Accordo di integrazione: earning 30 crediti

The Accordo di Integrazione, or integration agreement, is a document that a foreigner signs at the same time as arranging their first permesso di soggiorno. In essence it is a contract with the state: you take on the obligation, over a couple of years, to master the Italian language, get to grips with the basics of the constitution and the country's civic life, pay taxes and ensure your children's education, and in return you keep and calmly renew your residence permit. The agreement works through a credit system: at the start points are awarded, after that they must be accumulated up to the goal, while violations and inaction take points away. Below we go through how this mechanism is set up and what exactly brings crediti. This is not legal advice - always verify the exact rules, the version of the table and the practice of the prefectures on the official websites.

What is the Accordo di Integrazione and who does it concern?

The integration agreement is a mandatory document for those obtaining a permesso di soggiorno for the first time for a term of at least a year. The legal basis, according to the community, is Article 4-bis of the consolidated immigration law (D.Lgs 286/1998), and the agreement is handled by the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione at the prefecture of your province. It is usually signed at the moment of submitting the application for the residence permit.

By signing the agreement, a person undertakes to:

• master the Italian language to at least A2 level;
• gain basic knowledge of the constitution, the structure of the state and Italian civic life;
• fulfil tax and social obligations;
• ensure compulsory school education for children.

The agreement is valid, according to the community, for around two years, with the option to extend it for another year. The text is usually given in Italian with a translation, so you can understand the terms even without a translator.

An important nuance, according to the community: the agreement at the fingerprints is not given to everyone - the practice differs by residence permit motivo, and to some it is openly not given at the questura (by the community's observations students are usually not given it, for lavoro autonomo it is sometimes selective). At the same time the absence of a signed paper does not release you from the duty to integrate itself: the language and basic knowledge of the country are still expected. But the direct threat of cancelling the residence permit for non-fulfilment, by the text of the agreement itself, concerns precisely those who signed it. Verify the exact link to your type of residence permit on interno.gov.it.

When we were arranging the first permesso, this agreement turned up in the stack of papers. At first I was scared by the wording, then I understood: this is not an exam right now, but an obligation for a couple of years. I signed it and set it aside - but kept in mind that the language and course would have to be closed off.

At the fingerprints they did not give us the agreement at all, said it was not needed, that it is for other motivi. At first I was glad, but then in the chat they explained: there is no paper, but nobody has cancelled the law on language and integration anyway. So I keep A2 in my plans regardless, so there are no surprises at renewal.

How the credit system works: start at 16, goal of 30

The logic is simple. On signing you are immediately credited with a starting balance of crediti, and by the end of the term you must reach the target sum. According to the community, the benchmarks are these:

• at the start - around 16 crediti. This is a basic recognition: A1 language level plus sufficient knowledge of civic culture, which is recognised for you as if in advance;
• the goal by the end of the term - at least 30 crediti, and together with a genuinely confirmed A2 level and a sufficient level of knowledge of civic life.

That is, it is not enough simply to hit the figure of 30 - you also need to close off the A2 language bar, otherwise the agreement is not considered fulfilled. In essence, over two years you have to at least double the starting balance and confirm it with documents.

Following the check of the agreement, according to the community, three outcomes are possible:

• fulfilled - roughly 30 or more crediti earned plus A2 level: everything is fine, renewing the residence permit goes the usual way;
• extension of the agreement - from 1 to 29 crediti earned: the agreement may be extended for another year so that the person can make up what is missing;
• not fulfilled - the balance has gone to zero or below: this is already a risk, up to refusal of further stay.

At the check I was just a little short of thirty, because I had got the A2 certificate but had dragged out the civic-culture course. The agreement was extended for a year, and I calmly finished it off. No drama, but it is better to spare your nerves and close everything off in advance.

Table: how many crediti are awarded and for what

The exact values, according to the community, rely on the official credit table (an annex to the agreement's regulation, published back in 2011). Credits are counted across several sections, and within a single section they do not add up - the highest result achieved is taken. Benchmarks according to the community:

For knowledge of the Italian language:

• A1 (spoken only) - around 10 crediti;
• full A1 - around 14;
• A2 (spoken only) - around 20;
• full A2 - around 24;
• B1 (spoken only) - around 26;
• full B1 - around 28;
• above B1 - around 30.

For knowledge of Italian civic culture and life:

• sufficient level - around 6 crediti;
• good level - around 9;
• high level - around 12.

For study courses (adult education, vocational training):

• a course of 80 hours or more - around 4 crediti;
• 120 hours or more - around 5;
• 250 hours or more - around 10;
• 500 hours or more - around 20;
• a full academic year - around 30 (points may be halved if the year also counts towards a diploma).

For higher and special education in Italy:

• a higher technical institute, advanced training courses - on the order of 15 crediti per semester;
• a university year (depending on the number of exams passed) - roughly 30-36 crediti;
• a year of doctoral study - around 50.

These figures are a benchmark according to the community and the 2011 version of the table. Before relying on them, verify the current details on interno.gov.it: the rules and thresholds get amended over time.

The most practical path to thirty is a combination of two things: bring the language up to a full A2 and complete the civic-culture course to a sufficient or good level. A2 alone may formally be enough by points, but it is better to have a buffer, because within a section there is no summing up.

How to earn crediti: A2 language and the civic-culture course

In practice, for most people the path to the required sum is made up of two bricks.

Language up to A2 level. Most often it is mastered and confirmed through a CPIA - the provincial centre for adult education. There you take an Italian course and pass an exam, after which you are issued an official A2-level certificate on the common European scale (QCER/CEFR). This same certificate will later be useful not only for the agreement, but also for the five-year permesso di lungo periodo and for protection against expulsion. By the official description, A2 level is the ability to understand simple slow speech on everyday topics, read short uncomplicated texts, hold a routine conversation about family, work and leisure, describe everyday things and write simple personal notes and letters.

The civic-training session and the culture course. Separately, you attend an information session about life in Italy and, if necessary, a civic-culture course, on the basis of which a level of knowledge is recognised. According to the community, in practice this session looks like watching an informational film about Italy: how to pay taxes, get children into school, how the state bodies and everyday life are arranged. The language of the film (including Russian) is chosen right at the fingerprints, and the date itself is assigned later - the details are usually sent by post or they explain how to register right there at the questura. The film itself gives, according to the community, very few points, but it is precisely attendance at it that holds your starting buffer for you. That is exactly why missing this session is, according to the community, critical: the penalty for it is especially painful (more on this below).

A separate practical point, according to the community: the language up to A2 can be confirmed by two paths. The first - a course and a paid exam at a CPIA or certification centre, with an official certificate as the output. The second - a free exam from the prefecture, which you register for online and can prepare for on your own, without attending courses. In the second case a paper certificate is not issued, but the prefecture passes the result to the questura directly, and for fulfilling the agreement this is, according to the community, enough. If the certificate is also needed for other purposes (for example, for a long-term residence permit with a buffer), it is more convenient to go through a course; if the task is to close off only the agreement, the free exam saves both time and money.

Enrolment in courses and the exam usually goes through the CPIA itself or through the Sportello Unico, which will direct you to them. To find out the date of the permesso plastic and plan by which deadline you can realistically close off the language and course, the timeline helps.

I enrolled at a CPIA, completed the course, passed A2 - the certificate was issued fairly quickly. In parallel I went to the civic session. It felt like the hardest part was not the exam itself, but fitting the classes into the schedule when you are also working. But as soon as I closed off both points, I came out with a buffer on points right away.

We did not go to courses at all: we registered online for the free exam from the prefecture and passed A2 ourselves. We were not given a paper certificate, but the comune sent the result to the questura, and for the agreement that was enough. If the goal is only to close off the agreement, this really saves both money and months of classes.

What takes away crediti: penalty points

Credits are not only awarded - they are also taken away. According to the community, the balance can go into the negative because of violations, and that is exactly why the agreement cannot be ignored entirely. Benchmarks according to the community:

• criminal convictions and measures restricting freedom - cancel the awarded crediti;
• serious tax and administrative violations - also grounds to remove points;
• failure to attend the civic-training session - according to the community, one of the most expensive slips: you can lose almost the entire starting balance (on the order of 15 crediti out of 16), effectively zeroing the start.

The mechanics of the start are, according to the community, often described like this: if within about a month after signing you went to the integration film, those very 16 crediti are secured for you; if you did not go - about 15 are removed, and only 1 remains on the balance. That is, the starting points are essentially an advance on attending the session, not an unconditional gift. Verify the exact deadlines and amounts on interno.gov.it: the versions and practice get amended.

From this follows a simple conclusion: even if you have not yet got around to the exams, you absolutely must attend the civic session itself - otherwise you start not from 16 but from almost zero, and catching up will be much harder. Verify the exact grounds and amounts of deductions on interno.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

I heard a story of how a person simply did not come to the civic session, considering it an optional formality. As a result almost the entire starting reserve of points was deducted, and they had to make up to thirty practically from scratch. The moral: go to the session, even if your language is not ready yet.

What failing to fulfil the agreement means for your residence permit

The main question is what happens if there are not enough points at the check. According to the community, a direct automatic loss of the residence permit for a shortfall usually does not occur: with a balance of 1 to 29 crediti the agreement is more often extended for another year, giving time to close off the language and course. The only truly dangerous scenario is when the balance has gone to zero or below - then the agreement is deemed unfulfilled, and this already affects the right to remain in the country.

That is why the integration agreement is not a one-off stamp, but a background task for the first year or two: close off the A2 language, complete the civic-culture course, do not miss the session and do not run into points being deducted for violations. If you keep this in mind from the very start, by the time of the first renewal the question closes itself.

There is also a pleasant side that the community recalls more rarely. Compliance with the integration agreement is taken into account not only at renewal: according to the community, a child who has lived in Italy for several years and is growing up in a family that fulfils the agreement, under certain conditions gains additional grounds on their path to status - even when the parents so far have only permanent residence. This is already a separate and subtle topic, verify the exact conditions and age on the official resources, but the very fact is telling: integration works for the whole family, not just for one card.

The agreement is not a paper for show, but part of the law on integration. Even those who were not given it at the fingerprints I advise to behave as if they had signed it: learn the language, do not accumulate penalties and tax debts. These same actions then unfold in favour of the whole family, right up to the children's prospects, so integration is worth looking at over the long term.

How the renewal process itself is set up step by step (KIT, ricevuta, fingerprints) is in a separate material on renewing the permesso. And how long absences from Italy also affect renewal and the path to permanent residence is in the article on the absence rule.

For me the main discovery was that the agreement and renewal are connected things. I closed off A2 and the course in advance, and at the renewal the question about integration did not come up at all. It is better to spend a couple of months on courses in a calm mode than to get nervous right before the check itself.

Related articles

• Renewing the permesso di soggiorno - how the rinnovo works step by step: the KIT, the ricevuta, fingerprints.
• Permesso renewal: deadlines and long absence - how a shortfall of crediti and absences affect renewal and permanent residence.
• KIT-postale for permesso - the initial submission via the post office, with which the agreement begins.
• Digital identity: SPID and services - access to course enrolment and online services.
• Tools: timeline - estimate timelines for the language and course.

Official sources

• interno.gov.it - Italian Ministry of the Interior (the integration agreement, the credit table, rules of stay).
• portaleimmigrazione.it - the immigration portal (Sportello Unico, submission and status).
• poste.it - Poste Italiane (the KIT for permesso, with which the agreement is signed).

Frequently asked questions

How many crediti do you get when you sign the Accordo di Integrazione?

According to the community, you are usually credited around 16 crediti at the start - this is a basic recognition of A1 language level and sufficient knowledge of Italian civic life. After that you need to bring the total up to the goal. Verify the exact figures and the version of the table on interno.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

How many crediti do you need to earn by the end of the term?

According to the community, the target minimum is around 30 crediti plus a confirmed A2 language level and knowledge of civic culture. If you have earned less, the agreement may be extended for another year; a complete absence of points risks the agreement being deemed unfulfilled. Verify the current details on interno.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

What are crediti awarded for under the agreement?

According to the community, points are given for the level of Italian language (the higher the level, the more), for the level of knowledge of Italian civic culture, and for completed study courses and education. Within a single section points usually do not add up - the highest result is taken. Verify the exact table on interno.gov.it.

What takes away crediti under the Accordo di Integrazione?

According to the community, points may be cancelled for criminal convictions, serious administrative and tax violations; separately, a large part of the starting crediti is lost if a person did not show up to the civic-training session. Verify the exact grounds on interno.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

Where do you get the A2 certificate for the agreement?

According to the community, A2 level is most often confirmed by a course and exam at a CPIA (adult education centre), which issues an official certificate. You can enrol and find out the schedule through the CPIA itself or the Sportello Unico. Verify the current details on interno.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

What is the integration film and is it mandatory to watch it?

According to the community, this is the civic-training session: an informational film about life in Italy (how to pay taxes, get children into school, how the state bodies are arranged), watched in the chosen language, including Russian. You choose the language right at the fingerprints, the date is assigned later. Attendance is critical: according to the community, this is what holds most of the starting crediti. Verify the current details on interno.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

Can I close the language for the agreement without a paid certificate?

According to the community, yes: A2 level can be passed with a free exam from the prefecture, registering online, without attending courses. A paper certificate is not issued in this case, but the prefecture passes the result to the questura directly, and for fulfilling the agreement this is enough. The paid exam with a certificate is needed rather as a buffer and for other purposes. Verify the current details on interno.gov.it.

Related materials - Status, travel and renewal

• How to check your permesso status
• Prenota Facile 2026: booking the questura
• Permesso di soggiorno renewal: kit, timing, ricevuta
• Italian A2 for a permit: free CPIA courses

Next stepFill the KIT (Mod. 209)Field-by-field over the real Modulo 209: what to write, an example and a tip per field, by motive.

Documents for this topic

• Certificato di livello A2 di lingua italiana da CPIA (Allegato C a DPR 263/2012)
• Documents for "coesione familiare" - Questura di Treviso (family reunification)
• Table of Credits for the Integration Agreement (Annex B, Regulation 2011)