As a family member of an Italian citizen, you have a full right to enter and stay in Italy. Depending on your nationality and current residence, you may need an entry visa. The most important information is gathered here in 3 steps.
#1 Check
Are you eligible for residency in Italy? You have such right if you can prove one of the following family relations:
- spouse (or same-sex registered partner)
- children and grandchildren (up to 21 years) of the Italian citizen and those of the spouse
- parents and grandparents of the Italian citizen and those of the spouse
- siblings of the Italian citizen
#2 Prepare
If you are a national of a country listed for visa requirement to Italy/Europe, you need to apply at the closest Italian Consulate for a visa for family members (Visto d’ingresso per familiari di cittadini italiani). Such a visa clears your entry through the border checks upon arrival in Europe (more precisely, in the Schengen area). The terms and requirements for this kind of visa are often not published on the Italian Consulate’s websites. In general, the conditions are more favorable than any other visa, the process is free of charge and shorter. The documents to attach to the application may vary from Consulate to Consulate. Documents required for your visa application: In general, this is what the Italian Consulates require:
- Application form filled in with your data (download here) 1 photo in ICAO format (4.0 x 3.5 cm, color photo with white background, taken within the last 6 months)
- Proof of family relation, e.g. official marriage record. The record must be in full format (i.e. including the names of the parents of each spouse or parents, for birth certificates), legalized/apostilled and translated into Italian. Marriage records must be issued less than 6 months before. That is a requirement, in case the Italian citizen did not register the concerned vital record in Italy as yet (at the municipality in which he is a resident or, if not residing in Italy, at the municipality of Rome);
- Invitation letter signed by the Italian citizen (Dichiarazione di ospitalità, download here) your passport + 2 copies (the passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure date from the Schengen area and was issued less than 10 years before. The passport must have at least two blank and unmarked visa pages)
- Italian citizen’s passport (copy)
- Flight reservation: The reservation document must indicate the applicant’s name, departure city, and destination. In order to avoid any unnecessary expense, flight ticket confirmation can be done after visa issuance.
- Health care insurance: insurance must be valid for the whole Schengen area. It must cover medical fees, hospitalization and repatriation costs of up to 30,000 euros. The insurance must fully cover the initial period of stay within the Schengen area.
- Letter of authorization for visa application/passport return (in case the applicant does not submit the application in person). For those who choose to submit the application by a representative, it is mandatory to provide a letter of authorization, signed by the applicant, mentioning the name of the representative and his/her contacts. The representative ID must be shown and a copy of the ID must be submitted.
#3 Follow The Process
After submitting your application, you are entitled to obtain a visa within 90 days. This term might be extended one time to 30 more days. Please note that, if your application wasn’t complete from the start, the Consulate can stay the process for the time needed for you to give the missing document (max 90 days).
FAST TRACK: The process goes much faster when the Italian citizen has registered in Italy the document proving the relation. For example, if the Italian citizen has married or had a child outside of Italy, it is very important to register the marriage or birth record at the Italian Consulate (if the Italian citizen resided abroad) or in Italy (at the municipality of residence, office of Stato Civile).
What happens next?
In order to secure your residence in Italy, you are expected to apply for a residence permit or a residence card upon your arrival. The family members within the 1st and 2nd degree (spouse, children up to 21 years, parents, grandparents and grandchildren) can obtain a five-year residence card. The other family members are entitled to obtain a two-year residence permit. You may read here about the differences between the two. It is required to prove that you depend on the Italian citizen for your maintenance and to register your residence at the same address.
Would you like to know more?
Download my Free Guide “4-Step Strategy” to obtain a residence permit for family members, complete with the official forms: Invitation statement by the Italian citizen for the family member to show at the border (or to obtain an entry visa, where applicable): Dichiarazione di alloggio e garanzia
- “Dichiarazione di ospitalità” to be submitted to the immigration police within 48 hours
- “Dichiarazione di presenza” to be submitted to the immigration police within 8 days
+ the list of documents required by the police for the application.
Request your Free Guide here:
Hye lara.
My sister and her husband are Italian nationality Holder.
And now she want to settled me in italy.
Can my sister call his brother in italy. ?
Can my sister call her parents in italy?
Not on visit visa. But for proper resident in italy for future life.?
You can find the answer and more information in my new blog post Family members of Italian citizens: how to obtain a residence permit
I want to travel to UK with my italian citizen mother. We both reside in italy. I am holding a permesso soggiorno motivi familiari. Do i need a visa for visiting UK? Many thanks.
The answer depends on your nationality and other relevant aspects, so we can’t handle it in this blog comment. Better you check the British embassy website in Italy which information is more appropriate to your situation. Good luck!
hi..
i am ahmed maqsood from pakistan live in italy from last one year.
question is my brother have german pasport so can he give me help for take italian or german residency.?
Other European countries, like Germany, don’t have a similar regulation for their citizens, like the Italian granting family residence permits to the non-EU siblings of Italian citizens. So the answer is no: the siblings of German citizens are normally not entitled to residence permits for family reasons. You may check other avenues to obtain a residence permit in Germany (e.g. for study or work) by checking the official website of the German embassy in Italy. Good luck!
Hi , i have a brother in Italy .
he is there since 2016 , he went as a Refugee , and he finally got 2 Years Residence permit .
the question is , can he invite me to live there ?
No. Visas for family members do not include siblings.
Hi lara I want information from you that I have 2 years permesso di sogerno motivo familaire .. I got that sogerno with my sister she is itlian citzen .. can I travel with her without visa England or ireland? Please rply me
You may travel up to 90 days in the UK and any other EU member state (even without your sister, based on your residence permit as a family member), provided that your current passport number is mentioned on the residence permit and both are valid for at least six more months. You cannot stay longer.
Can you tell me that how I can change my 2 years itlian permesso di sogerno motivo family change in to 5 years .. please reply
Contact the Questura of your province of residence. If you are a family member to an Italian or EU citizen, at any moment you may file in a request for a 5 years residence card. Each Questura has a list of documents to attach. Fill in your data in the form they give you and complete with the requested documents. Insist that they take your application. Always request a receipt for your application. Good luck with it!
Hi lara can you tell me that what kind of documents that I brought with me while traveling with my sister to England .. that I show on italy airport that Iam brother of itlian citizen and I also I have family sogerno of 2 years got with my sister. Plz reply about documents
The answer depends on your nationality. Some countries have special agreements for exempting their citizens from visas to the UK, so you may want to check that by contacting the UK embassy in Italy. Normally, non-EU citizens need a visa to the UK, even if they have a residence permit issued by another EU member state. The only exceptions are for holders of 5-years residence cards for family members, permanent residence cards and EU permits for long-term residents.