After legally living in Italy for at least five consecutive years, non-EU nationals become eligible to apply for a EU Long Term Residence Permit – known in Italian as permesso di soggiorno per soggiornanti di lungo periodo or permesso di soggiorno illimitato (formerly knowns as carta di soggiorno).  

Unlike most other Italian residency permits, which are issued for a maximum of two years and then need to be actively renewed in order to remain valid, the Long Term Permit grants the holder a permanent right of residency and does not expire (the document itself should be updated every ten years, but failure to do so does not invalidate your permanent right of residency).

Besides sparing the holder annual or biannual trips to the provincial questura (police station), the permit comes with a range of other advantages, including the right to freely work or study in the country (this isn’t always possible under some types of permits), fully access healthcare and social welfare, and participate in some forms of Italian public life like referendums.

Applying for a Long Term Residence Permit can be an arduous process as, besides showing you’ve been legally living in Italy for at least 5 years, you’ll have to meet a number of other requirements, including having an A2 Italian language level, which for most applicants entails passing an Italian language test.

READ ALSO: ‘Arduous process’: What to expect when applying for Italian permanent residency

But after successfully completing all of the red tape and getting your permesso, can your right to permanent residency be revoked in any case?

According to Italy’s official immigration portal, your status as a permanent resident can be revoked if you spend more than 12 consecutive months outside the European Union, or stay outside Italy for more than six consecutive years. 

You can also have your right to permanent residency revoked if you:

• Get another EU Long Term Residence Permit from another country in the European Union
• Are considered a threat to public order and national security, and are subject to an expulsion order
• Are proven to have acquired the permit with fraudulent methods

Foreign nationals who lose their right to permanent residency due to being away from Italy, or after getting an equivalent long-term permit from another EU country can re-apply for permanent residency after legally living in Italy for three years (as opposed to the usual five). 

READ ALSO: When and how should I renew my Italian residence permit?

It’s also worth noting that, if you’ve been stripped of your right to permanent residency for any of the reasons mentioned above, you can contest the decision by filing an appeal with your Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) within 60 days of first being notified of it.

Please note that The Local is unable to advise on individual cases. Find more information on the Italian Interior Ministry’s website or seek independent advice from a qualified immigration consultant.