary residence permit: a temporary residence permit is tied to grounds (work, study, family) and needs renewal, whereas permanent residency is tied to nothing and does not need to be renewed as such. Permanent residency differs from citizenship in that it does not grant an EU passport and voting rights, and the status can be lost under certain conditions.

Requirements for Italian permanent residency

To qualify for the permanent residence permit, you must meet five conditions:

• Five years of uninterrupted legal residence in Italy on a valid residence permit.
• Income not below the set minimum (amounts below).
• Italian language certificate at level A2.
• Suitable housing (idoneità alloggiativa), required when applying for permanent residency for family members.
• No criminal record and no threat to public safety.

A separate word on continuity, because this is where plans most often collapse. The five-year term is not interrupted if your absences from Italy did not exceed six consecutive months and ten months in total across all five years. Any lapse when renewing your residence permit or a break in registered residence also breaks the chain, and the count starts over.

Another nuance about a criminal record. It does not mean automatic refusal: by a decision of the Constitutional Court, the authorities are obliged to assess the person's real, current dangerousness, taking into account their residence, family and integration, rather than refusing mechanically.

What income is required for permanent residency

The income threshold is tied to the annual amount of the social allowance (assegno sociale) and is indexed every year. For 2026 the benchmark is about €7.101 a year for a single applicant (in 2025 it was €7.003). It is precisely because of outdated figures in old articles that many people underestimate this requirement.

For a family the threshold rises. An extra 50% of the allowance is added for each dependent family member, and with two or more children under 14 the required amount is doubled. For example, a single adult with two young children in 2026 will need around €14.200 in annual income.

It matters exactly which income is counted. The income declared in Italy in past years is taken, confirmed by tax documents (CU, income declaration). Undeclared foreign earnings and cash in an account do not count on their own. At the same time, the income of relatives living together can be combined.

The A2 Italian test: how to pass it

The Italian exam at level A2 is mandatory, and it is often underestimated. The procedure is as follows: the test application is submitted through the Ministry of the Interior portal or the Prefecture, and the exam itself is taken at state centres for adults (CPIA) free of charge. You must be summoned for the test within 60 days. The exam consists of about five tasks on listening, reading and writing; the pass mark is around 80 points out of 100. If you fail, you can retake it no sooner than 90 days later.

Several categories are exempt from the exam: children under 14, graduates of Italian schools and universities, holders of a certificate at level A2 or above from accredited centres (CILS, CELI, PLIDA, CERT.IT), and people with severe, certified learning disabilities.

A2 is a basic everyday level; the oral part is essentially like chatting with an acquaintance. But it should not be underestimated: a failed test is one of the common reasons a case drags on.

How to submit the application step by step

The order here is strict: language first, then everything else.

1. Pass the A2 test (or obtain an exempting document). Without it the application will not be accepted.
2. Gather the documents: passport, valid residence permit, codice fiscale, a historical certificate of registered residence over five years, tax declarations for three years, a criminal record certificate, the A2 certificate, and for a family also the idoneità alloggiativa.
3. Fill in the kit postale, the set with a yellow stripe, which you obtain at a post office with a Sportello Amico counter or at a patronato.
4. Pay the fees and send the set by registered letter through Poste Italiane.
5. Receive the ricevuta with a login to check the status on the immigration portal.
6. Undergo fingerprinting at the questura: you will be summoned with the original documents and four photos.
7. Receive the plastic card of the permanent residence permit.

One practical point. It is important to keep your residence permit valid throughout the whole period up until the permanent residency card is issued, otherwise a gap appears in the chain of legal residence.

How much it costs and how long it takes

The state payments are modest. They consist of a €100 contribution, a €16 revenue stamp, the electronic card cost of €30,46, and a dispatch service of €30, totalling about €176.

But the real budget is higher because of associated expenses. Revenue stamps on certificates, the housing suitability certificate (€50–150), patronato assistance with the paperwork (€30–100), and, in case of refusal, lawyer's services. For a family, preparation often costs €250–450.

As for timing, the law allows 90 days for processing, but in practice everything depends on the workload of the specific questura. In some places a decision is ready in a couple of months; in overloaded cities people wait up to a year or longer. Throughout this time the status is confirmed by the ricevuta.

What permanent residency gives you and whether it can be lost

Permanent residency grants broad rights: any employed or self-employed work (except positions connected with public authority), access to the national healthcare system, education and social security, as well as short-term travel across EU countries. The card is issued for 10 years for adults and for 5 years for minors, but the status itself is open-ended: when the term expires, only the plastic card is renewed, the status is not reconsidered anew.

And yet it would be dishonest to call permanent residency indestructible. The status can be lost in several cases: absence from EU territory for more than 12 consecutive months, absence from Italy for more than six years, as well as obtaining the status by fraud, expulsion, or being deemed a security threat. There is an important nuance from case law here: a long absence for a valid reason, for example for medical treatment, may be recognised by courts as not entailing loss of status. It is possible to restore permanent residency after loss, but in practice you will have to build up the grounds again from scratch.

Permanent residency or citizenship: which to choose

A frequent question: if your goal is a passport, do you even need this intermediate status. The answer depends on whether you are willing to wait.

Permanent residency is more advantageous for those who do not want to, or cannot, hold out until citizenship. It is available after five years rather than ten, requires A2 rather than B1, grants an open-ended status and almost all the rights of a resident, and at the same time you do not have to give up your previous passport or go through a long naturalisation. Let's honestly name the downsides: no EU passport and no voting rights, the status can be lost, and it does not grant an automatic right to live and work in other Union countries.

But it is not an either-or choice. The five years of residence needed for permanent residency already count towards the ten years required for citizenship. A sensible strategy is this: obtain permanent residency now and go for citizenship later. And this whole ladder begins with an ordinary residence permit. How to get one is explained in detail in the article on how to obtain an Italian residence permit, and the final step is covered in the article on how to obtain Italian citizenship. We at Law Honor guide the whole journey: we handle Italian residence permits turnkey as the first step and accompany the client further, up to permanent residency and citizenship.

Common mistakes and reasons for refusal

A refusal of permanent residency usually stems from several reasons. Most often the following let people down.

• Insufficient or non-transparent income over the past years.
• Gaps in the five years of residence: lapsed residence permits, overly long trips abroad, holes in registered residence.
• The A2 test not passed or no exempting document.
• No housing suitability certificate when applying for a family.
• Applying for the wrong document because of confusion between permanent residency, the family card and citizenship.

A refusal can be challenged. First the questura sends a preliminary notice (preavviso di rigetto) with the right, within 30 days, to submit objections and missing documents. In the event of a final refusal, the decision is appealed to the administrative court (TAR) within 60 days, and if the questura simply stays silent beyond the deadline, a complaint about inaction is filed.

What next

If you have already been living in Italy on a residence permit for several years, permanent residency will be the logical next step: it frees you from annual renewals and secures your rights for the long term. It is worth starting with a sober check of two things: whether there were any gaps in residence over the five years and whether your declared income is sufficient. Law Honor's lawyers will help assess your situation, prepare the documents and steer the application through, and appeal a refusal if one comes. The first consultation is available free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

How does permanent residency differ from an ordinary residence permit? An ordinary residence permit is temporary: it is tied to grounds (work, study, family) and requires regular renewal. Permanent residency (permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo) grants an open-ended status not tied to grounds; the card is renewed once every 10 years, but the status itself is not reconsidered.

Are carta di soggiorno and permanent residency the same thing? They used to be, until 2007, when the permanent residence permit was called carta di soggiorno. Now that name refers to a different document — the card of a family member of an EU citizen. The permanent status for non-EU citizens is now called permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo.

What income is required and how much money in the account? What counts is not the sum in the account but the annual income declared in Italy. The threshold is tied to the social allowance: for 2026 it is about €7.101 a year for a single applicant, plus 50% for each dependent and doubling with two or more children under 14. The amount is indexed annually.

Will I lose permanent residency if I leave Italy for a long time? Yes, that is possible. The status is lost after absence from EU territory for more than 12 consecutive months or absence from Italy for more than six years. A long absence for a valid reason, for example for medical treatment, may be recognised by courts as not entailing loss.

Will the 5-year term reset because of trips abroad or a lapsed residence permit? There is such a risk. The five-year term is not interrupted if absences did not exceed six consecutive months and ten months in total. A lapse when renewing the residence permit or a break in registered residence also breaks continuity, and the count starts over.

Is the A2 test difficult and can it be skipped? A2 is a basic everyday level of the language; the oral part is like an ordinary conversation. It is taken free of charge at state CPIA centres, with a pass mark of around 80 out of 100. Exempt from the exam are children under 14, graduates of Italian educational institutions, holders of a certificate at A2 or above (CILS, CELI, PLIDA, CERT.IT) and people with severe learning disabilities.

Do I need an owned apartment or is renting enough? Ownership is not required. A housing suitability certificate (idoneità alloggiativa) is needed, and it can be obtained for rented housing that meets sanitary and hygiene standards. This requirement applies when arranging permanent residency for family members.

Is permanent residency granted for the whole family and children? Yes, a permanent residence permit can also be arranged for family members. In that case the income threshold is higher: 50% of the allowance is added for each dependent, and with two or more children under 14 the amount is doubled.

Do I need permanent residency if I want citizenship anyway? Permanent residency is not a separate mandatory step, but it is convenient as an intermediate finish line: the five years of residence needed for permanent residency already count towards the ten years required for citizenship. Many people obtain permanent residency earlier to secure their status and pursue citizenship later.