Visas and residence permits in Italy
All types of residence permits - Permesso: how to get - Timelines in the questura - Renewal - Permanent residence - Citizenship
Contents
Timelines by Italian cities in 2026: real data
How long do you really wait for a permesso di soggiorno in 2026 — and which questura is the fastest?
Permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) is the residence permit in Italy, without which legal life in the country is impossible. Below are real data from the Russian-speaking immigrant community, collected from 200 posts for 2025–2026. These are not “average times” from the official site — these are specific cases with dates.
| City | Reason | KIT submitted | Fingerprints | Permesso | Waiting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pescara | LA + family | 15 Oct 2025 | 4 Nov 2025 | Jan 2026 | ~3 months (record) | |
| Milan | DN + family | 24 Dec 2025 | 10 Feb 2026 | 9 Mar 2026 | ~75 days | |
| Milan | LA (Via Falck) | - | - | ~one month after fingerprints | Fast | |
| Milan | Motivi familiari | 24 Dec | 21 Jan | Pending | ~4 weeks to fingerprints | |
| Milan | - | June 2024 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2025+ | 18+ months (!) | |
| Genoa | DN | - | - | 5 Mar 2026 | ~5-6 months | |
| Genoa | DN (husband) | May 2025 | Oct 2025 | Jan 2026 | ~8 months | |
| Genoa | Motivi familiari | - | 12 Dec 2025 | 26 Feb 2026 | ~2.5 months after fingerprints | |
| Turin | DN / LA | 10 Jul 2025 | 16 Dec 2025 | 16 Feb 2026 | ~7 months | |
| Rome | Student | 12 May 2025 | 7 Nov 2025 | 12 Dec 2025 | ~7 months | |
| Asti | - | 26 Feb 2026 | 20 Apr 2026 | - | ~53 days to fingerprints | |
| Bresso | (near Milan) | - | Sept | End of Jan | - | ~4-5 months |
| Guidonia | (near Rome) | - | June | Sept | Jan 2026 still waiting | 7+ months |
| Bolzano | Asylum | Dec 2022 | - | Nov 2025 | ~3 years (!!!) |
Range from 20 days (Pescara, fingerprints) to 3 years (Bolzano). On average in 2026: from KIT to permesso 3–8 months. Pescara and smaller towns are the fastest. Milan — from 75 days to 18 months.
"Pescara, I have lavoro autonomo. KIT at the post office on 15 October. Fingerprints 4 November. Permesso ready 22 January, issued 30 January. For 3 years. Extremely pleasant impressions of Italian bureaucracy."
"The guys got a residence permit by renewing the nomad visa. At fingerprints, for the renewal they asked to show an open P.IVA; they confirmed income with a Russian tax return. They extended it for 1 year from the end date of the first permit — although they paid the KIT receipt for 2 years, that didn’t work."
Which documents are taken at the fingerprint appointment in 2026
What to bring to the questura for fingerprints — and does the list differ by city?
-
✓Passport
Original + copy
-
✓Ricevuta from the post office
Receipt from Poste Italiane
-
✓KIT (booklet)
The white envelope everyone talks about
-
✓Lease contract
Not required everywhere at the first fingerprints — but better to have it
-
✓Photos
Sometimes required, sometimes not — bring them just in case
What was asked additionally by city
| City | Additional to the basic |
|---|---|
| Milan (DN + family) | Nulla osta of the family member being reunited, employment contract for the nomad. Idoneità abitativa NOT requested |
| Milan (DN renewal) | Open P.IVA, tax return (they accepted a Russian one) |
| Genoa (DN renewal) | All fatture for the year — “preliminary declaration, show invoices” |
| Pescara | Almost nothing extra — “in extreme cases they will ask you to bring something later” |
Golden rule: bring EVERYTHING
Documents from the KIT are usually not reviewed by the questura. For fingerprints bring a second full set: passport, visa, insurance, lease contract, P.IVA, tax returns, bank statement. Better to bring extras than to get a "please bring later" request.
When renewing a residence permit in 2026 — what they ask for
-
✓Open Partita IVA
In 2026 questure actively ask for this when renewing DN and LA
-
✓Tax return
Italian or foreign (they accept a Russian tax return)
-
✓Lease contract (registered)
Active, registered at the Agenzia delle Entrate
-
✓Insurance
For 1 year, coverage from €30,000, without deductible
-
✓Bank statement
Balance from ~€9,000 (according to 2026 data)
Detailed guide on the topic
How to track the status of a permesso di soggiorno
What do the icons on the police site mean — and why is the SMS not always sent?
Status check: site questure.poliziadistato.it
| Status on the site | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Empty / "non e presente in archivio" | The practice is not entered into the system OR it has already been issued but not updated | Wait 2–4 weeks after submitting the KIT |
| Orange cross | The practice is being processed | Wait. You can check once a week |
| Red cross | The document is missing from the archive or there is a problem with the case | Go to the questura in person to clarify |
| Green check | Permesso is ready for collection | Go pick it up (sometimes without an SMS) |
SMS is not always sent!
Do not rely solely on the SMS notification. Many permessi have been ready in the questura for months and the SMS never arrived. One participant found out the permesso was ready by chance — at the ASL when replacing the tessera they were told the card had been ready for 9 months. Check the site and go to the questura in person.
"The permesso arrived, it lay in the questura since the date the ricevuta expired — 9 months. On the site there was a red cross, and no SMS came. I found out by chance at the ASL when replacing the tessera."
Typical problems at the questura
In Guidonia (a Rome suburb) — 7+ months in status "in trattazione". Some questure are overloaded and cases just sit. Solution: go in person, write PEC letters.
The questura may enter code 135 (USSR) for people born before 1991. This affects the Codice Fiscale, insurance rates and online services. Solution: ask to correct it at the questura when receiving the permesso.
The questura creates a numeric CF to send the practice to Rome. This code doesn’t work at banks. Solution: obtain a proper Codice Fiscale at the Agenzia delle Entrate and reconcile the codes.
Even if you paid the KIT for 2 years — the questura may renew only for 1 year. This depends on the reason and income, not on the payment amount.
The permesso may show an incorrect place of birth. Check carefully when receiving — correcting it later is more difficult.
Renewal of residence permits in 2026: what’s changed
For how long are residence permits being renewed and what new documents are required for renewal in 2026?
Trend 2026: Partita IVA is required for renewals
Questure in 2026 actively ask for an open Partita IVA when renewing DN and LA permits. If you don’t have a P.IVA, you can show a foreign tax return (a Russian one is accepted), but this is a non-standard route.
| Parameter | First permesso | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance period | 1–2 years | 1–3 years (depends on questura and income) |
| Submission | KIT at the post office | KIT at the post office (60 days before expiry) |
| P.IVA | Not required | Actively requested in 2026 |
| Income | By documents from the consulate | Tax return (Italian or foreign) |
| To permanent residence (PR) | - | After 5 years of continuous residence |
Student permits count as half a year
For counting the 5 years towards permanent residence: one year of a student permit counts as half a year of regular residence. Keep this in mind when planning the path to a long-term permesso.
City tips
How to speed up the process at the questura and which reception day is the most convenient?
- Pescara — the fastest questura according to the community. Fingerprints 20 days after KIT, permesso in ~3 months
- Asti — open on Saturdays, the queue is almost empty on Saturday. A good option for Piedmont residents
- Milan — range from 75 days to 18 months. Via Enrico Falck 12 is considered fast. Via Montebello 26 — slower
- Genoa — get a paper ticket (not the electronic one), good results if you persistently visit
- Ventimiglia — they don’t let you in without an appuntamento (appointment), book in advance
"We kept going there constantly asking where the card was. 'Wait.' They gave it after 5 months. But those who don’t go — get it after 9 months."
Record your conversations
Community members recommend recording visits to the questura on a voice recorder (this is legal in Italy if you are a participant in the conversation). If an officer promised something — you have proof.
Conclusions
Pescara and smaller towns are faster. Milan is a lottery. Rome and its suburbs are consistently slow. Choose your place of residence considering the local questura.
The permesso can be ready and sit for months without notification. Check questure.poliziadistato.it and visit the questura regularly — this speeds up the process.
New trend: questure actively request an open Partita IVA. Open it in advance — more in the article on forfettario.
Documents from the KIT are not reviewed. Bring a full second set. Better extra than a "please bring later" in a month.
Country code (135/154), place of birth, Codice Fiscale — everything must be correct. Fixing errors later is much harder.
Related articles
Flights with ricevuta 2026 - rules for leaving while waiting for the permesso
Codice Fiscale 2026 - how to get it before the permesso
Forfettario 2026 - P.IVA for residence permit renewal
Lavoro Autonomo 2026 - full process of obtaining a residence permit
Healthcare in Italy 2026 - SSN and Tessera Sanitaria
Renewal of permesso 2026 - documents and the path to permanent residence
Permanent residence in Italy 2026: from permits to a permanent permesso
Italian citizenship 2026: all paths to a passport