9 Quick Easy Steps to Apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno Provvisorio

permesso di soggiorno provvisorio

Permesso di Soggiorno Provvisorio allows you to travel to other countries other than your home country while you are awaiting the renewal of your Permesso di Soggiorno. If you’ve currently submitted your application for the Permesso di Soggiorno at the Post Office or at a Patro Nato in Milan, your appointment may be in three to six months from the day you’ve applied, or less – if you are very lucky.

According to the Portale Immigrazione website, “those who have a residence permit being renewed can only travel between Italy and their country of origin, however showing the receipt of application along with the valid passport at the border“.

If you need to travel to another country other than your home (and within the Schengen Area), then you must request the Permesso di Soggiorno Provvisorio, that is a Provisional Permesso di Soggiorno or Temporary Permit as it is often called. Note, even if you are having just a stop over at a Schengen area.

From experience, last year I went to Germany while I was awaiting the renewal of my Permesso di Soggiorno. The first thing I did was to go to the Questura where I had the appointment for the renewal of my Permesso di Soggiorno for up-to-date information. The officials at the Questura gave me a document in Italian listing all the necessary documents and stating under what conditions the Permesso is granted.

Next, I went back to the Questura with all the documents requested below to obtain my permesso di soggiorno provvisorio:

  1. The residence permit I am already in possession of.
  2. The receipt documenting the proof of the renewal of the residence permit (that is my ricevuta/receipt from the post office).
  3. My international passport or other equivalent documents (travel document for stateless or foreigners, travel document for refugees, navigation booklet for seafarers, area navigation document, United Nations pass).
  4. Hotel booking (paid).
  5. Flight ticket to Germany (paid).
  6. Proof of ticket to the event I am attending. In your case it could be: a letter from the employer if it is a business trip, a letter from the school principal if it is a trip for educational reasons, other tickets and so on.
  7. Proof of return (I came back by road).
  8. 4 photographs in a format suitable for photo signaling.
  9. A marca da bollo stamp of sixteen euros.

I went back to my Questura with all the above-listed documents and I was briefly interviewed, then given an appointment to go to Questura Montebello a day before my trip for the Permesso di Soggiorno Provvisorio. I had to spend the whole day at the Questura Montebello to get the Permesso Provvisorio which is in form of a paper document and valid for one month, even though I was spending just three days in Germany.

On my way back, at the border check in Switzerland, I was delayed because apparently the officials at the border are not aware of the Pernesso di Soggiorno Provvisorio that allows non-European citizens to travel through Schengen Areas while awaiting the renewal of their Permesso di Soggiorno.

The officials at the border had to make some calls and I had to show them some proof like my blog, Instagram page and university student dashboard to reiterate the fact that I was only passing through to go to Italy. Luckily for me, I had visited Switzerland in 2018, so I showed them some pictures from that trip too.

So if anyone told you you can visit Schengen Areas with just your Rucevuta, that’s false. Except of course you have some rights – like holding a US passport that allows you three months to visit some European countries without a Visa, then you surely do need a Permesso di Soggiorno Provvisorio.

20 thoughts on “9 Quick Easy Steps to Apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno Provvisorio”

  1. Hi, thanks for writing this article. It surely must have helped a lot of people and also it gave me good knowledge.

    I wanted to ask, for how many days was your provvisorio permesso di soggiorno valid? Because I am going for Erasmus which is for 5 months and my original appointment date is in between those days

  2. Hello Hellen, I wanted to ask if my permesso has expired and I have an internship in another EU schengen country does this count as a reason to get the permesso di soggiorno provvisorio as it is a work reason?

  3. Hi my fiance is waiting for soggiorno and we have a wedding planned do receipt have validity of 6 months or he can travel after that with soggiorno receipt

  4. Johann Vandersandt

    Hallo Hellen. Your blog helped. a lot! I am taking a chance and hope you have an answer. I am a South African citizen. My travelling pertain NOT going to South Africa, but for a course for my work to the UK.

    Thus, I get it that one can apply for this temporary residence permit to go to a Schengen country, but does it also apply to go to a non.Schengen country (which is not your country of origin?)

    I have to go to the UK for work purposes. I am in possession of a valid UK Visa for entry into the UK, but would this temporary residence permit help me to get back into Italy then?

    1. Hello, I think in your case it would be completely fine to travel only with the ricevuta, as long as you enter back to Schengen area directly from Italy. There would be a risk of a fine if you enter another Schengen country in your way to UK (if for example you travel by bus) and the police (in the border, for example) ask you for a valid European residence permit, as the ricevuta Is a valid document ONLY in Italy. Which makes sense because it’s just a piece of paper with a receipt. If you are flying directly to UK and flying back directly to Italy, there shouldn’t be any problem.

  5. Hey, i want to ask you about the diclarazione di residensia, when you married you husband and you share the adress together, they probably told you there Will be a Sudden visit from the figile, to see if you realy live there? How does it work have did you go visit other family? Or have not been Home whe the arrive? My friend is worried that if she Will visit her unt in one monthe it Will effect her case…?

  6. If i have a valid visa for a year, and i have the receipt of the permesso di soggiorno, can i leave Italy to Switzerland?

  7. Hello Hellen. I am currently a student in Italy too. I have my ricevuta for renewal of my expired permesso, together with the re-entry visa (reingresso) which is single-entry type D visa, and I already used that visa to enter Italy from my home country 10 days ago. This October, however, I have a one-month medical internship in Serbia. Do you think I can go to Serbia for the exchange, then return to Italy with just the used single-entry re-entry visa and the ricevuta? Many many thanks!

  8. Hello, I’m a student in Torino and I’d like to ask you something. I’m from Turkey and currently I have a renewal application for the residence permit. I got my ricevuta on 16th september 2020, and now I have my appointment at the questura on 5th november 2021. Can I go to Italy from my home country using my ricevuta and expired residence permit? Or should I apply for a reingresso visa? Thank you.

  9. Hello there, I need to travel to Germany for four months and I am leaving next week. There was a problem with my permesso and I couldn’t have it in time. I do have a Visa though, valid until December and my permesso will be ready in like 20 days max. I am Albanian and we also can travel freely in Schengen areas up to 90 days without need of visa. My idea was to come back to Italy to get the permesso when it’s ready and I figured, since I have the Visa, I can return to Italy, right?
    Please, let me know if you know the answer.

  10. Thanks for sharing this information!

    May I ask the type of event you attended?

    I live in northern Italy and am waiting for renewal. Which won’t be until 2022…and trying to go to another Schengen area.

  11. Thank you for this very helpful blog post. I live in Milan, and I do have a US passport. My flight is June 4th out of Madrid, and am sure my new permesso card will not arrive in time. So I don’t need to apply for a pds provvisorio? I tried when I went to my questura appointment for the renewal, but they said it is only granted if it’s for work or health issues, despite already having flights purchased (it is for a wedding).

    Any advice would be helpful! Thank you!

    1. I have an American friend who was able to travel within Europe with just her American passport three years ago while she was waiting for her Permesso to be renewed. She told me Americans can travel and stay in Europe for up to 180 days without visa. Just incase you are curious, she successfully travelled without issues, and it was for vacation reason.

      1. Hello, thank you for your useful information.
        I want to go to Canada(by Canadian study permit document) and my permesso is expired, do you have any idea if I can buy tickets that have 1-2 hours stops within the Schengen Area ? or should I request permesso di soggiorno provvisorio as well?
        I would appreciate if you reply as I really need it. Thank you!

  12. can I travel with my new born baby to my home country with Permesso di Soggiorno receipt?
    my baby has home country passport and Permesso di Soggiorno application submitted.

    1. Hi Salinder. I guess you should be able to, since one can usually travel home with his/her receipt. But I recommend asking directly from the Questura where you have/had the appointment. They are in the best position to answer your question and tell you what needs to be done to fly (especially if you have a layover at an European country).

      1. Hi my fiance is waiting for soggiorno and we have a wedding planned do receipt have validity of 6 months or he can travel after that with soggiorno

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