Who is eligible to apply for a residence permit for cohabitation with an EU Citizen?
The cohabitation procedure is specifically conceived for the non-EU partner of the Italian/EU citizens, both already legally staying in the national territory and residing at the same address.
In fact, (unmarried) partners and cohabitants of an EU citizen are still considered family members under the European applicable legislation.
Please note that the cohabitation procedure applies, not only to cohabitants/partners of EU nationals, but also to cohabitantns/partners of nationals of:
- Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;
- the Swiss Confederation;
- San Marino.
Main requirements to apply for a residence permit based on a cohabitation with an EU citizen
- The Italian/EU citizen and his/her partner should be in a stable long-term relationship;
- The person applying for cohabitation procedure should already have a valid residence permit to reside in Italy (e.g., work permit, student permit, residence permit as a family member of EU citizen issued by another EU Member State, etc.);
- The Italian/EU citizen and his/her partner must live together and must have same registered residency in Italy;
- The Italian/EU citizen and his/her partner should beregistered by the Municipality of residency in Italy in the special register for cohabitatants;
- The non-EU partner/cohabitant should have access to national healthcare or should hold a private health insurance for himself/herself and for his/her family member/s;
- The EU citizen should demonstrate a sufficient gross income deriving from legal sources to sustain themselves and the partner amounting toaround 10,000 euros per year in case of one family member; around 14,000 euros in case of 2 applicants applying for the residence permit. Note that also proven income declared in Italy of the Non-EU citizen can be used to meet this economic requirement.
Main Procedural Steps
- Registration of the EU citizen and his/her partner in the special register for cohabitants held by the Municipality;
- Preparation of the necessary documentation;
- Application for a residence permit as a family member of an EU citizen;
- Registration of the applicant’s Fingerprints at the Police headquarter and submission of the original documentation;
- Issuance of the residence permit.
Validity of the residence permit for family members
The residence permit issued is for family reasons as a family members of an EU or Italian citizen. It is a long-term residence permit with a 5-years validity and it is renewable.
The residency card remains valid even in the case of temporary absences of the holder (not exceeding six months per year).
The residence card for EU family members allows the foreign national to perform work activities in Italy.
After 5 years of continuous and legal residency in Italy, the non-EU partner may apply for a Long Term residence permit with a validity of 10 years (also called “permanent” as it is very easily renewable).
Time Frame
The average time frame to obtain the residence permit for family members is 2/3 months from the application date.
Get in touch
Our immigration lawyers are here to assist you in navigating the complex process of obtaining a residence permit for cohabitation, ensuring that your rights are protected and your application is successful. Contact us!
