Family reunification in Italy: 2026 rules

What family reunification is

Family reunification (ricongiungimento familiare) allows people who live legally in Italy to bring some close family members from abroad. The rules are in Articles 28 and 29 of Legislative Decree 286/1998.

The starting point is the clearance (nulla osta) from the One-Stop Shop for Immigration of the Prefecture (Prefettura). With the clearance the family member asks the Italian consulate for a visa, enters Italy and obtains a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) for family reasons.

Which family members you can bring

Art. 29, paragraph 1, lists:

• the spouse, who must be an adult and not legally separated;
• minor children who are not married, including the spouse’s children or children born outside marriage, with the consent of the other parent if there is one;
• adult dependent children, only if they cannot support themselves because of total disability;
• dependent parents, if they have no other children in the home country, or if they are over 65 and the other children cannot support them for documented serious health reasons.

Requirements: residence, income and housing

Two years of legal residence. Since Decree-Law 145/2024 (Art. 28, paragraph 1-bis) you need at least 2 years of legal and continuous residence in Italy to bring a spouse, adult dependent children and parents. The rule does not apply to minor children or to people with international protection.

Income. Yearly income must be at least equal to the social allowance (assegno sociale), increased by half for each family member to be reunited. The income of family members living with you is also counted.

Suitable housing. The home must meet hygiene and health requirements. Since Decree-Law 145/2024 the Municipality also assesses suitability according to the number of people who will live there.

Health insurance for parents over 65.

How it works in Milan

The application for clearance is submitted online only, on the Ministry of the Interior portal, to the One-Stop Shop of the Prefecture of Milan. The One-Stop Shop checks income and housing and asks the police immigration office (Questura) for its opinion.

By law the clearance must be issued within 150 days of the application: the limit was lengthened from 90 to 150 days by Decree-Law 146/2025. The clearance is valid for 6 months: in that time the family member must ask for the visa.

After arrival, within 8 days, the family member goes to the One-Stop Shop to start the residence permit for family reasons.

Common mistakes

• Calculating income wrongly for the number of family members.
• Foreign certificates not translated or not legalised correctly.
• A home too small for the number of people.
• Not counting the 2 years of residence required since 2024.
• Letting the clearance expire before asking for the visa.

How we help you

We check the requirements before sending the application, prepare the documents and follow your case with the One-Stop Shop until the family member arrives. If the Prefecture does not reply in time or refuses the clearance, the office’s in-house lawyers assess a formal notice and 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.