A word about bureaucracy...

...and, let's face it, it's the same the world over.

Having (finally) obtained residency for myself & all the kids, it's time to focus on Michael.  He's not able to obtain residency since he doesn't have EU citizenship.  However, he must obtain his permesso di soggiorno.

Feeling rather Italian, I inquired delicately at the embassy why he would need said permesso since he has a 1-year visa.  It turns out that the visa allows him to leave and enter the country freely, but not to stay longer than x number of days (I don't remember the number -- 14 maybe?--in any case, we were unknowingly illegally here for three months last year).  Anyway, he can be a tourist, but not actually live here. The visa is for 1 year because the embassy realizes that it can take a while (understatement of the year) to obtain the permesso. 

The rules for the permesso are that you must register at the airport (which we didn't know and consequently didn't do), then apply for the permesso at the police office of the county seat (Perugia, in our case) within 8 days.

Try putting together a Gantt chart for the following, to see what happens:

1. Register immediately at the airport.
2. Apply at the questura in Perugia:
     a) Only Monday or Thursday, and you must be there before 8:00 am because that's when they hand out twenty numbers (only) for processing on that day.  If you aren't in the lucky 20, you must come back.
     b) With the following documents:
          i) Idoneita d'Allogio, obtained from the local Tecnica office (Todi), requiring:
               a) Marca da Bolla for 14.62 euros, obtainable at any tabaccoio
               b) Fee of 25 euros, payable at the bank next door to my apartment, or at the post office
               c) Request form, which includes the apartment owner's information and signature
              d) Photocopies of documenti, usually passports
              e) An undefined waiting period to obtain, usually 7-10 days, but up to a month.
           ii) Comunicazione di Cessione di Fabbricato, obtained from the vigili (Todi, across from my apartment), requiring:
               a) A copy of the rental contract
               b) That the apartment owner has already filed said Comunicazione with the vigili -- which he or she has by right 40 days to complete
            iii) Marriage certificate with apostille -- apostille must be obtained from the country in which the marriage occurred (the apostille generally requires 10 days to obtain, but can be requested on a walk-in basis).  Bear in mind that it must be sent/mailed/delivered from said country or brought with you if you actually know about this requirement ahead of time.
      c) Within 8 days of arrival in the country

I did talk to the questura to make sure that they wouldn't put handcuffs on my honey in the middle of the night, and he laughed and said since Michael was married to an EU citizen, there wouldn't be any problem.

Makes me wonder about those who aren't?  In the meantime, I think I'll relax with a glass of wine...

Love,

Alexandra