Documents and residence permit in Italy: the vocabulary you need
When you arrive in Italy, many procedures are written in bureaucratic Italian that is hard even for good speakers. This guide collects the words you will meet most often, with plain English explanations.
Esta guía está disponible por ahora en inglés e italiano. Lo importante son los términos en italiano: son las palabras que oirás y leerás.
Identity documents
These are the documents most often requested at counters, banks and post offices.
- il passaporto
- passport, the travel document issued by your country.
- la carta d'identità
- identity card; in Italy it is issued by the Comune to residents.
- il permesso di soggiorno
- residence permit: allows a non-EU citizen to stay in Italy for a specific reason (work, study, family...).
- il visto
- visa, an entry authorisation placed in your passport by the consulate.
- la data di scadenza
- expiry date: the day the document stops being valid.
- il rinnovo
- renewal: the procedure to get a new document before or after expiry.
Tax code, health card and residence
The codice fiscale is a 16-character code that identifies you for taxes, work, contracts and healthcare. It is usually obtained from the Agenzia delle Entrate (the tax office).
- il codice fiscale
- tax code: a personal code of 16 letters and numbers, needed for contracts, work and healthcare.
- la tessera sanitaria
- health card: lets you use the national health service if you are entitled to register.
- la residenza
- official residence: where you live permanently, registered at the Comune.
- il domicilio
- the place where you actually live, even if it is not your official residence.
- l'anagrafe
- the registry office of the Comune that records residents, births and address changes.
- il certificato
- an official document that states a fact (for example, your residence).
The residence permit procedure
In many cases the first application is sent with a kit available at post offices; then the Questura calls you in for fingerprints. Details change depending on the type of permit: always check the official instructions.
- la questura
- the Polizia di Stato office that manages residence permits.
- lo sportello
- the counter where you speak to a clerk.
- il kit postale
- the postal kit: an envelope with forms that you fill in and hand in at the post office to apply for or renew a permit.
- il modulo
- form: a sheet with spaces to fill in with your data.
- la ricevuta
- receipt: proves you submitted the application; keep it safe.
- l'appuntamento
- appointment: the day and time you must show up at an office.
- le impronte digitali
- fingerprints, recorded at the Questura.
- la marca da bollo
- revenue stamp bought at a tabaccheria for some procedures.
- il motivo del soggiorno
- the reason for your stay: work, study, family, protection...
- il contratto di soggiorno
- stay contract: an agreement between employer and foreign worker, required for some work permits.
Useful verbs and expressions
These words appear on forms and at counters. Learn the form in which you will hear them.
- compilare
- to fill in a form with your data.
- presentare una domanda
- to officially submit an application.
- allegare
- to attach a document to your application.
- firmare
- to sign.
- ritirare
- to collect a document that is ready.
- scadere
- to expire: "il permesso scade a marzo" (the permit expires in March).
- essere in regola
- to have all your documents and payments in order.
How to study them
Do not learn single words only: repeat whole sentences aloud. For example: "Devo rinnovare il permesso di soggiorno" (I have to renew my residence permit) or "Ho un appuntamento in Questura alle dieci" (I have an appointment at the Questura at ten).
Pay attention to the difference between residenza (official, at the Comune) and domicilio (where you actually live): on forms the question is often different.
Estas guías son solo informativas y no constituyen asesoramiento jurídico. Para conocer los trámites y requisitos actualizados, consulta siempre la web oficial de la Questura o de la Polizia di Stato y el portal de inmigración del Ministerio del Interior.