\n With ongoing confusion about how, where and when pre-Brexit UK residents of Italy should apply to renew their cards, here\u2019s what the British Embassy said in answer to readers\u2019 questions.\n <\/p>\n
Just over five years after Brexit took effect, the deadline is now approaching for many British residents of Italy to renew their pre-Brexit carta di soggornio elettronica residency card.<\/p>\n
Though the British Embassy has published an updated guide<\/a> to applying for the card, confusion around the renewal process abounds, with one reader advised to apply six months before its expiry date and another told by authorities to wait until 60 days after it had expired.<\/p>\n To cut through the misinformation and shed some light on the situation, we put your questions to the Embassy: find their answers below.<\/p>\n Q: How do I start the renewal application process? Where should I apply?<\/b><\/p>\n A: Residents whose card is coming up for renewal should book an appointment at the immigration section of the Questura (provincial police headquarters) where they are resident.<\/p>\n The procedure varies between Questure, and might involve applying through an online portal, by registered PEC email, over the phone, or in person: read \u2018How to book an appointment with a Questura\u2019 on the Embassy\u2019s online guide<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n Q: Can I apply at a Questura in a province other than the one where I\u2019m resident?<\/b><\/p>\n A: Unfortunately for readers who\u2019ve had bad experiences with their local Questura, applying to a different one \u201cis not possible\u201d, according to the Embassy.<\/p>\n Q: What documents are required?<\/b><\/p>\n A: Readers should \u201crefer to the guidance<\/a>\u201d, the Embassy says: the section titled \u2018Documents required to obtain a Carta di Soggiorno\u2019 applies to renewals as well as first-time applications.<\/p>\n Q: Will I automatically be issued with a ten-year (permanent residency) card when renewing my five-year card, or do I need to do something in particular to get it?<\/b> A: According to the Embassy, people in this situation \u201cwill be automatically given a 10-year\/permanent CDS, provided they meet all the permanent residency requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n Q: When should I apply to renew my card?<\/b><\/p>\n A: Italy\u2019s Interior Ministry officially recommends<\/a> that foreign residents apply to renew their permit 60 days before it\u2019s due to expire, and the Embassy told The Local: \u201cthe MOI has kindly requested that, if not urgent, WABs [Withdrawal Agreement Beneficiaries] wait for the 60-day mark to reduce Questure workload.\u201d<\/p>\n However, there\u2019s nothing stopping you from applying earlier: \u201cProvided they have all the necessary requirements, WABs can apply to renew their CDS at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n Given that many of The Local\u2019s readers have reported major delays<\/a> both in securing an appointment at the Questura and in permit processing times, it\u2019s advisable to start the process as early as possible.<\/p>\n Q: My Questura told me I couldn\u2019t apply until 60 days <\/b>after <\/b>my permit has expired <\/b>\u2013<\/b> is this true?<\/b><\/p>\n A: The Embassy told us this is \u201cprobably a misunderstanding\u201d based on Ministry of Interior guidance, though pre-Brexit residents of Spain have run into similar issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n Refer your Questura to the official government guidance<\/a> if you receive this information.<\/p>\n Q: My card is due to expire before my scheduled appointment at the Questura. How does this affect my legal status in Italy and my ability to travel internationally?<\/b><\/p>\n A: UK nationals who were legally resident in Italy before Brexit have the right to remain here with or without the carta di soggiorno \u2013 so your legal status won\u2019t be affected.<\/p>\n However, the card provides the clearest evidence of your rights as a resident, and you may run into problems trying to engage with the Italian State (see below) or travel without it. A renewal application receipt or ricevuta from the Questura can be temporarily used in its place, but this usually isn\u2019t issued until the in-person appointment.<\/p>\n The Embassy told The Local that pre-Brexit residents whose card has expired and who don\u2019t have the ricevuta \u201ccan use residence documents issued under the EU Free Movement Directive before the end of the transition period\u201d instead, but they will be registered with the EU\u2019s EES border check system if they travel in or out of the Schengen area without a valid card or receipt.<\/p>\n Q: What should I do if I am incorrectly registered with EES because my card has expired and I don\u2019t have the <\/b>ricevuta<\/b>?<\/b><\/p>\n A: According to the Embassy, people in this situation \u201c can request to be removed using this form<\/a>, which can be found online on the right hand side of this Polizia di Stato page: Entry-Exit System (EES) | Polizia di Stato<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Q: I lost access to my doctor because my card expired before I could renew it <\/b>\u2013<\/b> what can I do?<\/b> \u201cWe appreciate, however, that there is still confusion. We advise WABs to refer to the MoH note and to put it to the attention of the Italian health authorities if they feel they are not being treated correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n Q: I never applied for the carta di soggiorno <\/b>\u2013<\/b> have I missed the boat?<\/b><\/p>\n A: No \u2013 people in this situation \u201ccan still apply for a first card\u201d, the Embassy told us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With ongoing confusion about how, where and when pre-Brexit UK residents of Italy should apply to renew their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":952559,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5226],"tags":[802,748,2000,299,5187,1699,4884,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-952558","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brexit","8":"tag-brexit","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-eu","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-european","13":"tag-european-union","14":"tag-great-britain","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116555884128310813","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=952558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/952559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=952558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=952558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=952558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>A: The Embassy told us: \u201cAs outlined in our Living in Guide<\/a> and in the Ministry of Health note on healthcare rights<\/a>, the carta di soggiorno is not obligatory for withdrawal agreement beneficiaries and shouldn\u2019t be required in order to access services in Italy, including healthcare.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n