Eligibility Quiz
Application Process
You apply for asylum in Italy by first expressing your intention to seek international protection, then completing a formal registration with police, and finally attending an interview with the Territorial Commission for International Protection. The entire process is free, and you can proceed without documents if necessary.
Expressing Your Intention to Apply
Your first step is to tell authorities you want to apply for asylum. You can do this orally or in writing, in your own language, with an interpreter's help. Express your intention at one of these locations:
- Border Police Station (Polizia di Frontiera) if you are arriving at Italy's border, OR
- Immigration Office (Ufficio Immigrazione) at the Provincial Police Headquarters (Questura) if you are already in Italy
Even if you are in prison or held in a pre-removal facility (CPR), you can still apply.
Timeline: Police must register your application within 3 working days of your expression of intention, or within 6 working days if you expressed it at a border police station. This may extend to 10 working days if there are large numbers of applications.
Identification (Fotosegnalamento)
After you express your intention, police will conduct identification. They will:
- Record your personal information (name, surname, date and place of birth, nationality)
- Take photographs
- Take fingerprints (if you are 14 years or older)
Your fingerprints are entered into EURODAC, the European Central Database used to implement the Dublin III Regulation, which determines which EU country is responsible for examining your application.
Formal Registration (Verbalizzazione)
Formal registration happens exclusively at the Questura (Provincial Police Headquarters) and involves completing the C3 form (Modello C3). A police officer will ask you questions about:
- Your identity
- Your personal situation (current address, contact details, education, work, religion, languages)
- Your family and personal history
- Your journey to Italy
- Why you fled your country of origin
Important: If you have a passport, you must hand it over to police during this step.
The C3 form is signed by you, the police officer, and an interpreter. You receive a copy and all documents you submitted.
Transmission to Territorial Commission
Police send your application and attached documents to the nearest Territorial Commission for International Protection, which will assess your case.
Interview with Territorial Commission
You will be notified of your interview date before the Territorial Commission. The interview is conducted by a caseworker in the presence of an interpreter.
Your rights during the interview:
- You can request a male or female caseworker if this is important to you
- You can request to be interviewed by the full Board or Presiding Judge if your case is particularly important
- The interview is recorded on video (unless there are technical problems)
- Everything you say is transcribed in interview minutes, which are read to you at the end
- You can request corrections if there are inaccuracies
- You can request assistance from a lawyer at your own expense; many NGOs provide free legal support
Use the waiting period between application and interview to prepare your case and collect any supporting documents.
Decision
The Territorial Commission issues a written, motivated decision granting one of three forms of protection (refugee status, subsidiary protection, or special protection) or rejecting your application.
Special Procedures
Accelerated Procedure: Your application may be examined faster if:
- You submitted at the border after attempting to enter without presenting at police control points
- You are held in a centre to ascertain your identity or citizenship
- Your application is deemed "manifestly unfounded"
- As of October 2024: You submitted your application more than 90 days after irregularly entering or starting an irregular stay in Italy, without justified reasons
In accelerated procedure, the entire examination can be completed more quickly, but you have only 15 days to appeal a rejection (instead of 30 days).
Border Procedure: If you made your application at the border after attempting to evade border controls, the entire procedure can be conducted at the border or in transit zones.
Dublin Procedure: If you previously applied in another EU country or have family members in another EU state, the Dublin III Regulation determines which country is responsible for examining your application. Generally, the first European country you entered is responsible. However:
- If you are under 18 and alone, and have family in another Dublin state, that state may be responsible
- If you are an adult with a spouse or minor children in another Dublin state who are beneficiaries of protection or asylum seekers, that state may examine your application
If you have family in another EU country, inform authorities immediately so your case can be transferred if appropriate. Do not leave the reception centre and attempt to reach relatives alone.
Fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Application submission | Free |
| Registration and processing | Free |
| Interview and assessment | Free |
| Legal assistance (if you cannot afford it) | Free |
| Interpreter services | Free |
| Total Cost | €0 |
The international protection application procedure is entirely free of charge. Italian authorities never ask for money for submitting or assessing applications.
Does not include: Costs for obtaining documents from your country of origin, travel to the Questura or Territorial Commission, or private legal representation (though free legal assistance is available for appeals if you cannot afford a lawyer).
Processing Time
Regular Procedure
Statutory timeline: The Territorial Commission should interview you within 30 days of receiving your application and decide within 3 working days after the interview. However, in practice, these deadlines are rarely respected due to high application volumes.
Extended timeline: If the Commission cannot decide within the initial timeframe or needs additional information, examination should be concluded within 6 months of lodging your application. The Commission may extend this for up to 9 additional months if:
- Complex issues of fact or law are involved
- A large number of applications are made simultaneously
- Delay is caused by your failure to cooperate
Maximum possible duration: In duly justified circumstances, the Commission may further exceed the time limit by 3 months, making the absolute maximum 18 months from application to first instance decision.
Actual waiting times: Due to large application volumes, statutory deadlines are not met in practice. In cities such as Rome, the entire procedure generally takes 6 to 12 months from application to first instance decision. The waiting period between application submission and interview may range from a few weeks to a few months.
Accelerated Procedure
Applications examined under accelerated procedure are decided more quickly, but exact timelines are not published. These cases are prioritized for faster processing.
Appeal Timeline
- Regular rejections: You have 30 calendar days from notification to appeal
- Manifestly unfounded rejections: You have only 15 days to appeal
Right to remain pending appeal: Appealing a rejection generally gives you the right to stay in Italy pending the court's decision. However, for manifestly unfounded applications or those in accelerated procedure, you must request specific authorization from the judge to remain.
Document Validity
- Residence permit (refugee or subsidiary protection): Valid for 5 years, renewable
- Residence permit (special protection): Valid for 1 year, renewable if protection is still needed
- Travel document (refugee status): Allows entry to 26 Schengen states for up to 3 months without a visa