Family reunification income calculator 2026
How much you need to earn for the nulla osta for ricongiungimento familiare: computed with the art. 29 c. 3 b) formula of the Testo Unico immigrazione - the annual assegno sociale (€7101,12 in 2026) plus 50% per family member to reunite, with the special rule for two or more children under 14. Cohabiting relatives' income cumulates. A guide, not legal advice: prefetture assess files differently, verify current values on inps.it.
1. How many family members are you reuniting?
Count only those you request now: spouse, minor children, in limited cases parents and adult children (art. 29 c. 1).
Computed income minimum (2026)
Annual assegno sociale
€7101,12
€546,24 x 13
+50% x 1 member(s)
€10.651,68
by formula
Floor 2 x assegno
-
only with 2+ children under 14
Required per year (gross), at least
€10.651,68
roughly ~€888 per month over 12 payments
Enter your income to see the surplus or gap and the verdict.
What counts as income
- Employment: CU (Certificazione Unica) for last year + the last 2-3 payslips; gross (lordo) income counts
- Self-employment / partita IVA: the latest tax return (Modello Redditi / 730) - declared income, not turnover
- Income of cohabiting relatives (spouse, parents, adult children on the same stato di famiglia) - cumulated under art. 29 c. 3 b)
- Pension, rental income, other declared income - usually accepted when documented
- NOT counted: undeclared cash, savings on an account, future income, income of the relatives being reunited earned abroad
Typical income documents for the nulla osta
- CU / Modello 730 / Modello Redditi for the last tax year
- Recent payslips (usually 2-3) and a current employment contract
- For partita IVA: registration certificate (attribuzione) + tax return, sometimes a commercialista letter
- Stato di famiglia and income documents of cohabiting relatives if their income is cumulated
- Separate from income: idoneita alloggiativa (housing suitability certificate) - the second condition, art. 29 c. 3 a)
Minimum table 2026 (without the under-14 rule)
| Family members | Formula | Minimum per year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | €7101 x (1 + 0,5 x 1) | €10.651,68 |
| 2 | €7101 x (1 + 0,5 x 2) | €14.202,24 |
| 3 | €7101 x (1 + 0,5 x 3) | €17.752,80 |
| 4 | €7101 x (1 + 0,5 x 4) | €21.303,36 |
| 5 | €7101 x (1 + 0,5 x 5) | €24.853,92 |
| 6 | €7101 x (1 + 0,5 x 6) | €28.404,48 |
For comparison: in 2025 the annual assegno sociale was €7002,97. INPS re-values the amount every January (perequazione) - recompute if you file in a new year.
The legal formula is one, practice varies: some prefetture look only at the last CU / tax return, others at current payslips and contract stability; income earned abroad by the relatives being reunited does not count. A guide based on official sources and community experience, not legal advice - verify current values (inps.it, normattiva.it) and your Sportello Unico's requirements.
Sources: D.Lgs. 286/1998 art. 29 c. 3 lett. b (normattiva.it); D.Lgs. 286/1998 art. 29-bis (normattiva.it); INPS - Assegno sociale (scheda); INPS - Circolare n. 153 del 19.12.2025 (perequazione 2026)
Where the income threshold comes from
The income requirement for family reunification is written in art. 29 c. 3 b) of the Testo Unico immigrazione (D.Lgs. 286/1998): the applicant must show annual income from lawful sources not below the annual assegno sociale increased by one half per family member to reunite; with two or more children under 14 - in any case not below twice the assegno sociale. The assegno sociale is the INPS social pension and is indexed every January: in 2026 it is 546.24 € x 13 = 7101,12 € per year. That is why the threshold moves every year and last year's tables go stale.
How the prefettura reads your income
The nulla osta application is filed online through the Sportello Unico per l'immigrazione at the prefettura, and that is where income is checked against documents: the CU or 730/Modello Redditi for the last year, recent payslips, the contract. They look at gross (lordo) income, not net take-home. Per community experience approaches differ: some accept the last tax return, others want a stable permanent contract or two years of income. The law lets you cumulate cohabiting relatives' income, while savings on an account do not count as income. If you fall short, the usual moves are to reunite in stages, add a relative's income or file later with a new return.
Income is only one of the conditions
Besides income, the nulla osta needs suitable housing with the idoneita alloggiativa certificate, a valid permesso of a qualifying type and proof of the family tie. How ricongiungimento differs from coesione familiare and the al seguito visa is covered in ricongiungimento vs coesione, and the nulla osta procedure itself, timings and what to do about delays in the nulla osta guide. Income thresholds for other permit types (work, lavoro autonomo, renewal) are computed differently - see what income to show for a permesso.
FAQ
What is the minimum income for family reunification in Italy in 2026?
Art. 29 c. 3 b) of the Testo Unico immigrazione: the annual assegno sociale plus 50% of it per family member to reunite. In 2026 the assegno sociale is 7101,12 € per year (546.24 x 13, INPS), so the guide figures are: one relative - 10.651,68 €, two - 14.202,24 €, three - 17.752,80 €. Amounts are gross and are re-valued every January - verify current values on inps.it.
How is the threshold computed when reuniting two children under 14?
For two or more children under 14 the law requires income "in any case not below twice the annual assegno sociale" - 14.202,24 € in 2026. It is a floor, not a replacement of the formula: if the ordinary formula (assegno + 50% per member) gives more, e.g. when reuniting a spouse plus two children, the higher figure applies. The calculator shows both numbers.
Can I add the income of my spouse or parents who live with me?
Yes. The same rule states that the combined annual income of family members cohabiting with the applicant is taken into account. In practice you need their CU/730 and a shared stato di famiglia. Income earned abroad by the relatives being reunited does not count. How it is assessed is up to the prefettura - per the community requirements vary.
Which documents prove income for the nulla osta for ricongiungimento?
Usually: the CU (Certificazione Unica) or Modello 730 / Modello Redditi for the last tax year, the last 2-3 payslips and a current employment contract; for partita IVA - the tax return and registration certificate, sometimes a commercialista letter. If you cumulate relatives' income - their documents and the stato di famiglia. Separately from income you need the idoneita alloggiativa for housing. Per the community the pack depends on the Sportello Unico - check locally.
Does a refugee have to show income for family reunification?
No. Art. 29-bis of the TU immigrazione exempts refugees from the art. 29 c. 3 requirements - both income and housing; art. 22 of D.Lgs. 251/2007 extends the same treatment to protezione sussidiaria holders. For protezione speciale and ordinary work, study or family permits the threshold applies in full. If unsure about your status, check with a lawyer or the prefettura.
From the community chats: family reunification
For any family reunification, proof of housing compliance is required. Usually, 15 square meters per person is needed, but requirements vary depending on the comune and the relative's status. It is recommended to search for information using the query: name of the comune + reunification + housing confirmation.
After submitting the documents for family reunification, I flew in only to get my fingerprints taken, and then returned to Russia before receiving my first residence permit. The wait took about 1 year and 2 months.
We went through the process of family reunification and were told that it is better to be in Italy while submitting the documents. We submitted them before the 90-day visa expired and received an appointment at the questura without leaving the country.
Where people most often go wrong
- For family reunification, a housing compliance certificate is required, which may vary depending on the comune and family composition. (4 messages)
- It is important to distinguish between the procedures for coesione familiare and ricongiungimento familiare, as they have different requirements and timelines. (3 messages)
Rephrased from open chats of Russian-speaking expats in Italy, with names and identifying details removed. This is lived experience, not legal advice: check rules and figures on the official sites.
What the community asks
- What is the difference between ricongiungimento and coesione familiare?
- Can you work on a family permit?
- What is the idoneita alloggiativa and where do you get it?
Short answers from community experience are on the FAQ page.
Documents from the library
- Minimum income for residence permit/family reunification: threshold for applicant + 2 family members
- Document Checklist for Family Reunification (ricongiungimento familiare) - Patronato ACLI Turin, 2023
- Documents for "coesione familiare" - Questura di Treviso (family reunification)
- Autocertificazione Relazione Stabile Blank
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