Reader question: How do I renew my Italian elective residency visa?
Italy's elective residency visa is notoriously difficult to get and has a relatively short validity period - so how should you go about renewing it?
Question: My elective residency visa is due for renewal later this year. Is this a straightforward renewal or will I have to start again? How soon should I start the process?
If you've been granted Italy's elective residency visa, give yourself a pat on the back - you're one of a select group of people who've successfully jumped through the many hoops held up by Italy's immigration authorities.
Don't think you can put your feet up just yet though: the ERV is only valid for one to two years in the first instance, so it may feel like no sooner have you been issued with the visa than you're having to apply for its renewal.
The good news is that you don't actually have apply to renew the visa itself.
Instead, you'll need to renew your permesso di soggiorno or Italian residency permit, which acts as proof of your rights as an Italian resident for its duration.
You'll first apply for this permit within eight days of your arrival in Italy on the ERV.
Applying for a permesso di soggiorno is a multi-step process that involves going to the post office to fill out and file a postal application, and then attending at least two appointments at your local questura (police headquarters) immigration office.
For your first five years in the country, you'll likely have to renew the permit annually to prove that you continue to fulfil the conditions of your visa.
Once that period's up, you'll be eligible to apply for permanent residency (the card itself will need updating every 10 years if you want to use it as ID, but your rights don't expire) and will be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
The procedure for renewing your ERV permesso is very similar to the initial application process.
A key difference is that when you renew your permit, Italy's Questura police authorities say you should supply a copy of your current permesso in your postal application, and bring the original to your in-person appointment.
You should also supply a copy of your codice fiscale (tax code), which you may not have had the first time around.
You will need to provide financial documents showing you still have the resources to support yourself without working (the government's passive income threshold for issuing the ERV is at least €31,000, though consulates are known to revise this upward) and show that you have valid health coverage (either through a private plan or a health card showing you have access to Italy's national health service), just like in your initial application.
Italy's interior ministry says you should apply to renew your permit at least 60 days before its expiry date.
You can be summoned for further questioning at the Questura if officials think your application is lacking in any way - so it's better to err on the side of caution and provide as much supporting documentation as possible.
It's also important to note that if you leave Italy for six months at a time (this period extends to half the validity of your permit for permits with a two-year duration) without a good reason, defined as fulfilling military obligations or other 'serious and proven' reasons, your permit cannot be renewed.
Bear in mind that the very first time you apply for your ERV permesso di soggiorno, you will have a valid visa in your passport; but when it comes to renewing it, that document will have expired, and your permit will be your sole means of demonstrating your residency rights.
That means it's essential to keep your permit safe and to keep ahold of the cedolino/ricevuta (receipt slip) you receive from the post office when you apply to renew it, as that acts as a stand-in for the permit itself once it expires.
This is all the more important given that international residents in some parts of the country have long reported wait times of over a year for renewing a permesso di soggiorno - meaning your new permit could theoretically expire before it's even been issued.
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