What is the Renewal of the Dimora Abituale?

If you are a non-European citizen living in Italy and registered to the Anagrafe of your city, you must renew your dimora abituale, this is basically a renewal of your residenza.

When do I have to do it?

You need to renew it when you renew your residence permit.

How much time do I have to do it?

You have 60 days from the renewal of your residence permit, as stated by Decree of May 30th, 1989, No. 233, Article 7, comma 3.

I’ve never heard about that!

Even though it’s required by law, many comunes don’t pay much attention to it. However, to avoid the risk of having your residenza cancelled, it’s a good idea to complete the renewal.

What happens if I don’t do it?

According to Decree of May 30th, 1989, No. 233, Article 11, the comune may cancel your residenza after a certain period.

Could that be a problem if I want to apply for citizenship in the future?

Yes. Since you need 10 years of continuous residenza to apply for citizenship, if your residenza is cancelled, the count restarts from zero.

How can I renew the Dimora Abituale?

Most comunes explain the procedure on their official websites. Usually, you must log in with your SPID or CIE credentials and fill out an online form, attaching your new residence permit, or the renewal receipt along with the expired one.

In my comune there isn’t an online option.

In smaller comunes, online renewal might not be available. In that case, you must submit the form in person or send it by mail to the comune.

Is it common for comunes to cancel the residenza because of this?

Yes and no. Not all comunes enforce this rule strictly, but since the law allows them to cancel your residenza, if you don’t renew it and they do cancel it, there’s no way to restore it retroactively. So, my advice is to renew it to avoid problems.