The steps of the case
- 1
Checking if it can be converted
Not all permits can be converted. We check your permit, the date it was requested and the requirements for the new reason.
- 2
Preparing with the employer
If the conversion is for work, we collect with the employer the contract offer, their details and the documents required.
- 3
Application on the ALI Portal
For conversions to work, the application goes to the One-Stop Shop for Immigration (Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione), online on the ALI Services Portal, with the right form and all the attachments uploaded straight away.
- 4
Clearance and residence contract
If the One-Stop Shop gives a favourable opinion, you sign the residence contract (contratto di soggiorno). We follow you through this step.
- 5
Postal kit and Questura
After the clearance (nulla osta), the new permit is requested with the postal kit (kit postale). We prepare the kit and go with you up to the collection.
What converting a residence permit means
Conversion means moving from one type of residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) to another, without leaving Italy. The most common case is moving from study or seasonal work to a permit for employed or self-employed work.
It is not a renewal. With a renewal you stay with the same reason; with a conversion you change the reason and must meet the requirements of the new permit.
Which permits can be converted
The most frequent conversions are:
- From study to employed or self-employed work. For employed work the planned hours must be more than 20 per week. There are different forms for people who graduated in Italy and for those who did not.
- From seasonal work to employed work. You need at least 3 months of regular seasonal work and a job offer, fixed-term or permanent. Since 1 January 2025 this conversion is outside the quotas (Decree-Law 145/2024) and can be requested at any time of the year.
- From a long-term permit issued by another EU country to work in Italy.
- From a “special cases” permit for victims of labour exploitation (Art. 18-ter) to work or study, outside the quotas.
Some permits, on the other hand, cannot be converted. The special protection permit, if the application was made after Decree-Law 20/2023 came into force, as a rule cannot be converted into work: there are exceptions for earlier situations, to be checked case by case. The permit for care of a minor (Art. 31) allows you to work but cannot be converted into a work permit (Art. 29, paragraph 6).
How it works in Milan
For conversions to work the route has three stages:
- Online application to the One-Stop Shop (Sportello Unico) on the ALI Services Portal of the Ministry of the Interior, with SPID or CIE (digital identity). All documents are uploaded together with the application: afterwards they cannot be added in other ways.
- Clearance (nulla osta) and residence contract. Communications arrive in your personal area of the ALI Portal.
- Postal kit (kit postale) at a Sportello Amico counter to request the new permit, then an appointment at the police immigration office (Questura).
The Prefecture of Milan handles only conversions of permits issued by the Questure of Milan and of Monza and Brianza. Please note: to convert from study to work the postal kit alone is not enough, you must first apply to the One-Stop Shop.
Common mistakes
- Sending only the postal kit without the application to the One-Stop Shop.
- Using the wrong form on the ALI Portal.
- A job offer of under 20 hours a week for people coming from study.
- Uploading incomplete documents: after sending, they cannot be freely added to.
- Letting the permit expire without checking the timing. For seasonal permits the formal expiry does not block the conversion by itself, but every case must be checked.
How we help you
We tell you straight away whether your permit can be converted and with which form. We prepare the application on the ALI Portal, talk to the employer if needed and follow your case until the new permit. If it is refused, the office’s in-house lawyers assess an appeal.
- First consultation: 60 €, about 30 minutes, in the office or online on WhatsApp.
- Sofia, the office’s assistant, answers on WhatsApp in 8 languages and books your appointment: use the booking button on this page.
What to bring to the consultation
- Current residence permit (valid, with some exceptions)
- Valid passport
- Work contract offer with working hours and pay
- Employer's documents (company details, tax and social security position)
- For study: degree or enrolment and exams
- For seasonal work: proof of at least 3 months of regular seasonal work
- Certificate of suitable housing (idoneità alloggiativa)
- Tax code (codice fiscale)
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a study permit into a work permit?+
Yes, if you have a suitable job offer. For employed work the hours must be more than 20 per week. The application form changes if you graduated in Italy.
Does converting from study to work depend on the flows decree?+
The Cutro decree (Decree-Law 20/2023) removed the general link with the quotas, but the Prefecture of Milan still treats some cases differently. We check your route in the consultation.
Can I convert a seasonal permit into employed work?+
Yes, after at least 3 months of regular seasonal work and with an offer of employed work. Since 2025 it is outside the flows decree quotas (form VB).
Can a special protection permit be converted into work?+
As a rule no, if the protection application was made after Decree-Law 20/2023 came into force. There are exceptions for earlier cases: they have to be checked.
Can I work while I wait for the conversion?+
Yes. Since Decree-Law 146/2025, Art. 5, paragraph 9-bis, lets you work while waiting for the conversion, with the receipt and the other legal requirements.