# Moving with Italian Partner... what to do?



## JoyGirl722 (9 mo ago)

My partner and I have been together for five years now and we are moving to Italy from the US. My partner is Italian and I am American. I'm trying to understand what steps I need to go through to legally stay in Italy with my partner? Since I am moving to be with my partner, will I need to get a visa beforehand, and if so, which visa would I get?


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## modicasa (May 29, 2021)

You should get the normal Schengen visa, then once in Italy get the Permesso di Soggiorno kit from the PO and complete it in the first 10 days - your Permesso will be for 'ricongiungimento familiare' or 'motivi di famiglia' Make sure you bring originals of birth certificates, marriage certificates etc- apostilled and preferably translated. If you are not married, its much more complicated, so you will have to have a reason to be here - and if you have no job lined up your only real option is for elective residency which requires a substantial sum in the bank - and an address (owned or rental contract) in your name, before applying for the visa - which you must do in the US before you leave.


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## JoyGirl722 (9 mo ago)

What is the normal Schengen visa? Does the type of permesso change it my partner and I are not married?


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## modicasa (May 29, 2021)

Everything changes if you are not married. In that case you are just a single person who wants to move it Italy, and you will need to rent/buy a property with enough money in the bank for residenza elettiva, or have a job contract. Otherwise you can only come for 3 months at a time.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

JoyGirl722 said:


> What is the normal Schengen visa? Does the type of permesso change it my partner and I are not married?


The 'normal Schengen visa' generally is a tourist visa that allows a third country national to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180 days and does not allow work of any kind. US citizens and citizens of some other privileged countries do not have to apply for this visa beforehand but receive it in the form of an entry stamp in their passport at border control.

Is marriage out of the question?

Do you have any recent European ancestry?


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