# Is a Visa needed to stay in Italy after getting married?



## mstefanou

Hello,

I'm getting married in Italy to an Italian and we will live in Milan. (He lives there now and I am moving from the U.S.) We will have a civil ceremony within 90 days after I arrive. My question is do I need a familial visa or can I enter as a tourist and then file for residency once we have the marriage certificate?

Thank you for sharing your experience, anyone who's gone through this themselves.

Cheers!


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## panama rick

Good morning. I thought someone would reply before this, so I'll tell you what I did in a similar situation. My wife applied for citizenship through Jure Sanguinis and once that was completed I began my process for residency. I did this as a tourist. So to answer your question, you can enter Italy as a tourist, get married, apply for residency. It's a fairly simple but time consuming process. You go to the local Questura with your husband and marriage certificate and apply. You will be fingerprinted for a background check and you may be asked for financial solvency (I was). You will be issued a temporary Permesso di Soggiorno. Mine is good for 5 years and it allows you receive residency (separate process). The process will take 4 to 5 months. The one thing you can't do with a temporary permesso is to travel to or through another Schengen country. So if you need to go to the US you'll need to go direct.
I hope this helps.


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## Italia-Mx

For an American to marry an Italian citizen in Italy, I'm pretty sure the American must first make a visit to the US Embassy. I doubt that you can simply enter on a tourist visa and obtain a marriage license in Italy.


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## panama rick

Italia-mx is correct. You need US permission to marry by getting a "Nulla Osta" from a US consulate.


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## ohio2dc

Thank you for the replies! We will get the nulla osta at the consulate in Milano. I think I'm prepared with the documents to get married. Now I'm trying to get educated on what to do in order to stay. 

But one thing Panama Rick said surprises me -- you cannot travel to another Shengen country with the temporary permesso. Does that mean even a short weekend vacation? Is the temporary permesso affixed to your passport? I had assumed we could visit other Europen (Schengen) countries as tourists.

Thank you,
Madalene


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## panama rick

You can travel as a tourist. But remember after 90 days you are no longer a tourist. I researched the temporary permesso and one of the restrictions is traveling to or through any Schengen country. I believe the logic behind that you have not been fully vetted and could be denied a permesso. So I would recommend you begin the process as soon as possible. Lastly the permesso is a separate document and not affixed to your passport. Hope this helps, best of luck.


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## garner

Hello, I understand that you have an U.S passport. With your passport you can visit Schengen countries without any visa up to 90 days. So if you get married within 90 days then you can apply for residency. You can ask the Italian Embassy in your country for further clarifications and also your partner can get information from immigration offices (its called questura in italian)


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## Italia-Mx

If you get married within the 90 day period of your American visa waiver, your Italian spouse must then take you to the anagrafe/commune and apply for your permission to remain in Italy based on marriage to an Italian. You cannot do this by yourself. Also you cannot travel alone outside of Italy. You can travel in the EU only with your spouse until you are granted legal, permanent residency.


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