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What Documents Do Students Need to Renew Their Permesso di Soggiorno?
For a student renewal you need the kit postale (Modulo 1), a €16 marca da bollo, copies of your passport and current permit, your university enrolment certificate with passed exams, proof of funds, health insurance, proof of accommodation and your codice fiscale. You pay about €116.46 in total for a permit of up to one year.
Start early applying about 60 days before your permit expires , and some Questure ask for at least 30 days. Do not wait until the last week. University offices get busy before exam sessions, and you need certificates from them.
Plan the timing around your exams too. You must show passed exams, so book your renewal after the session in which you pass them.
How many exams do you need to renew a study permit?
This is the rule that surprises most students. Under Italian law (art. 46 of DPR 394/1999), you must show:
- At least 1 passed exam for your first renewal.
- At least 2 passed exams for each later renewal.
If you could not pass enough exams because of serious health problems or another documented emergency, the Questura can still renew with fewer exams. Keep medical certificates or other proof. In total, a study permit cannot be renewed for more than three years beyond the normal length of your course.
You can also renew if you changed to a different degree, as long as your university approved the change.
Documents checklist for student permesso di soggiorno renewal
Document | What exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Kit postale, Modulo 1 | Filled in with a black pen, in CAPITAL LETTERS | Free at post offices with a “Sportello Amico” counter. Students fill in Modulo 1 only (Ca’ Foscari) |
Marca da bollo | €16 revenue stamp, stuck on Modulo 1 | Buy it at a tabaccheria |
Passport copy | Every page with personal data, visas or stamps | Passport must be valid |
Current permesso di soggiorno | Copy of front and back | Originals at the Questura |
Enrolment certificate with exams | “Certificato di iscrizione con esami” for the current year | Download it from your university portal |
Proof of funds | Bank statement, scholarship letter or both | Usually at least €7,101.12 a year for 2026 (see below) |
Health insurance | Private policy valid in Italy, or SSN registration receipt | Must cover the whole permit period |
Proof of accommodation | Registered rental contract, student residence letter or dichiarazione di ospitalità | Name must match your passport |
Codice fiscale | Copy of your tax code card | |
Passport photos | 4 recent photos | Bring to the Questura appointment |
Proof of funds: how much money do you need?
You must show enough money to live in Italy for the period of your permit. The amount follows the yearly Italian social allowance: about €7,101.12 for 2026 . For comparison, the 2025 figure was €7,002.97.
You can prove it with:
- An Italian bank or postal account statement in your name.
- A scholarship letter showing the amount, for example a DSU, MAECI or university award.
- Both together, if neither alone reaches the amount.
Some universities list a lower figure for renewals. UniTrento, for example, mentions at least €3,000. This happens because each Questura applies the rules its own way. Ask your university’s international office what your local Questura accepts.
Sri Lankan and other non-EU students: bank letters or sponsor documents from home usually need an Italian translation and legalisation before the Questura will accept them. An Italian account statement is simpler.
Permesso di soggiorno renewal cost in 2026
Cost item | Amount | How you pay |
|---|---|---|
Marca da bollo | €16.00 | At a tabaccheria, before you go to the post office |
Electronic permit card (PSE) | €30.46 | Postal payment slip (bollettino) in the kit |
Permit contribution, up to 1 year | €40.00 | Same bollettino, so the slip totals €70.46 |
Post office sending fee | €30.00 | Paid at the counter |
Total, permit up to 1 year | €116.46 |
|
How to renew your permesso di soggiorno: step by step
- Collect the kit postale at a post office with a Sportello Amico counter. Fill in Modulo 1 only.
- Buy the €16 marca da bollo and stick it on Modulo 1.
- Put the photocopies from the checklist into the white envelope. Do not seal it; the clerk checks it.
- Go to the Sportello Amico with your passport and current permit. Pay the bollettino and the sending fee.
- Keep your receipt safe. The clerk gives you a receipt (ricevuta, also called assicurata) with two barcodes, your user ID and password, and usually your Questura appointment date. This receipt proves you applied while you wait.
- Attend the Questura appointment for fingerprints. Bring your passport, the receipt, the original of every document you copied, 4 passport photos and your old permit. If something was missing from the kit, bring both the original and a copy.
- Track your application online with the codes on your receipt, then collect your new card when it is ready.
If your university has an international office or a Patronato helps students in your city, ask them to check your kit before you send it. Many offices do this for free.
Common mistakes students make
- Sending originals in the kit. Only copies go in the envelope.
- Old enrolment certificate. It must be for the current academic year and list your passed exams.
- Not enough exams. One for the first renewal, two for later ones.
- Insurance that ends too early. Your permit will be cut to match it, or refused.
- Rental contract not registered or in another person’s name without a dichiarazione di ospitalità.
- Letting the permit expire before you apply.
- Changing address without telling the Questura. Use your current address on Modulo 1.
Frequently asked questions
No. In 2026 the standard route is still the paper kit postale at the post office, followed by a Questura appointment.
Apply as soon as possible. Some guides say a renewal can still be requested shortly after expiry, but late applications can be refused. Get advice from your university or a Patronato straight away.
A study permit lets you work up to 20 hours a week, with a limit of 1,040 hours a year. Keep your renewal receipt with you as proof that you applied in time.
Travel rules with only the receipt are strict and can change. Check with your Questura before you book any flight home.
Only if your old one has ended. Your proof of accommodation must be valid for the permit period.
The Questura decides, based on your course and documents. It is usually linked to the length of your course and cannot run past your health insurance.
