Update: Permesso di Soggiorno

The long-awaited FIRST appointment for our Permesso di Soggiorno (residency permit) is now on the ‘checked off’ list.

Yes, you read that right … the FIRST appointment. We weren’t expecting that we would be returning for a second appointment, so that came as a surprise. So, the saga continues.

Anyway, we arrived at the Questura office 45 minutes early and were seen almost immediately by one of the clerks. A positive anomaly considering the common complaints about long wait times. We were on our way out by 1:15p … the time of our appointment.

At first the clerk said that we needed to provide some additional paperwork — proof of health insurance and income amongst them … documents that we had already submitted with our visa application.

Bureaucracy being what it is, we were prepared. Mui had multiple copies of everything and gave her what was requested. In the midst of collecting the documents, the clerk excused herself to talk to her boss. She came back to tell us that we didn’t need to provide any other paperwork and to just show up for our second appointment to be fingerprinted.

Passport verified … ✅

Photos taken within the last six months handed over; two each … ✅

Prints of the second finger on each hand scanned to match up with the ones from the visa application; I guess they wanted to make sure we were who we said we were … ✅

Appointment for full fingerprinting by the Polizia Scientifica set for 21 July 2026 (the unexpected 2nd appointment) … ✅

The ‘receipt’ allowing us to remain in Italy officially stamped and extended to 16 June 2027 … ✅

By the way, before we left, we asked how long it would take to get our permits once the fingerprinting is completed. “EIGHT MONTHS is the average,” was the answer!!!!

Maybe the eight months will be calculated the same way the three months for the ERV visa was calculated. We actually received our visa in three business days! Is it possible we could get our Permesso di Soggiorno 8 days after the fingerprinting? One can only hope, but I am not going to hold my breath!

At least we are legal in the meantime!

We celebrated the completion of this step with lunch at Trattoria Montanara!Read more