# Long Stay VISA for Italy



## Brenda M

Can anyone tell me if I can apply for a long stay VISA in Italy while I am in Italy? Do I have to go back to my home country to apply or can I visit then if I decide I would like to live there, apply for the Long Stay VISA while I am there?


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## xabiaxica

Brenda M said:


> Can anyone tell me if I can apply for a long stay VISA in Italy while I am in Italy? Do I have to go back to my home country to apply or can I visit then if I decide I would like to live there, apply for the Long Stay VISA while I am there?


it seems that you can apply while you are in Italy 


> *Are you a resident?* U.S. citizens staying in Italy for more than three months are considered residents and must obtain a permesso di soggiorno (permit of stay). This includes U.S. citizens who will work or transact business and persons who want simply to live in Italy. An application "kit" for the permesso di soggiorno can be requested from one of 14,000 national post offices (Poste Italiane). The kit must then be returned to one of 5,332 designated Post Office acceptance locations. It is important that applicants keep a copy of the receipt issued by the post office. Additional information may be obtained from the Italian immigration website. Within 20 days of receiving the permit to stay in Italy, U.S. citizens must go to the local Vital Statistics Bureau (Anagrafe of the Comune) to apply for residency. It generally takes one to two months to receive the certificate of residence (Certificato di Residenza).


from here Italy, Holy See (Vatican City) and San Marino


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## Arturo.c

It doesn't work that way...

Unless you have Italian ancestry, and you declared upon your arrival to the Border Police your intention to claim Italian citizenship by descent, you will have to leave Italy within 90 days of your arrival and then apply for an entry visa in one of the Italian consulates in your country, if you want to come back again and stay longer.

Or, if you want a quick solution, marry an Italian citizen...


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