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Immigration Lawyers in Italy

Immigration Lawyers in Italy

The immigration regulations in Italy are not complicated, as the legislators have made efforts to ease the procedures which allow foreign citizens to relocate to Italy based on various types of visas. However, the immigration rules are not the same for everybody, many times various treaties and international conventions intervening between countries playing important roles when immigrating to Italy.

 Quick Facts  
Who can request the services of our immigration lawyers?  Foreigners who want to relocate to Italy for personal, work, business or any other reasons regulated by the immigration law.  

Legal representation for short-term stays (yes/no) 

Yes

Areas of assistance for short-term stays 

Our immigration lawyers in Italy can help foreigners:

– prepare the documentation they need in order to obtain various short-term visas (Uniform Schengen Visa, Visas with Limited Territorial Validity, etc),

– present the applicable legislation (Visa Code – EC Regulation no 810/2009). 

Legal assistance related to immigration for work purposes  

We help foreigners:

– choose the appropriate work visa type (Intra-Company Transfer, EU Blue Card, quota based visas, non-quota visas),

– applying for the work permit – Nulla Osta,

– with any legal matter concerning the provisions of the employment contract in Italy. 

Assistance in obtaining a visa for business purposes

– presenting the main visa pathways for business (self-employment, visas for entrepreneurs, such as the Italia Startup Visa, Italia Startup Hub),

– help investors prepare the documentation,

– legal assistance for any company registration formalities after the arrival in Italy 

Legal assistance in family reunification programs 

– explain the conditions imposed for family reunification,

– present the family members who can be eligible for the family reunification visa,

– prepare the visa application and the required documents,

– present the conditions imposed to the applicant living in Italy (renting/owning a property, having a Housing Certificate of Sanitary and Hygiene Compliance, etc)

Legal representation for long-term or permanent relocation (yes/no)  Yes
Assistance in obtaining a permanent residence permit/citizenship 

Our immigration lawyers in Italy will present the conditions for permanent residency (living in Italy for the last 5 years, provide a clean criminal record, pass an Italian language test, provide evidence on income) and prepare the application file.

Our lawyers can represent clients applying for citizenship (by descent, by marriage, by naturalization) and help them with the application formalities.    

Asylum services for refugees 

– help for asylum seekers for finding a translator,

– represent them in border formalities or with the Immigration Office (Ufficio Immigrazione),

– participate in any interviews held after the application,

– assist them with the formalities of obtaining a residence permit,

– apply for employment or housing etc. 

Persons entitled to obtain asylum 

Persons who fled their country and who are considered refugees based on an immediate threat to their physical integrity and persons who arrive here as beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. 

Basic immigration rules for non-EU/non-EEA citizens 

Non-EU citizens generally have to apply for a visa when arriving here (unless exempted based on the treaties signed by Italy).

Those staying for more than 3 months must obtain a residence permit. 

 Basic immigration rules for EU/EEA citizens 

EU citizens benefit from the right of free movement in Italy. For stays of up to 3 months there are no immigration formalities.

In case EU citizens will stay for more than 3 months, they will have to register with the Vital Records Office (Ufficio Anagrafe).

Main immigration programs for investors 

Our immigration lawyers in Italy can assist investors in applying for the Elective Residence Program or for the Investors Visa Program, which grants residency by investment to foreigners. 

Basic requirements for becoming a citizen 

– residency requirements are imposed (10 years for citizenship by naturalization),

– knowing the Italian languange and showing commitment to and knowledge of the Italian society 

Immigration services for investment (yes/no)   Yes

This is why we highly recommend you to receive legal services from our  immigration lawyers in Italy. With knowledge of both the national legislation and international conventions, our immigration lawyers in Italy will offer personalized assistance to those who want to move to Italy. We can also provide information about obtaining a golden visa for Italy.

Obtain the right type of visa with the help our Italian immigration lawyers

The first step which will have a huge impact on those seeking to immigrate to Italy is deciding for the type of visa they want to relocate here under. Considering the documents and the timeframe for obtaining a visa for Italy are different, having an Italian immigration lawyer who can advise you is essential and can have significant importance when it comes to maximizing your chances for successful immigration. Here are the types of visas you can obtain in Italy:

  1. the student visa which is quite easy to obtain by foreign students from non-EU countries;
  2. the work permit which enables foreign citizens from non-EU states to move and work in Italy;
  3. the residence permit which can be temporary or permanent and is a good option for those seeking to stay long periods of time in Italy;
  4. the entrepreneur visa which is suitable for foreign citizens seeking a good investment destination;
  5. the elective residence visa which is a great option for foreign citizens seeking to retire to Italy;
  6. the asylum visa which is available for refugees, stateless and oppressed persons seeking to move to a safe country such as Italy.

Our immigration lawyers in Italy can explain the difference between all the types of visas, how to obtain each and every one of them and, most importantly, which one suits best to your situation. Persons who are EU citizens do not require to obtain a visa if they want to immigrate to Italy, but upon their arrival they do have to complete specific legal requirements.

One of them is the registration with the police department during the first days from their arrival in the country, which is why discussing with our immigration lawyers is very important in this case. With the help of our lawyers, the immigration procedure in Italy can be sped up significantly.

The video below provides a short presentation on the legal services provided by our lawyers

Obtain Italian citizenship with specialized assistance

Having a residence permit as a foreigner can be seen as the first step in acquiring Italian citizenship; foreigners are entitled to receive the Italian passport in certain conditions but all of them imply that the foreigners will gain Italian citizenshipOur team of immigration lawyers in Italy can offer legal assistance to those who want to apply for Italian citizenship, which can be obtained by any of the legal means presented below:

  • by naturalization which is the straightest way of obtaining citizenship in Italy after living here based on a residence permit;
  • by marriage– this is one of the most common ways of obtaining citizenship in Italy after marrying a local;
  • by right – the acquisition of citizenship by right implies having Italian ancestors which requires a lot of research and background verifications;
  • by investment – the Italian Golden Visa Program is one of the most recent schemes enabled by the Italian government for non-EU citizens seeking to immigrate to Italy.

When it comes to obtaining Italian citizenshipour immigration lawyers can help you in preparing all the documents which need to be submitted with the authorities and guide you through every stage of the procedure. You can freely discuss with our Italian immigration lawyers on every aspect of your case if any particular requirements apply and on what to expect during the process.

What is the process of obtaining a work permit in Italy? 

Given that one of the main reasons for which foreigners immigrate to Italy is for work purposesour team of lawyers has prepared a short presentation on the main aspects that foreigners should be aware of. Those who need legal representation in obtaining a work visa can benefit from the legal services offered by our immigration lawyers in Italy, who can also offer advice on the steps foreigners should follow if they want to permanently relocate in this country. 

Firstly, we will mention that foreigners who arrive in Italy for employment purposes from other EU member states do not have to apply for any type of work permit. They benefit from the right of free movement of persons, a right which is also extended to foreigners arriving from the European Economic Area (EEA). 

This means that the need to obtain a work permit is solely imposed to foreigners arriving here from third party countries. In order to start this process, the foreigners will need to apply for a work visa and for this, the applicant must make the proof of having a job offer with an Italian employer or with a company that operates on the Italian territory

The procedure will imply the issuance of a work visa, and the applicant should be aware that a set of steps will have to be taken into a specific order. If you want to work in Italy, we advise you to request information on the visa application process from our team of lawyers. Below, our immigration lawyers in Italy will present the main steps you should follow: 

  • in order to be able to apply for a work visa, the Italian employer will apply on your behalf for a work permit; 
  • the application is done with the local immigration authorities, located in the region where the employer resides and for this, the employer will have to present documents regarding the contractual relation that will be established between the said employer and the foreign employee;
  • if and when the work permit is issued, the document will be sent by the employer to the employee;
  • the employer will also notify the Italian embassy on consulate that the work permit was issued and after this, the visa application process will be started;
  • then, the foreign employee will be able to complete the visa application form, by submitting additional documents; 
  • the Italian authorities will then analyze the application and if the visa will be issued, the applicant will be entitled to use the document in a period of maximum six months since its issuance. 

The last step ragarding immigration to Italy is to apply for a residence permit; the procedure will be done after the arrival in the country, in a period of maximum eight days since the arrival. As a general rule, a foreigner will be able to work here under a work visa for a period of two years, but renewals of the documents are also possible for a period of maximum five years. Our immigration attorneys in Italy can offer more information regarding this matter. 

What is the data on immigration in Italy?

As a general rule, Italy is a country that has a high immigration rate (here, we refer to the number of foreigners who arrive in this country). The number of immigrants arriving here refers to a wide category of citizens – EU citizens, third party nationals, refugees and other persons arriving here for humanitarian reasons. Below, you can find few highlights of the trends on immigration in Italy

  • according to the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), in 2018 there was observed a 1.2% increase of local citizens and residents who deregistered from the local institutions, as they relocated to other foreign territories;
  • the overall number of Italian citizens and residents who relocated accounted for 157,000 persons;
  • in 2018, Italy issued 242,009 residence permits to foreigners arriving from non-EU countries;
  • on 1st of January 2018, the total number of foreigners from outside the EU who received residence permits in Italy accounted for 3,714,934 persons;
  • a massive decrease on the number of immigrants who arrived in Italy by sea has been observed in the last years – if between 2014-2017, the number of immigrants arriving by sea was above 100,000 per year (the highest values were measured in 2016, with 181,436 persons), between 2017-2021, the number decreased dramatically, the highest number being of 34,134 persons in 2020.

Why choose our immigration lawyers in Italy?

When it comes to immigration, it is important to obtain professional advice, and our lawyers in Italy can offer experienced and tailored legal solutions based on your particular case. With years of experience in immigration matters alone, our lawyers have dealt with many cases over the years which have helped them to prepare in offering personalized advice.

We invite you to talk to our team about the reasons you want to relocate to Italy and provide us with information about your background in order to find the best solution for you. We will help you prepare for the interview with the authorities and complete the immigration file with the necessary documents, as requested by the law. We invite you to contact our immigration lawyers in Italy as soon as you decide to move here and discuss your future plans and find the best type of visa for you.

Our team can help you acquire citizenship in Italy by any of the legal means presented in this article. Please mind that persons who want to acquire citizenship by marriage must comply with language requirements as well.

This is necessary as per the rules of the Law Dec. 1 2018 n.32, and it is applied to all marriages registered after 4th of December 2018 (where a foreigner and an Italian get married).

Thus, if you will move to Italy and will get married with an Italian national, as a foreigner, you are required to have sufficient knowledge of the Italian language – the B1 level is necessary.

In this sense, you must have a certification that is recognized by the Ministry of Education in Italy. This is a necessary document regardless if you complete the application from Italy or from outside the country.

Language requirements are customarily imposed to applicants who want to acquire citizenship by naturalization. They need to become permanent resident, live in Italy for 10 years and have a good knowledge of the Italian culture, language and society.

The same rule will apply to those who will want to acquire citizenship through the Golden Visa in Italy, an immigration program designed for businessmen.