The long term visa gets us into Italy, but within 8 days of arriving we must apply for a residence permit or permesso di soggiorno. I'd read accounts of waiting in long lines day after day at the questura (police station) only to be have the window closed at noon for the day. Now, apparently, you can get an application kit from the post office, fill it out, attach a 14.70 euro stamp, pay a 27 euro fee and a 30 euro "registration fee" plus "80 to 200 euros for processing" and send it in via registered mail. When handing the application in to be mailed you are also fingerprinted and given an appointment to go to the questura with four photos. You are also supposed to include "documentation supporting the type of visa you are requesting." Not sure what this is, so we will bring a copy of everything we needed for the visa (on a thumb drive to save space in our suitcases). Ultimately, if successful, you are rewarded with a magnetic card with a microchip containing the details of your visa, permit, and your fingerprints, which you are supposed to carry at all times. Hello big brother! There is no explanation of how much the processing fee will be or why some are 80 euros and others 200. This has to be renewed yearly, hopefully without as many fees or as much paperwork.
The Italian government lists the requirements and additional info at http://www.poliziadistato.it/articolo/view/10717/.
No comments:
Post a Comment