Family Reunification or Accopanying Family Members requested by non-Eropean Union citizen.
Family reunification is the possibility, provided for by Italian law, to obtain entry of relatives, non-European Union citizens, in Italy in order to recreate the family unit.
A non-European Union, European Union or Italian citizen may request entry in Italy only for the following relatives:
- adult spouse;
- civil partnership;
- minor children;
- dependent and completely invalid adult children;
- parents who are completely invalid or over 65 years of age who do not have other children in the country where they are from or, if they have children, they are in serious health conditions and cannot be supported by them.
A non-EU foreign citizen can request stable entry of a family member in Italy, if they have one of the following documents:
- long-term European Community residence permit;
- residence permit of at least one year issued for work, asylum, study, subsidiary protection, family reasons.
It is not possible to ask for reunification of brothers or sisters, grandparents or grandchildren; even if you are an Italian citizen, only the following family members can enter Italy: spouse, partner, children, parents.
Furthermore, if a non-European Union, European Union or Italian citizen desires to bring a family member to Italy, they must possess the following requirements:
> an income;
> adequate accommodation.
If the applicant does not have the availability of an adequate income and of a house with housing eligibility, they cannot request reunification.
The minimum income is equal to the amount of the social allowance increased by 50% for each family member who is requested to enter Italy.
As for housing (rented or owned), the law establishes that it must comply with hygiene and health requirements and that it has a minimum of square meters available equal to:
- 14 m2 for one person;
- 28 m2 for two people;
- 42 m2 for three people;
- 56 m2 for four people;
- + 10 m2 for every other person beyond the fourth.
Specifically, if the relative:
- is less than 65 years of age and has the right to enroll in the NHS without any payment;
- is over 65 years of age, voluntary membership in the NHS and entails the payment of a flate-rate contribution per calendar year no less than € 387.84 per year or insure against the risk of accident and illness, through the stipulation of a healthcare insurance valid in Italy;
- reunites with the European Union citizen and is registered with the NHS without any payment.
A no impediment to family reunification, necessary to obtain the relevant entry permit, must be requested at the Sportello Unico, at the Prefecture.
The necessary documents are:
- photocopy of the applicant’s residence permit and passport;
- photocopy of the passport of the family member you intend to bring to Italy;
- family certificate of the applicant (requested by the Municipality of residence);
- marriage certificate translated and legalized by the Italian consulate;
- widowhood certificate, if the family member is a widow/widower;
- documentation certifying the invalidity of the family member;
- documentation certifying the relationship (to be requested at the Italian consulate);
- documentation concerning the characteristics of the accommodation (issued by the Municipality);
- documentation certifying income;
- form in which the owner of the apartment highlights their willingness to host the family member, if the applicant is a guest;
- form in which the employer certifies the hiring of the worker, if the applicant is an employee.
Once the application is received, the Prefecture will check that all the data is correct and will issue the authorization to obtain the relative entry permit of the family member, to be requested at the Italian Consular Authorities abroad.
