Directive of the Ministry of Interior of Italy on the Rights of Foreigners During the Waiting Period for Permesso Renewal (August 2006)
Official directive from the Minister of the Interior of Italy N. PROT.11050/M(8) dated 05.08.2006 "On the rights of foreigners during the renewal of the residence permit." Establishes the principle of continuity of legal residence while awaiting the results of the permesso renewal.
Official source of the document:Text of the directive on the Polizia di Stato site (PDF)verified 2026-09-11
About this document
A directive of the Italian Minister of the Interior dated 5 August 2006 on the rights of a foreigner while waiting for the renewal of the permesso di soggiorno. It establishes the principle of continuity of legal stay: if the renewal application was filed before the permesso expired or within 60 days after, the file is complete and a ricevuta was issued, the foreigner keeps all the rights of a legal resident - may work, study, use the SSN, buy property and cannot be expelled, even if the questura misses the 20-day processing deadline. The rights remain valid until a possible refusal. The directive was issued because after law 189/2002 real processing times became far longer than the statutory ones.
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How to use it
Keep the ricevuta together with the expired permesso and cite this directive if an employer, ASL, bank or office questions your status while the rinnovo is pending. Trips abroad during this period are governed by separate circulars - see the related materials. The document can be viewed page by page in the protected viewer.
Why you need it
Clarifies that a foreigner who has applied for renewal on time and has a ricevuta retains all rights of a legal resident - works, studies, accesses healthcare, and is not subject to expulsion.
Key information
- Legal basis: Art. 2 par. 2, Art. 5 par. 4/9, Art. 13 par. 2 D.lgs 286/1998 (Testo Unico Immigrazione); Art. 7 par. 3 and Art. 11 par. 1(c) Regolamento anagrafico (DPR 223/1989); Art. 42 par. 4 DPR 394/1999; circular DPB 400/C/2006/779 dated 21.06.2006.
- Key points of the directive:
- - Missing the 20-day review period does not affect the legality of residence and rights if: the application was submitted before the expiration of the permesso or within 60 days after; documents are complete; a ricevuta is issued.
- - Rights remain in effect until a refusal to renew/revoke the permesso.
- - A foreigner with an expired permesso + ricevuta is entitled to leave Italy and return (conditions in circular DPB).
- Rights of soggiorno, guaranteed by Art. 2 TU: right to education, medical assistance, legal employment, property purchase, access to credit, judicial protection.
- Reason for issuance: the complexity of procedures after L. 189/2002 made it impossible to comply with the 20-day review period.
- Non-expulsion: Art. 13 par. 2(b) TU guarantees non-expulsion even with a permesso expired for up to 60 days without submitting an application; with a ricevuta - full protection.
Key provisions of the document
Quotes from the Italian original with an unofficial translation.
Missing the 20-day deadline does not make the stay unlawful
1. Il mancato rispetto del termine di venti giorni per la conclusione del procedimento di rinnovo del permesso di soggiorno non incide sulla piena legittimità del soggiorno stesso e sul godimento dei diritti ad esso connessi, qualora: - la domanda di rinnovo sia stata presentata prima della scadenza del permesso di soggiorno o entro sessanta giorni dalla scadenza dello stesso; - sia stata verificata la completezza della documentazione prescritta a corredo della richiesta di rinnovo; - sia stata rilasciata dall’ufficio la ricevuta attestante l’avvenuta presentazione della richiesta di rinnovo. Gli effetti dei diritti esercitati, nelle more del rinnovo del permesso di soggiorno, cessano solo in caso di mancato rinnovo, revoca o annullamento del permesso in questione.1. Failure to meet the twenty-day deadline for concluding the renewal process of the permesso di soggiorno does not affect the full legality of the stay itself and the enjoyment of the rights connected to it, provided that: - the renewal application was submitted before the expiration of the permesso di soggiorno or within sixty days after its expiration; - the completeness of the prescribed documentation accompanying the renewal request has been verified; - the office has issued the ricevuta certifying the submission of the renewal request. The effects of the rights exercised, pending the renewal of the permesso di soggiorno, cease only in the event of non-renewal, revocation, or annulment of the permesso in question.
Leaving Italy and returning with the ricevuta
2. Lo straniero in possesso del permesso di soggiorno, ancorché scaduto, e della ricevuta di presentazione dell’istanza di rinnovo, ha la facoltà di lasciare il territorio dello Stato e di farvi regolare rientro, alle condizioni più volte reiterate con le circolari del Dipartimento della Pubblica Sicurezza. Permangono, invece, le limitazioni e le condizioni alla circolazione nell’ambito dell’area Schengen, regolate dalla disciplina internazionale.2. A foreigner in possession of a permesso di soggiorno, even if expired, and the ricevuta of the renewal application, has the right to leave the territory of the State and to re-enter it regularly, under the conditions repeatedly reiterated in the circulars of the Department of Public Security. However, the limitations and conditions on movement within the Schengen area, regulated by international rules, remain in place.
The principle of continuous lawful stay
CONSIDERATO che le citate norme in materia di immigrazione postulano la continuità del soggiorno regolare, consentendo al cittadino straniero, che ha chiesto il rinnovo del permesso di soggiorno e che attende la definizione del relativo procedimento, di continuare a permanere sul territorio nazionale con pienezza dei connessi diritti, o delle altre posizioni soggettive giuridicamente rilevanti, senza soluzione di continuità, essendo sufficiente la documentazione rilasciata dall’ufficio, attestante l’avvenuta richiesta di rinnovo;CONSIDERING that the aforementioned immigration regulations require the continuity of legal residence, allowing the foreign citizen, who has applied for the renewal of the permesso di soggiorno and is awaiting the conclusion of the relevant procedure, to continue to remain on national territory with the full range of associated rights, or other legally relevant subjective positions, without interruption, as long as the documentation issued by the office, certifying the renewal request, is sufficient;
Deadlines for filing the renewal
VISTO l’art. 5, commi 4 e 9, del citato Testo Unico che stabilisce, in relazione alla tipologia del permesso di soggiorno, un termine di almeno 90, 60 e 30 giorni prima della scadenza per la presentazione della richiesta di rinnovo, nonché un termine ordinatorio di 20 giorni dalla data di presentazione della domanda di rinnovo, per la definizione del relativo procedimento da parte dell’Autorità competente;WHEREAS art. 5, paragraphs 4 and 9, of the aforementioned Testo Unico establishes, in relation to the type of permesso di soggiorno, a term of at least 90, 60, and 30 days before expiration for submitting the renewal request, as well as an ordinary term of 20 days from the date of submission of the renewal application, for the definition of the related procedure by the competent Authority;
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Reference documents
- Price List: Urgent Request for Criminal Record Certificate with Apostille from Russia
- Press Release EC: Complete Suspension of Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia (September 2022)
- Table of Credits for the Integration Agreement (Annex B, Regulation 2011)
- Circular of the Italian Ministry of Interior: Exit and Re-entry with Expired permesso di soggiorno (2010 + 2016)
- Study by the National Council of Notaries: EU sanctions and transactions of Russian citizens
- Announcement of the free Italian language school Penny Wirton (Turin)
A real document from community materials. Not legal advice - verify the official blank and current requirements on the authority site (esteri.it, interno.gov.it, portaleimmigrazione.it, questure.poliziadistato.it).