Declaring presence in Italy
 

Hi folks.

I'll be applying for residency soon as an EU national in Italy, but first I'd like to submit my declaration of presence to the police. I have read that this is better to do as when it comes time to applying for residency, they don't ask for proof of how long I've been in the country and it avoids all that hassle.

Is this correct?

If so, I was just wondering if anyone can share their experience of submitting the declaration of presence with the police? I know there's a form to fill out and submit but I just want to get an idea of what to expect. Do they just check it, file it and that's that, or do they ask any questions etc?

Any info greatly appreciated.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

We never declared our presence but we did buy a house so I guess we were on someone's radar. When we applied for residency we had a visit from the police who didn't even come into the house to look for proof that we actually lived here. You may need translated paperwork (BC etc), address and proof of funds so that you don't become a burden (on an already overburdened state). Mostly you need patience.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

Thanks for the info.

I do intend to have everything in place, i.e.:

- Passport with copy
- Proof of income with copy (self-assessment return in the UK)
- Health insurance

The only thing is I do have an apartment in Italy and have had it for quite some time (over a year), but I've only been visiting every so often (a week or two at a time) and still spend the vast majority of my time in the UK (80%).

That will all change now though as I go there to live permanently - I hope.

Are they likely to check this? If so, I'm just wondering if declaring my presence before applying for residency will avoid any queries into how long I've been in the country.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

How can they check how much time you spend in Italy? The rule is that if you spend more than 183-or 186 days in Italy you must apply for residency so unless you have kept all your journey tickets who is to say? I think you worry too much. Remember that most comune's will want (and by law should require) translated BC's, if you get this done before moving it may save some time and angst.
Once you own a property in Italy you have 18 months within which to apply for residency to avoid heavy taxation. I've forgotten the figures but somebody should come along with far better wisdom than I to let you know the fine details.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

That was my thought too, but my concern was that the onus would be on me to prove it somehow! Guilty until proven innocent, and all that.

It does say on the Italian police website that without a declaration, you will have been deemed to be in Italy for more than 3 months unless proven otherwise. I suppose it depends on how strictly they enforce it.

So when you applied for residency without a prior declaration of presence, it was all pretty straightforward without any questions?

And by "BC" do you mean a translated birth certificate? That's one thing I haven't thought of yet. I assumed the passport would be sufficient - at least for applying as an EU citizen.

And fortunately I just rent the property from a landlord, so hopefully there are no issues there.

Truth be told I do worry considerably about all this so I really appreciate all advice to put my mind at ease.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

You will need a copy of your registered contract - and make sure your landlord knows and is ok with you asking for residence if you have anything other than a 4x4 libero contract.
You will also need to show that you have more than 6500 euros in the bank . any bank.
Plus passport, bc, codice fiscale and lots of photocopies of same. They may also ask you for a 'stato di famiglia' which can be a self declaration for most comunes.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

I have a 4 year typical rent agreement. To be honest I'm looking at the contract now and it seems to mention nothing about my residency status. It looks like a contract any typical Italian citizen would get when renting an apartment long-term.

When it comes to financial proof, would it be better to provide proof of current income (like a UK self-assessment) or just evidence of the cash I have available?

Also, how about health insurance? It's mentioned on the Italian government websites but I'm not sure if it's a requirement.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

Don't tie yourself up in knots about this.
As an EU citizen you can stay here for up to three months and not declare anything to anyone.
There is no need to do any kind of declaration at the police station. Their website is probably talking about non EU citizens anyway, people that need a permesso di soggiorno to be able to stay and live here. You don't need one.
You could have been here 100 times and the comune/town hall won't care. It doesn't matter to them if those 100 visits total 230 days or 530 days.
They don't care because your official residency does not happen until you have filled out an application at the comune, given the documents they want and they have approved it. You are not a resident and you don't have residency until they have signed you on at the comune and you are officially registered in their official log books. How long you have been here before doesn't matter at all.

Just go to the comune to the "ufficio anagrafe" and state that you'd like to become resident. Take you passport - rental contract - bank statements - proof of a private health insurance policy and your translated birth certificate. They may not even ask for all of this. Nobody asked for my birth certificate or a rental contract, they asked where I was living and sent out the police to check up. They do that to everyone. The proof of funds and health insurance is what they are more concerned with.

If you tell us where your flat is I'm sure one of us can look up your comune website and see what it says. A lot of them have a page for foreigners these days.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

Thank you so much for this. It really has put my mind at ease. It's easy to get paranoid about all this "immigration" stuff without knowing too much about it.

I've ordered a copy of my birth certificate, so I'll get that sorted.

For proof of funds, would you say it's better to just provide a proof of how much I have instead of any proof of income? If they aren't bothered either way I think the proof of cash will be better (I can have a bank statement stating I earn well more than the 6k euro minimum, or thereabout figure).

As for health insurance, could anyone point me in the direction of where I could arrange this? Perhaps a comparison site?

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

Most people seem to have just handed over bank statements.
It's not like anybody comes out from the comune offices every year to check up on you and ask if you have another €6.000 to keep living here.
Any move you make afterwards is up to you to inform them. As far as I know, you stay on their books just exactly as they registered you forever unless you move house, move towns or die. You could win the lottery or lose your job, but you'll still be registered on their books.

Go back a few pages to look for tips on health insurance. There have been different threads on this subject and one of them is quite recent. Sorry I don't have time to do this myself.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

I'll do that then. I'd much prefer that.

I've went through the pages as well and found that thread you mentioned. I'll keep looking around too for a good quote.

Thanks very much for your advice.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

Oh, one quick question.

Do I have to get my birth certificate translated by anyone in particular (i.e. a certified person)? Could my Italian girlfriend just do it and then I'll provide the translated copy along with the original?

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

As nicely as possible, I would ask the comune you are heading for exactly what they would require in terms of documentation for residency. We were asked for certs translated, income evidence (P60 provided, but no translation requested, still provided one ;)) and no health insurance mentioned whatsoever.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

You dont need a 'properì translation of your docs just a simple one will do.

Re: Declaring presence in Italy
 

Thanks for the information folks!

Quick question. If I show that I have enough money to be self sufficient (6500) euros, does that entitle me to the full 5 year residency certificate, or just however many years the money will last?

The reason I ask is that a comune near mine states I need self-certification of "6500 euros per year". I'm worried as since it says per year they'll want to see a total which equates to 6500 euros for each of the five years.

Or is this not the case?