# Marrying an Italian citizen - work permits, residency



## ClaireLP

Hi,

I'm a Canadian citizen living in Cambodia and I am going to be marrying an Italian in Italy. I know the paperwork that needs to be filed for the ceremony, but am wondering what I need to do in order to stay after the wedding.

How do I obtain a Permesso di soggiorno? Does this process start after the wedding or before I enter the country? How long will this process take?

When will I be able to work legally in Italy? What paperwork needs to be done for this?

When I enter the country can I say that I am coming to get married? Will I need specific paperwork at the border?

Any tips, tricks, or links would be amazing!


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## BBCWatcher

It's really quite straightforward. Here are the basic steps:

1. Fly to Italy and get married. Canadians enjoy Schengen visa waiver privileges, so you have no requirement to apply for a visa for these purposes. (If you only have a one-way ticket, and the airline hesitates in boarding you for whatever reason, be prepared to buy a fully refundable onward or return ticket on a credit card.) Answer questions at passport control (and on declaration forms) truthfully. Have the normal evidence of funds, a place to stay, etc.

2. If you did not enter Italy directly and get a stamp in your passport from _Italian_ passport control specifically, stop by the questura (police station) within 8 days of arrival to get a "Dichiarazione di Presenza."

3. After you're married, get a copy of your spouse's residence registration, an official copy of your new Italian marriage certificate, and bring your passport to either the questura or the post office. (You can choose either venue.) Apply for a PdS (or CdS). (There might also be a small fee to pay, and you might need some 35x40mm ID/passport photos -- probably worth getting a half dozen of those since you'll need a few anyway.) Get a receipt, and put that receipt in a safe place (like a plastic folder, but don't seal it or laminate it). Apply for your PdS within 90 days of arrival in the Schengen Area, but preferably don't wait until the last minute.

That's it for the immigration part. You're legally employable with that PdS receipt in hand, though you've got another important step to satisfy employers:

4. Apply for a codice fiscale (Italian social security number) at the Agenzia delle Entrate (local tax office). You'll need that number for several things, including employment. (If you can find employment -- not generally easy given the economic conditions.)

You should also then:

5. Enroll in the Italian public medical system at the local ASL office. (That'll be free for you.)

6. From the date you enter Italy, start paying estimated taxes (twice per year) and annually file your Italian tax return and financial disclosure form (Form RW), as applicable.

7. Although not strictly required, get an Italian carta d'identità (national ID card), and carry that while you're out and about so you can leave your heavier, bulkier passport at home.

8. Keep an eye out for your PdS card and medical card (tessera sanitaria). Pick those up if you need to pick them up when they're ready. Note the expiration dates. You should get a 5 year PdS, and you'll need to renew it before expiration. (I think they advise 3 months before expiration for a 5 year.)

Note that in Italy there's no name change when you get married, even if you want to change it. Your legal name will remain the same, so continue using that unless asked specifically for the surname of your husband (never). I wouldn't recommend changing your legal name in other countries (e.g. Canada) for hopefully obvious reasons (e.g. a life full of bureaucratic confusion), but technically you can do so if those other countries permit it.

Not that I predict it at all, but if for some odd reason you and your beloved have trouble getting married in Italy (the legal part), pop over to Denmark and get a simple civil marriage there. Bring back a few official copies of your Danish marriage certificate in multilingual "international format." Before or after your marriage in Denmark you can have whatever celebration you want in Italy among family and friends. The Danish marriage certificate (international format) is plenty good enough to proceed with your PdS application directly, though (in parallel) your husband will submit a copy to his Civil Status Office (Ufficio dello Stato Civile) to register the marriage in Italy as he's obliged to do.

Your immigration status is tied to your husband's, for now. That is, it's dependent on your co-residence and continued marriage. If he were to predecease you you have the right to stay in Italy as long as you've been resident at least 12 months or if you have a child together to take care of.

After marriage, with as little as two years of continuous residence in Italy (one year if you have a child together) you are eligible to apply to acquire Italian citizenship if you wish. Starting in a couple months you'll be able to submit all the documents you need online, so it should be relatively straightforward. You'll then wait about two years after submission for your citizenship to be approved and be invited to take your oath of citizenship. I think you have 6 months to take your oath, otherwise you have to start at the beginning. I mention all this because you may never renew your 5 year PdS if you simply apply to acquire Italian citizenship via marriage to an Italian citizen.

Ask your husband to help once in a while. He's probably willing.

Congratulations on your pending wedding.


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## ClaireLP

Wow, thank you so much for the fast and thorough reply! It doesn't seem too daunting at all anymore. 

As jobs are few in Italy I was also wondering what the process is to live/work/study in other EU countries. Do you know what I would need to do that? I'm particularly interested in doing my Masters in the UK at some point in the next few years.


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## accbgb

ClaireLP said:


> Wow, thank you so much for the fast and thorough reply! It doesn't seem too daunting at all anymore.
> 
> As jobs are few in Italy I was also wondering what the process is to live/work/study in other EU countries. Do you know what I would need to do that? I'm particularly interested in doing my Masters in the UK at some point in the next few years.


If I understand the rules correctly, unless and until you apply for and are granted Italian citizenship, you are tied to your husband, must go where he goes and, conversely, cannot go where he is not for more than relatively short periods.

For example, you might be able to stay in the UK based on your Canadian citizenship rights (up to six months, I believe) , however any extended stay in another EU country without your husband would probably not be possible.


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## BBCWatcher

I suppose you could get a U.K. student visa (if your husband isn't moving to the U.K.), but....

There's another big reason you should wait for your Italian citizenship before heading off to the U.K. to get another degree: lower tuition rates. U.K. universities require 3 years of continuous residence in the European Union (or in EEA countries, or in Switzerland) before you qualify for the much lower "Home/EU" tuition rate. Your acquisition of Italian citizenship should take about 4 years after marriage (if you apply as soon as you're eligible), so that lines up pretty well.

Note that your husband can move to the U.K., and you can accompany him and settle there. However, that'll add another year to the waiting period before you can apply for Italian citizenship (so up to 5+ years after marriage) -- the waiting period before applying is shorter if you live in Italy. Note also that once you enter a program at a U.K. university that sets your tuition rate status for the entire duration of the program, including (usually) a natural follow-on degree (i.e. Ph.D.) if you pursue it. So it'd be a really, really good idea to get your 3 years of EU/EEA residence in back of you before enrolling. It doesn't have to be Italy (with the caveat about citizenship and going together with your husband since you don't have an independent right to stay until your Italian citizenship comes through), but it's a really good idea.


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## yosheryosh

bookmarked, great info


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## Sartre

ClaireLP said:


> Hi,
> 
> Hi Claire,
> 
> You mentioned that: " I know the paperwork that needs to be filed for the ceremony, but am wondering what I need to do in order to stay after the wedding."
> 
> Would you be so kind as to list the documents you need to take with you to marry an Italian in Italy?
> 
> Thanks...


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## nik1611

Brilliant response BBCWatcher (Thanks to you once more I've sorted everything out). I have just got my permanent residency today (Carta di Soggiorno). Please ask me anything that you might have doubts about. I would recommend taking your husband along if you don't know Italian because they would most definitely frown at you.  Also, since 2012, Italy has introduced a points based system for the CdS and as a part of the process, you would be required to attend a course on Integration in to Italian civic life. In addition you can get more points by giving the A2 level Italian exam. I honestly believe that these points make your citizenship (if you plan to take one) a much smoother process.


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## ClaireLP

Thank you all for the information.

I just wanted to double check to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. If I decide to study in the UK and live with my husband after we are married, I would not need a Student Visa, but I would be paying international fees. Would I still be allowed to work in the UK (with a student visa you can usually work part-time), or would I need a Visa if I want to also get a part-time job?

Thanks in advance!


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## ClaireLP

I only know what is needed for a Canadian to be married in Rome, it may change depending on what country you are from. The main document that Italy requires is the "Nulla Osta", which I think all nationalities need. The documents needed for Canadians can be found at: canadainternational.gc.ca/italy-italie/consular_services_consulaires/marriage-mariage.aspx?lang=eng]Marriage

Sorry, I can't be much more help!


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## BBCWatcher

ClaireLP said:


> If I decide to study in the UK and live with my husband after we are married, I would not need a Student Visa, but I would be paying international fees.


Correct, if you have not met the minimum residence period in the EU/EEA to qualify for "Home" tuition rates. U.K. universities tend to provide excellent explanatory information on their Web sites.

To be very clear (again), once you start a degree program at a U.K. university your tuition status is ordinarily fixed for the duration of that program (and, sometimes, for the next degree if it's a natural, ordinary progression). So if you miss "Home" rate, you're stuck with the higher rate for the duration.



> Would I still be allowed to work in the UK (with a student visa you can usually work part-time), or would I need a Visa if I want to also get a part-time job?


If you are co-resident with an EU/EEA citizen spouse validly exercising his/her treaty rights to live and work there, you have "EU status." That includes the right to work, full or part time. No visa is required, though a country can require a residence permit as long as it's broadly similar to what that country requires of its own citizens.

My understanding is that the U.K. does not require that you obtain a permit, but you will likely find it much more convenient to have one. Details are available at GOV.UK here.


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## BBCWatcher

One slight elaboration: no visa is required _for you_ since your citizenship already provides visa waiver privileges to enter the United Kingdom. Your right to stay (and to work) is dependent on co-residence there with your EU/EEA citizen spouse.


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## marryinganitalian

This is fantastic information as I will be doing the same but moving in September and will have my daughter with me from a previous marriage. 

Would you mind giving me any other details pertaining to my daughter entering and staying in Italy? She is 9...


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## BBCWatcher

There aren't really any surprising details in terms of stay permission. When you apply for a PdS, you'd apply concurrently for one for your daughter as well. She'll need proof of ID (her U.S. passport, in particular) and you'll need to provide proof of the relationship (that she's your daughter). An official, long-form copy of her birth certificate works nicely, but in this case it would be helpful to get that birth certificate apostilled, translated, and stamped by the Italian consulate. (I'm assuming it's a certificate from the U.S.)

It'd probably be a good idea if your new spouse formally adopts her in Italy without waiting _too_ long. Then she's eligible to acquire Italian citizenship through adoption, whereupon she'd also acquire her own, independent right to stay, right through adulthood.


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## HKG3

accbgb said:


> For example, you might be able to stay in the UK based on your Canadian citizenship rights (up to six months, I believe) , however any extended stay in another EU country without your husband would probably not be possible.


As a Canadian passport holder, you can remain in the UK for six months as a tourist only. If you wish to look for a job or to study in the UK, you will need to apply for the correct visa. You may wish to look into getting an EEA family permit after your marriage - 

https://www.gov.uk/family-permit/overview

https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-rome


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## yahya khan

Hi whats documents I need to marry with eu citizen in italy I am a non eu citizen 
And whats documents I need for resident permit 
how long resident permit take to be issued
Is it important eu national have to working 
Pls explain with details 
Thanks


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## BBCWatcher

The U.S. embassy has a reasonably good summary explaining how to get married in Italy. It's written from the point of view of a U.S. citizen-fiancé(e), but it applies fairly well to foreigners from other countries. You will likely need comparable assistance from your country's embassy/consulate in Italy.

If all that's too difficult, head to either Denmark or Gibraltar where it's much easier to get married (the civil legal part). As long as you are both legally present in Denmark or Gibraltar -- aren't visiting or staying illegally -- then it's all rather easy. There are wedding companies in Denmark that'll arrange the whole process for the couple for a few hundred euro, typically.

You can still have whatever party you want in Italy to celebrate your wedding.


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## yahya khan

Thanks for you reply
I am not us citizen I am Pakistan and have questions is important eu citizen work here for his family member permit or is not important
And how long resident permit take 
And whats dacuments I need to get resident permit after marriage
Thanks


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## BBCWatcher

I was aware that you might not be a U.S. citizen, but the U.S. embassy explains the process rather well as it applies to all foreigners. You can use that summary as a starting point and contact the Embassy of Pakistan in Rome for help with the steps that require embassy support. Specifically, your embassy provides the "Marriage Nulla Osta Certificate" required and explained in the U.S. embassy's guide.

You have no work requirement to obtain a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) as the legal, co-resident spouse of an Italian (or EU/EEA) citizen in Italy, and you cannot legally work anyway until you have stay permission that authorizes employment. However, if your spouse is not Italian then he/she will need to demonstrate either employment income or some other source of adequate financial support (such as a pension) in order to remain resident in Italy.

For instructions on how to register as a resident refer to the Polizia di Stato's helpful guide Staying in Italy Legally.


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## yahya khan

Thanks for you reply 
Is it possible to get resident permit for eu spouse without eu working here or its very important eu is working
How long time eu spouse permit take


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## BBCWatcher

One step at a time. The EU spouse needs his/her own residence registration. If he/she already has that, no problem. If he/she doesn't, that's step one. The foreign spouse's valid residence depends on the EU spouse's valid residence.

If he/she cannot register as a resident -- due to lack of adequate income or wealth, for example -- then neither of you will be able to reside legally in Italy.


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## Royatatty

Hello good people , am a southafrican and living in south africa my fiancé is an Italian citizen , and my question is how can i can get a visitors visa ?


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## BBCWatcher

If you hold a South African passport you will need a visa to visit Italy (for any purpose, including marriage and residence with your spouse). In South Africa, the Italian embassies and consulates have outsourced visa processing to CAPAGO, and that's how you'd proceed assuming you have an ordinary South African passport (not diplomatic, for example).


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## Royatatty

Thank you for your fast respond Ya my one is ordinary passport but if i provide a merge certificate is it gone be help full ,which means if she came to south africa and do the merge ? What is the step ? To get the visa


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## BBCWatcher

You can take either approach, though it can be much easier to qualify for a visa if you're legally married when you apply.

If you decide to pursue that path (marriage in another country), then your spouse must forward an official, long-form copy of the marriage certificate (with apostille if available in that country), when available, to the Italian embassy or consulate having jurisdiction over the place where the marriage took place. For example, if you marry in Cape Town then your spouse would send the marriage certificate to the Italian consulate in Cape Town. This can typically be done via postal mail without visiting the consulate using the marriage registration form the Italian consulate posts on its Web site. The Italian consulate then checks the marriage certificate and electronically forwards a copy to your spouse's commune in Italy. The commune then generates a marriage record in Italy, and your spouse can then obtain an official _Italian_ marriage certificate. With _that_ official copy (the Italian one) you'd then apply for a visa.

In other words, you're ready to apply now for a visitor visa, but you have to qualify for a visitor visa as a normal visitor. It's the fastest way to get a visa since you aren't married yet, but there's less assurance you can get one. So you're deciding between faster/riskier and slower/more reliable. Of course you can try option #1 then, if that doesn't work, proceed to option #2, so these aren't mutually exclusive options. That's assuming you don't mind paying the visa fee for option #1. Also, if you arrive in Italy already married to your Italian spouse it's much faster to complete the paperwork to have work permission in Italy. (Though caution: there is lots of unemployment in Italy.) 

Congratulations on your pending marriage, by the way.


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## Royatatty

Hi there my fiance is an Italian citizen living in Italy, and she want come to me in south Africa and get merried, in this case what kind of documents she must come with and the document must be tranclated to English and certified? ??


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