Italy: New Postal Receipt Expiration for Residence Permit Applicants May Present Travel Issues

Residence permit applications, which must be submitted through Poste Italiane counters, now have an expiry date on the postal receipt, set to a maximum of nine months from the application acceptance date. Previously, postal receipts – which prove an individual’s legal immigration status in Italy pending finalization of a permit application – had no expiry date. The practical impact of this is significant, since those traveling under an expired postal receipt in the Schengen Area, and re-entering Italy, may be denied entry or face questioning by authorities. This change is being rolled out gradually across Italy, and there is little clarity on steps applicants should take if their receipt expires before the permit is issued. Individuals whose postal receipts expire may need to reapply for a postal receipt, however it is not clear how this would affect an existing residence permit application. Applicants should contact their immigration professional for case-by-case guidance.