Profile

Family reunification – family residence permit

Route status

Active as of 2026-08-04[5][7]

Open to new applications under the rules recorded below.

Residency route facts

Identity

Identity
Official name (local)Ricongiungimento familiare – permesso di soggiorno per motivi familiari as of 2026-08-04[7][8]
Official name (English)Family reunification – family residence permit as of 2026-08-04[5][7]
Translation; Italian sources use 'ricongiungimento familiare' and 'permesso di soggiorno per motivi familiari'.
Legal basisD.Lgs. 286/1998 (TU immigrazione) artt. 28, 29, 29-bis and 30 (transposing Directive 2003/86/EC) as of 2026-08-04[6][7][8]

Who can apply

Who can apply
Nationals not served by this routeEU, EEA as of 2026-08-04[6]

Permit terms

Permit terms
Initial durationNot applicable
TU art. 30(3): the family permit has the same duration as the residence permit of the sponsoring family member and is renewed together with it. No fixed statutory term. See initial_duration_basis.
How the initial term is setmatches the sponsor's permit
RenewableYes as of 2026-08-04[8]
Work rightsfull as of 2026-08-04[3][8]
TU art. 30(2): the family permit allows access to welfare services, enrolment in study and vocational training, registration with the employment lists and both employed and self-employed work, subject to minimum working age. DPR 394/1999 art. 14(1)(c) confirms both forms of work. Art. 30(5) allows conversion into a work or study permit on the sponsor's death, legal separation or dissolution of the marriage, or when a child reaches 18.

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence and citizenship
Counts toward permanent residenceYes as of 2026-08-04[9][10]
Family permits are not among the exclusions in TU art. 9(3); the five-year EU long-term residence conditions apply.

Requirements

Requirements
Who can sponsorpermanent resident, temporary permit holder, specific permits as of 2026-08-04[6][8]
TU art. 28(1): holders of a carta di soggiorno (EU long-term residence permit) or of a residence permit of at least one year issued for subordinate or self-employed work, following recognition of international protection, or for study, religious or family reasons. Third-country family members of Italian and EU citizens fall under the separate free-movement regime (art. 28(2)), so 'citizen' is not recorded as a sponsor status on this route.
Eligible relationsspouse, minor child, adult dependent child, parent as of 2026-08-04[7]
TU art. 29(1): spouse not legally separated and at least 18; unmarried minor children (including those of the spouse or born outside marriage, with the other parent's consent); dependent adult children who cannot provide for themselves because of a state of health entailing total invalidity; dependent parents with no other children in the country of origin, or parents over 65 whose other children cannot support them for documented serious health reasons.
Sponsor income requirement1 × social allowance (annualised total) per year as of 2026-08-04[4][7]
Sponsor accommodation requirementYes as of 2026-08-04[7]
Sponsor waiting period2 years as of 2026-08-04[5][6]
TU art. 28(1-bis): at the time of the reunification request the sponsor must have completed an uninterrupted period of at least two years of legal residence in Italy, for the family members listed in art. 29(1)(a), (c) and (d) – spouse, dependent adult children and parents. Minor children under art. 29(1)(b) are not covered by the condition, and holders of a permit granted following recognition of international protection are excluded from it. In force since 11 December 2024.
Pre-entry language testNo as of 2026-08-04[7][9]
TU art. 29(3) conditions reunification only on accommodation and income (and health cover for a parent over 65 under art. 29(3)(b-bis)); no language requirement is imposed before entry. The Italian language test applies to the EU long-term residence permit under art. 9(2-bis).

Process

Process
Where to apply fromeither as of 2026-08-04[7][8]
TU art. 29(7): the sponsor files the nulla osta application electronically with the sportello unico per l'immigrazione in Italy, and the family member then obtains the entry visa at the Italian consulate. TU art. 30(1)(b)-(c) allow a family permit to be issued in Italy to family members already legally resident, including on conversion of another permit.
Statutory processing time150 days as of 2026-08-04[5][7]
TU art. 29(8): the family reunification nulla osta is issued within 150 days of the request. The term was 90 days in the text in force until 3 October 2025.
Quota
  • Quota exists: No as of 2026-08-04[1][7]
    Family reunification is not subject to the entry quotas set under TU art. 3(4), which cover subordinate and self-employed work.

Physical presence

Physical presence
maximum consecutive absence6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-08-04[2]
DPR 394/1999 art. 13(4): a residence permit is not renewed or extended after a continuous interruption of stay in Italy of more than six months (more than half the validity period for permits of two years or longer), save serious proven reasons.

Family inclusion

Family inclusion
Family members may be includedYes as of 2026-08-04[7][8]
This is the family route itself: the permit is granted to the family member of a sponsor. Onward reunification by the holder is possible because TU art. 28(1) lists permits issued for family reasons among the qualifying statuses.
Eligible relationsspouse, minor child, adult dependent child, parent as of 2026-08-04[7]
TU art. 29(1): spouse not legally separated and at least 18; unmarried minor children (including those of the spouse or born outside marriage, with the other parent's consent); dependent adult children who cannot provide for themselves because of a state of health entailing total invalidity; dependent parents with no other children in the country of origin, or parents over 65 whose other children cannot support them for documented serious health reasons.
Family may apply at the same timeYes as of 2026-08-04[7]
Family members' work rightsfull as of 2026-08-04[8]
Additional means per family member
    • Relation: spouse
    • Amount: 0.50 × social allowance (annualised total) per year as of 2026-08-04[4][7]
      TU art. 29(3)(b): the sponsor's minimum annual income must be not below the annual amount of the assegno sociale increased by half the assegno sociale for each family member to be reunited; for two or more children under 14 the floor is twice the annual assegno sociale (13 monthly instalments; see it-assegno-sociale.annualisation_factor).
    • Relation: minor child
    • Amount: 0.50 × social allowance (annualised total) per year as of 2026-08-04[4][7]
      TU art. 29(3)(b): the sponsor's minimum annual income must be not below the annual amount of the assegno sociale increased by half the assegno sociale for each family member to be reunited; for two or more children under 14 the floor is twice the annual assegno sociale (13 monthly instalments; see it-assegno-sociale.annualisation_factor).
    • Relation: adult dependent child
    • Amount: 0.50 × social allowance (annualised total) per year as of 2026-08-04[4][7]
      TU art. 29(3)(b): the sponsor's minimum annual income must be not below the annual amount of the assegno sociale increased by half the assegno sociale for each family member to be reunited (13 monthly instalments; see it-assegno-sociale.annualisation_factor).
    • Relation: parent
    • Amount: 0.50 × social allowance (annualised total) per year as of 2026-08-04[4][7]
      TU art. 29(3)(b): the sponsor's minimum annual income must be not below the annual amount of the assegno sociale increased by half the assegno sociale for each family member to be reunited (13 monthly instalments; see it-assegno-sociale.annualisation_factor).

Your next step

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Verification

Verification
Sources cited10
of which official (tier 1)10
Oldest as-of date2026-08-04
Newest as-of date2026-08-04
Reviewed on2026-08-11
Schema version1.1

Sources

  1. [1] DPCM 2 ottobre 2025 – Programmazione dei flussi d'ingresso 2026-2028 (GU Serie Generale n. 240, 15-10-2025)
    Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri (PDF hosted by Ministero dell'Interno) · gazette · Tier 1 · Published 2025-10-15 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  2. [2] DPR 394/1999, art. 13 – Rinnovo del permesso di soggiorno (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  3. [3] DPR 394/1999, art. 14 – Conversione del permesso di soggiorno (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04
  4. [4] Circolare INPS n. 153 del 19-12-2025, Allegato 2 – importi pensioni e assegno sociale 2026
    INPS · official guidance · Tier 1 · Published 2025-12-19 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  5. [5] Ingressi e soggiorno per lavoro – approfondimento
    Portale Integrazione Migranti (Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04
  6. [6] D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 28 – Diritto all'unita familiare (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  7. [7] D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 29 – Ricongiungimento familiare (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  8. [8] D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 30 – Permesso di soggiorno per motivi familiari (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04
  9. [9] D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 9 – Permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  10. [10] EU long-term residence permit
    Welcome Office Friuli Venezia Giulia (Regione Autonoma FVG) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy

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