Family reunification and cohesion

Source: https://www.unipd.it/en/family-reunification-cohesion Parent: https://www.unipd.it/en/saos-desk

Family reunification and cohesion

Italian Immigration Law regulates Family reunification procedure (Ricongiungimento familiare) and Family cohesion procedure (Coesione familiare) for foreign nationals regularly residing in Italy and their relatives.

You can apply for Family reunification if you are a non-EU national holding a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno or any other permit of stay) issued by any EU-country for work (employed or self-employed)/ for asylum/ for study/ for religion/ for family purposes, and you have been legally residing in Italy for at least 2 years.\ The visa for family reunification is issued following a nullaosta issued by the Spotello Unico for Immigration(SUI) of the Prefecture of Padua. The application can be sent by the interested party through the portal https://portaleservizi.dlci.interno.it/AliSportello/ali/home.htm, or with the assistance of a patronage.

A residence permit for family purposes ("Motivi Familiari") through the Family cohesion procedure is issued to foreign nationals holding a regular residence permit ( permesso di soggiorno or any other permit of stay) creating a family with another foreign national who is also regularly residing in Italy or with an Italian/ EU citizen. In this case, it is not necessary to apply for a Nullaosta at the SUI of the Prefecture of Padua, but the application is addredsed irectly to the Questura

A new law introduced a 2-years-of-regular-stay requirement in order to apply for the Family reunification Clearance (Nulla Osta al ricongiungimento familiare). It is still unclear whether this rule applies to the Family cohesion procedure as well. (D.L.145/2024)

For further information and assistance, SAOS Desk (Immigration Support Service) can suggest a Patronato office (also known as CAF) linked to the Ministry of Interior through a memorandum of understanding (Protocollo d'intesa con il Ministero degli Interni).

Residence permit for family purposes

A residence permit for family purposes is needed when family members want to join someone with a residence permit in Italy.

It is activated within eight days of entry into Italy and is valid for at least six weeks from the application date.

The permit is obtained after the applicant enters Italy on a family reunification visa.

The organisation or private individual who hosts a foreign national with a family reunification visa must send the police written notice within 48 hours that they are hosting the foreign national or have provided accommodation, even if he/she is a relative. Notice must include the full names of the host and the incoming family member (foreign national or stateless person), their passport or identity document details, the full address where the incoming family member is staying or hosted, and the reason for the request. Failure to do so may result in a fine of €160 to €1,100.

A residence permit for family purposes will have the same duration as the permit of the “resident family member”. Both permits may be renewed at the same time. A residence permit for family purposes allows the holder:

to work as an employee or to be self-employed (as long as minimum age requirements are met for such work);
to register on the list of unemployed persons;
to enrol on study or professional-development courses.

Holders of residence permits for family purposes must register with the National Health Service and have the same rights and duties as Italian citizens with regard to health contributions, healthcare in Italy and its duration.

Documents required

4 passport-size photos on a white background; bring these to your first appointment at police headquarters (Questura);
a €16 marca da bollo (duty stamp);
a photocopy of your passport or identity document (main page and any pages bearing stamps or visas);
a registry office document (e.g. birth certificate) attesting the family relationship. If this document is in a foreign language, it must be translated, legalized and validated by the Italian diplomatic/consular authorities in the incoming family members home country, except where there are specific international agreements.

Procedure

Obtaining the forms

Please refer to SAOS Desk (Immigration Support Service)

Presenting the application

The application forms completed at the Prefettura and the documents indicated must be presented in person in an open envelope at an authorised post office.

Post Office: PADOVA CENTRO - corso Garibaldi 25, 35122 Padova

At the post office, the foreign national will be asked to produce a passport or similar document to prove identity.

The post-office clerk will give the foreign national:

the receipt of a registered letter that must be carefully conserved and may be used to register with the Town Hall Registry Office and the Italian National Health Service. The receipt contains two personal code numbers (user ID and password) which can be used to track the progress of the application at www.portaleimmigrazione.it or to check the Questura website to see whether the residence permit is ready for collection;
the date on which to go to the Questura for the first appointment; on this occasion you will need to present four photographs and a further copy of the documents sent with the kit. Your fingerprints will also be taken.

Identification and Fingerprinting at Police Headquarters (Questura)

On the first appointment at police headquarters (Questura), students will need to present the following documents:

4 passport-size photos on a white background;
a copy of the documents sent with the kit;
your passport (original);
the receipt of the registered letter the kit was sent by.

Collecting the permit

Having checked Italy’s State Police website to see whether the permit is ready, students must then go to the SAOS Desk (Immigration Support Service)to fix a second appointment with the Questura to collect the residence permit.

To fix this appointment, students must take the following documents to SAOS (Immigration Support Service):

your passport (original);
the receipt of the registered letter the kit was sent by.

To collect the permit from the Questura, students will need to present the following documents:

your passport (original);
the receipt of the registered letter the kit was sent by;
the appointment letter.

NB: It will take at least four weeks from the first appointment for the Questura to issue the electronic residence permit if the application is successful. The residence permit will be valid for the same period as the applicant’s health insurance, and for no longer than one year. To extend a stay in Italy, you will need to start renewing their permit two months before its expiry date.

Costs

a €16 marca da bollo (duty stamp);
€30 for the service and € 27.50 for the issue of an electronic residence permit, both to be made at the post office when sending the application.

Legal references

Articles 5, 30 & 34 paragraph 1 lett. b), 39 paragraph 5, of Legislative Decree DL no. 286 dated 25 July 1998 “Testo unico delle disposizioni concernenti la disciplina dell’immigrazione e norme sulla condizione dello straniero” and subsequent amendments and additions;
Articles 9, 11, 12, 13 & 14 paragraph 1 lett. c) and d), Presidential Decree DPR no. 394 del 31 agosto 1999 “Regolamento recante norme di attuazione del testo unico delle disposizioni concernenti la disciplina dell’immigrazione e norme sulla condizione dello straniero, a norma dell’articolo 1, comma 6, del decreto legislativo 25 luglio 1998, n. 286“ as amended by DPR no. 334 dated 18 October 2004.

Family cohesion

A residence permit for family purposes (family cohesion) is issued to foreign nationals with a regular residence permit in Italy who intend to reconstruct a family with a resident family member, or with an Italian or European Union national.

The same rules for the release of the residence permit for family purposes are applicable.