Residence Permit for Family Cohesion

The Residence Permit for family cohesion may be requested by a foreign national

residing legally in Italy with a valid Residence Permit. Unlike the Residence Permit

for family reunification, which is inherent to family members who are abroad and

for which a prerequisite is a request for authorization from the Prefecture, as

stipulated by Article 29 of the Consolidated Law on Immigration, for cohesion the

clearance document is not required.

What are the requirements?

Foreign citizens legally residing in our country may request the issue of a residency permit in favor of:

– Spouse who is an adult and not legally separated.

– Unmarried minor children.

– Dependent adult children who cannot provide for their own needs due to total disability.

– Dependent parents, if they have no other children in the country of origin, or parents aged 65+ if the other children cannot support them for serious health reasons.

A fundamental requirement is that the family member for whom cohesion is requested lives on Italian territory and, therefore, holds a valid Permit to Stay: this permit will then be converted from the previous reason to that for family cohesion: this conversion can be presented within a year of the expiration of the original Permit.

What documents must be presented?

To obtain the new Residence Permit, it is mandatory to present a defined list of documents, such as

– Residence permit of the person making the application.

– Photocopy of the family member’s passport.

– Proof of the family relationship translated and legalized by the Italian authorities in the country of origin.

– Compulsory health insurance for parents aged over 65.

– Housing conformity: a certificate must be presented stating that the accommodation complies with health and hygiene and suitability requirements, documented by the competent municipal offices.

– Documentation of income: presentation of the income tax return or the Single Certification certifying that the minimum annual income is not less than the social allowance, increased by half for each family member to be included in the Permit.

Unlike in the case of reunification, as we have explained above, the issue of a nulla-osta to the Prefecture is not required, and the application may be submitted by sending the postal kit, enclosing all the documents described in the previous lines: the new Residence Permit will be issued with the same duration as that of the family member with whom the cohesion was carried out, and must be issued by law within 60 days of receipt of the application.