Law decree of January 20th 2021 introduces a new unified model for residence permits in Italy for citizens of Third Countries, and substitutes the previous models regulated by Law decree of July 23rd 2013. The new model follows the requirements of EU Regulation 2017/1954, which modifies Regulation of the European Council (EC) n. 1030/2002.
Changes introduced
The changes introduced by the new decree tackle the validity of the long-term permit and its format. The new layout will feature a date of validity, substituting the previous “unlimited” validity, and a microchip with primary and secondary biometric data.
Validity of the Permit
As far as the validity date is concerned, the decree highlights that the residence permit will still guarantee the right to reside in Italy without time limits: however, citizens from Third Countries will need to renovate the permit every ten years at the central police station. The expiry date will be printed on the permit, together with the microchip containing a digital picture (primary biometric data) and two fingerprints (secondary biometric data) of the citizen. Those digital data aim at simplifying the identification procedures and strengthen the security level.
Applicability
The above-mentioned changes will apply to residence permits issued after January 20th, while those issued before that date, following the previous decree guidelines, will remain valid until their expiry date.