In short
The permesso di soggiorno is the title authorising a non-EU national to stay in Italy. The first application is filed within 8 giorni lavorativi of entry; the authorities must decide within 90 giorni. Total statutory cost for a one-year permit is about €116.46. Renewal must now be requested 90 giorni before expiry, not sixty days.
Not one document but a family of them
A residence permit is issued for a specific reason, and the category determines what it allows. A permit for employment lets you change employer; one for study limits working hours; one for family reasons allows work without conversion.
Choosing the wrong category at application stage is the error that costs most time, because it means starting again. The category must also match the visa you entered on: you cannot enter on a study visa and apply for a work permit.
What it costs
Four statutory items, which many sources present inconsistently because they omit one or two of them.
- Duty stamp: € 16,00, bought at any tobacconist.
- Postal kit: € 30,00, paid at the post office on submission.
- Electronic card production: € 30,46, due for every permit issued including minors and duplicates.
- State contribution: € 40,00 for permits from three months to one year, € 50,00 for one to two years, € 100,00 for the EU long-term residence permit.
- Minors under 18 are exempt from the contribution and pay only the card production cost.
The 2026 change to renewal timing
Renewal applications must now be filed at least 90 giorni before the permit expires. Legislative Decree 83/2026, applicable from 22 May 2026, replaced the previous sixty-day deadline.
Anyone working from reminders set up before that date is filing thirty days late. For a company with foreign staff the effect multiplies: a single expiry tracker built on the old deadline generates systematic delays across the entire workforce.
The same decree introduced a shorter 30 giorni deadline for issuing the single work and residence permit, down from the general 90 giorni — though it runs from a complete application.
Working while you wait
The receipt issued by the post office certifies lawful stay while the application is pending and, for permits that allow work, permits you to continue working. Keep it together with your passport and the expired permit.
An employer can lawfully maintain the employment relationship on the basis of that documentation. Refusing to hire someone who holds a valid renewal receipt is a common and avoidable mistake.
The figures cited on this page
Every amount, threshold and deadline comes from our public register of legal parameters, each recorded with its legal reference and the date we last checked it. When a value changes, this page changes with it.
| Parameter | Value | Legal reference | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Termine per richiedere il primo permesso dopo l'ingresso | 8 giorni lavorativi | Art. 5, c. 2 D.Lgs. 286/1998 | |
| Termine per il rilascio o il rinnovo del permesso | 90 giorni | Art. 5, c. 9 D.Lgs. 286/1998 come modificato dal D.Lgs. 16 aprile 2026, n. 83 | |
| Anticipo per la domanda di rinnovo | 90 giorni | Art. 5, c. 4 D.Lgs. 286/1998 come modificato dal D.Lgs. 16 aprile 2026, n. 83 | |
| Marca da bollo sulla domanda | € 16,00 | D.P.R. 26 ottobre 1972, n. 642 | |
| Costo del kit postale (raccomandata) | € 30,00 | Tariffe Poste Italiane – servizio Sportello Amico | |
| Produzione del permesso di soggiorno elettronico | € 30,46 | D.M. Economia e Finanze 4 aprile 2006; D.M. Interno 6 ottobre 2011 | |
| Contributo per permesso da 3 mesi a 1 anno | € 40,00 | Art. 5, c. 2-ter D.Lgs. 286/1998; D.M. 6 ottobre 2011, come rideterminato dopo Cons. Stato sez. IV n. 4487/2016 | |
| Contributo per permesso oltre 1 anno e fino a 2 anni | € 50,00 | Art. 5, c. 2-ter D.Lgs. 286/1998; D.M. 6 ottobre 2011, come rideterminato dopo Cons. Stato sez. IV n. 4487/2016 | |
| Contributo per permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo | € 100,00 | Art. 5, c. 2-ter D.Lgs. 286/1998; D.M. 6 ottobre 2011, come rideterminato dopo Cons. Stato sez. IV n. 4487/2016 | |
| Termine per il rilascio del permesso unico di lavoro | 30 giorni | Art. 5, c. 8.1-bis D.Lgs. 286/1998, introdotto dal D.Lgs. 16 aprile 2026, n. 83 (attuazione Direttiva UE 2024/1233) |
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Italian residence permit cost?
When do I need to renew my residence permit?
Can I work while my renewal is being processed?
What happens if my permit has already expired?
Professional scope. Italy Immigration Hub is an administrative consultancy, not a law firm, and does not carry out activities reserved to members of the Italian Bar. Legal advice on disputes, court filings and representation before judicial authorities are handled by qualified lawyers we work with, instructed directly by the client. We are a private, independent operator with no affiliation to Italian public authorities, and the outcome and timing of any procedure depend on the competent authority. Legal notice (Italian).
Related pages in English
Full procedural detail in Italian
The Italian pages carry the complete document lists, cost breakdowns, step-by-step procedures and the mistakes that most often cause refusals.