Circular of the Italian Ministry of Interior: Exit and Re-entry with Expired permesso di soggiorno (2010 + 2016)
Two official documents from the Dipartimento della Pubblica Sicurezza, Direzione Centrale dell'Immigrazione e della Polizia delle Frontiere: - Circular 400/C/2010/2506/12.214.3.2/Idiv from 16.04.2010 - basic rules for exit/re-entry with a receipt for the renewal of the permesso. - Clarifying circular Prot. 0047382 from 02/12/2016 - updating rules considering the increased cases of forgery.
Official source of the document:The circular of 02.12.2016 on the Polizia di Stato site (PDF)verified 2026-09-11
About this document
A publication of two circulars of the Public Security Department of the Italian Interior Ministry: the base circular 400/C/2010/2506 of 16.04.2010 on exit and entry with a receipt of the renewal application, and the clarifying circular Prot. 0047382 of 02.12.2016, issued due to increasingly frequent forgeries. The holder of an expired permesso with a ricevuta di rinnovo may leave Italy and return, but only via the Italian external Schengen border: transit through other Schengen countries is prohibited. The 2010 circular relies on Regulation CE 265/2010, under which a valid titolo di soggiorno and a D visa grant movement within Schengen for up to three months per half-year. Since 2016 the original of the expired permesso is required at the border.
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How to use it
Use the document as the legal basis for trips during the rinnovo period: passport + ricevuta + original expired permesso, routing only via the Italian external border with no Schengen transit. Keep a printout of the circulars with you - border officers do not always remember the details. Check your route with the travel check tool. The document can be viewed page by page in the protected viewer.
Why you need it
Answers a critically important question for migrants: can one exit Italy and return if the permesso di soggiorno has expired but an application for renewal has been submitted.
Key information
- Holder of an expired permesso + receipt for renewal (ricevuta di rinnovo) is entitled to leave Italy and return under the condition:
- - Exit and re-entry only through the Italian external border of Schengen (not through other Schengen countries).
- - Transit through other Schengen countries is prohibited by EU regulations.
- - When crossing the border, present: passport + ricevuta + original or copy of the expired permesso.
- Circular 2010 is based on Regulation (CE) 265/2010 from 25.03.2010, which clarified the Schengen Code: holders of a valid titolo di soggiorno from any member state with a valid travel document are entitled to move freely within Schengen for up to 3 months in a semester.
- Visa D (soggiorno di lunga durata) grants similar rights to free movement while valid.
- Restriction 2016: permission to use only a photocopy of the expired permesso has been revoked - the original is required.
Key provisions of the document
Quotes from the Italian original with an unofficial translation.
The 2016 circular: a copy of an expired permesso is not enough
L’attuale contesto storico rende inopportuno consentire ai cittadini stranieri di viaggiare con la sola copia del permesso di soggiorno scaduto o da aggiornare, tenuto conto che una mera riproduzione fotostatica potrebbe, ancor più dell’originale, essere oggetto di contraffazioni o alterazioni.The current historical context makes it inappropriate to allow foreign citizens to travel with only a copy of an expired or to-be-updated permesso di soggiorno, considering that a mere photocopy could, even more than the original, be subject to counterfeiting or alterations.
The 2016 circular: the general rule for leaving and re-entering
Pertanto, in linea generale i cittadini stranieri possono lasciare l’area Schengen e farvi rientro, previa esibizione del passaporto o di un documento di viaggio equipollente, nonché di un visto o permesso di soggiorno.Therefore, in general, foreign citizens can leave the Schengen area and re-enter it, upon presentation of a passport or an equivalent travel document, as well as a visa or permesso di soggiorno.
The 2016 circular: after applying for renewal or update
Con particolare riferimento agli stranieri che hanno presentato istanza di rinnovo o di aggiornamento del permesso di soggiorno, a parziale modifica di quanto previsto nella circolare 400/C/2010/2506/12.214.3.2/Idiv del 16 aprile 2010 di questa Direzione Centrale essi, in alternativa al visto o al permesso di soggiorno, al momento dell’uscita e del reingresso dall’Italia potranno esibire la ricevuta dell’istanza di rinnovo o di aggiornamento, unitamente all’originale del titolo di soggiorno scaduto o da aggiornare. In tal caso, tuttavia, l’uscita e il rientro in area Schengen dovranno avvenire esclusivamente attraverso una frontiera esterna italiana, senza alcun transito in altri Paesi dell’area di libera circolazione.With particular reference to foreigners who have submitted an application for renewal or update of the permesso di soggiorno, as a partial modification of what is provided in circular 400/C/2010/2506/12.214.3.2/Idiv of April 16, 2010, from this Central Directorate, they, as an alternative to the visa or permesso di soggiorno, at the time of exit and re-entry from Italy, may present the ricevuta of the application for renewal or update, together with the original of the expired or to be updated residence permit. In this case, however, the exit and re-entry into the Schengen area must occur exclusively through an Italian external border, without any transit in other countries of the free movement area.
The 2010 circular: conditions for travelling on the ricevuta
Per gli stranieri in possesso della ricevuta postale attestante la presentazione della richiesta di rinnovo del titolo di soggiorno, nelle more del rilascio dello stesso, qualora il visto d’ingresso sia venuto in scadenza, rimangono in vigore le disposizioni già fornite in precedenza in materia. Nello specifico, gli stranieri potranno lasciare il territorio nazionale e farvi rientro alle sottonotate condizioni: 1. l’uscita ed il rientro in parola potranno avvenire anche attraverso una frontiera esterna italiana diversa da quella di uscita; 2. il viaggio non deve prevedere il transito attraverso altri Paesi Schengen, essendo lo stesso precluso dalla normativa comunitaria; 3. lo straniero dovrà esibire il passaporto, o il documento di identità equipollente, la ricevuta della presentazione dell’istanza di rinnovo del permesso di soggiorno oppure del permesso di soggiorno CE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo/carta di soggiorno, copia o originale del titolo di soggiorno scaduto o del quale è stato chiesto l'aggiornamento;For foreigners in possession of the postal receipt certifying the submission of the application for renewal of the residence permit, pending its issuance, if the entry visa has expired, the provisions previously provided on the matter remain in force. Specifically, foreigners may leave the national territory and re-enter under the following conditions: 1. the exit and re-entry may occur through any Italian external border different from the exit border; 2. the trip must not involve transit through other Schengen countries, as this is prohibited by EU regulations; 3. the foreigner must present the passport or equivalent identity document, the receipt of the application for renewal of the residence permit or the EU residence permit for long-term residents/residence card, a copy or original of the expired residence permit or the one for which an update has been requested;
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Reference documents
- Study by the National Council of Notaries: EU sanctions and transactions of Russian citizens
- Announcement of the free Italian language school Penny Wirton (Turin)
- List of Correspondences of OKSO Specialties (Russian Specialties by Classifiers 1987-2013)
- Presentation of the project "Sentimenti" - Russian-speaking community on the coast of Italy
- Recognition of foreign driving licenses (Vienna Convention) - excerpt
- Procedure for registering in the online accounting service for Partita IVA (FlexSuite, steps 02-05)
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).