You probably noticed that relocating – in Italy or in any other Country – sometimes can be tricky, especially if we consider the bureaucracy that is behind this process. You also surely noticed that the fundamental step when arriving in a new Country for a stay that is more than three months is to request the Town Hall registration in order to obtain the certificate of residence.
Be careful! In Italy there is a difference between residence and domicile. We speak of domicile when referring to the place where one has business and interests; the residence is the actual place where one is living and must be registered at the Municipality’s civil registry.
The certificate of residence is a must-have if you want access to public services such as the National Health Care system and Public Education for your children, or if you want to obtain Italian documents such as the Italian ID (carta d’identità), or again if you want to open an Italian bank account.
Depending on where you come from, there are a few differences regarding the necessary documentation to provide to the Town Hall. If you are an EU citizen relocating in Italy, you have to provide:
- An ID (passport or your Country of origin’s ID)
- Italian tax code
- Lease contract
- Employment contract
- Health insurance (if you have a private one) or S1 (if you want to receive medical assistance in Italy)
- Marriage certificate and/or birth certificate of your children (if applicable)
If you are an extra-EU citizen, before doing anything, you must obtain a permit of stay. Upon receiving this permit, you can forward your request to the Town Hall, providing the aforementioned documentation plus the permit of stay or work permit if the permit of stay is not ready.
At the time in which the City Hall registers the application and starts the procedure, you will receive a receipt of the application (Dichiarazione di avvio del procedimento) and the processing time to complete it is 45 days by law. Once the application is completed, the next step would be to have the municipal police come out to verify that you live at your home address. Once the municipal police provide positive feedback, the City Hall will complete your Residence Registration and will send you a notification. At this point, you are allowed to request a Certificate of Residence for you and your family (if you have one) or ask your Relocation Assistant to do that for you.
Now you see, obtaining a certificate of residence is important for many reasons, especially from a bureaucratic point of view. However, in some Italian cities, such as Rome and Florence, residents have free access to some museums and archeological sites, or discounts on tickets. So, being a resident can be also convenient for your thirst for culture!
