ITALY Re-entry Visa ( What if your Italy Visa Expired while in Abroad?)

European Union has temporary restrictions to non-essential travels into the Schengen Area, in order to contain the spread of the COVID 19 virus.

We know this uncertainty can cause confusion and anxiety, which It is quite normal.

For Italian permesso di soggiorno or Temporary Resident Visa holder stuck in another country due to the lockdown, this video will help you understand what to do and where to get support

If you hold a valid Italian permesso di soggiorno or Temporary Resident Visa for Italian Education and you are in another country like India

Please provide proof for the immediate need of your travel, like starting of your classes at the university or starting an internship, then you should be able to travel to Italy without any special authorization. However, we recommend you contact the Italian consulate or embassy before finalizing your travel arrangements

What if your permit expired while abroad?

It’s important you know that the Italian government decided that all permits expired from January 31 onwards are to be considered valid until August 31.

Therefore, your document is still valid and you can use them for urgent travel back to Italy. Contact the Italian consulate or embassy in the country where you are. The Italian authorities may issue a re-entry visa or a declaration to confirm that your permit (if expired after January 31) is still considered valid.

If your permit expired before January 31,

We suggest you contact the Italian embassy or consulate to request more information.

What if I am overstaying in another country due to the lockdown & hold an Italian permesso ?

Schengen Region

You are legally allowed to stay in a Schengen country for up to 90 days, without a visa.

However, if you are stuck in the country for more than 90 days then, national authorities may issue a long-stay visa for you to stay in the country until the lockdown ends.

If you overstayed in the country for no reasons, you may be banned from returning to that country, or even to the Schengen area, for a while.

Outside the Schengen Area?

If your permit is valid for less than 2 years: You can stay out of Italy for a maximum of 6 consecutive months. Note: remember that if you hold a permesso per richiesta asilo, cure mediche or calamità, you’re not allowed to travel abroad.

However, these rules do not apply if there are serious and proven reasons that force you to stay out of Italy for a longer period of time than allowed.

However, if you find yourself in this situation, we suggest that you gather the relevant documentation to prove the reasons preventing you from traveling back to Italy. This may include the temporary travel restrictions adopted by the country where you are, the communication that your return flight back to Italy was canceled, the email thread with the Italian consulate or embassy showing that you cannot travel back to Italy, etc.

If possible, send a certified email (PEC) to the Questura that issued your permit to tell them that you are not able to travel back to Italy because of the current limitation of international travel.

Make sure that you travel back to Italy as soon as the the emergency is over.

Things to know when flying back on an expired permit

When planning to fly back, please keep in mind that authorities of other countries may not be aware that your expired permit can still, be considered valid. For this reason, we suggest you get a direct flight to Italy.

So what are you waiting for, contact Videsh Consultz Today, and visit our website at www.videshconsultz.com.