Burocrazia & documenti

Asylum and International Protection in Rome: How It Actually Works

If you face persecution or serious harm in your home country, you have the right to claim protection in Italy. Step-by-step process, your rights, and where to go in Rome.

12 May 2026·

asyluminternational-protectionrefugee-statusterritorial-commission-romeimmigration-police

In a Nutshell

If you face persecution in your home country because of your race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or membership in a particular social group — or if you are at risk due to war, torture, or inhuman treatment — you have the right to apply for international protection in Italy. You file your claim at the Immigration Office of the Questura (police headquarters — also issues residence permits) of Rome (Via Teofilo Patini 23), or with the Border Police if you have just arrived. From the moment you express your intention to apply, you cannot be sent back to your country until the process is complete.

At a Glance


Cost	Free. The permit for asylum seekers is exempt from any fee.
Timeline	Initial registration: within 3–10 working days. Hearing before the Commission: officially 30 days, in practice often 6–18 months.
Where in Rome	Questura — Via Teofilo Patini 23, 00155 Roma (Tor Sapienza neighbourhood).
Documents	No documents are required to start the application. If you have any — passport, birth certificate, evidence of the risks you faced — bring everything.

The Three Forms of Protection: What You Get

Italy offers three main types of protection, each with different rights and duration.

Refugee status is the strongest form. You qualify if you have a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group (including gender and sexual orientation). It gives you a residence permit valid for 5 years, renewable, with the right to work, study, and bring your family over, plus a refugee travel document. After 5 years of legal residence you can apply for Italian citizenship.

Subsidiary protection covers people who do not fit the refugee definition but face serious harm: the death penalty, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or indiscriminate violence from an armed conflict. The permit also lasts 5 years and is renewable, with the same core rights as refugee status.

Special protection (protezione speciale) is a catch-all form rooted in the Italian Constitution. It applies when there is a concrete risk of torture or inhuman treatment, or when deportation would breach international obligations. The permit lasts 2 years and is renewable; in some cases it can be converted into a work or family-based permit. Note: this category has been amended several times (DL 113/2018, DL 130/2020, DL 20/2023) — check the rules in force at the time you apply.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 — Express your intention. Go to the Immigration Office at the Questura, Via Teofilo Patini 23, or present yourself to the Border Police at a port, airport, or border crossing. Simply saying — even verbally — "I want to apply for asylum" or "I am requesting international protection" is enough. From that moment you are an asylum seeker and cannot be deported.

Step 2 — Identification. The Questura takes your photo and fingerprints (Eurodac system) and checks whether you have already applied for asylum in another EU country (Dublin III Regulation). If you were fingerprinted elsewhere first, that country may be responsible for processing your claim. A Dublin transfer can be challenged in court.

Step 3 — Registration (modello C3). Within 3 working days (10 in complex cases) the Questura fills out the modello C3 — a form recording your personal details, your migration route, and the reasons you fled. You are entitled to a free interpreter. Always ask for a copy of the C3 in a language you understand.

Step 4 — Permit for asylum seekers. The Questura first gives you a receipt, then issues a paper residence permit (permesso di soggiorno — residence permit for non-EU citizens) valid for 6 months, renewable until a decision is made. You will also be assigned a Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything) and can enrol in the SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale — Italy's national health service). After 60 days from your application you have the right to work legally.

Step 5 — Accommodation. If you have no resources of your own, ask the Prefettura (regional state-government office representing the central state) for accommodation. You will be placed in a CAS (Centro di Accoglienza Straordinaria — emergency reception centre) or, if you have particular vulnerabilities, in a SAI (Sistema Accoglienza e Integrazione — integration reception system). Services include food, housing, legal assistance, Italian-language classes, and job-orientation support.

Step 6 — Hearing before the Territorial Commission. You will receive a summons (by post or through your reception centre) to appear before the Commissione Territoriale per il Riconoscimento della Protezione Internazionale di Roma (the body that officially decides your case). Check the current address at commissioneasilo.it. The hearing lasts 1–3 hours: you tell your story, explain why you fled, and describe the risks you would face if returned. You have the right to a free interpreter, a lawyer of your choice or court-appointed legal aid (patrocinio a spese dello Stato), and — especially if you are a woman or have survived violence — you can request a female commissioner and interpreter.

Step 7 — Decision. The Commission notifies you in writing. It may grant refugee status, subsidiary protection, or special protection — or it may reject your claim. If rejected, you can appeal to the Tribunale di Roma — Sezione Specializzata Immigrazione (Rome's specialist immigration court) within 30 days (15 days if you are detained or come from a designated safe country of origin).

Mistakes to Avoid

Paying someone to "submit your application". The asylum procedure is entirely free and can only be started at the Questura or with the Border Police. Anyone who charges you for this service is committing fraud.
Not updating your address. Summonses are sent to the last address on record. If you miss the commission hearing notice, your application may be treated as abandoned. Keep the Questura, the Commission, and your lawyer informed of any address change.
Leaving Italy during the procedure without authorisation. You risk having your application cancelled. Do not travel abroad without first checking with a lawyer or legal adviser.

Special Cases

You are an unaccompanied minor. You cannot be held in closed centres. The Juvenile Court appoints a voluntary guardian, you are placed in a dedicated facility, and your hearing takes place with the guardian present.

You are a survivor of torture, violence, or trafficking. You are entitled to special safeguards during the hearing (a trained commissioner, same-sex interpreter, breaks, a protected environment) and can ask to postpone the hearing for health reasons. Contact the Anti-Trafficking Hotline 800 290 290 (open 24/7) or a specialist organisation.

You face a Dublin transfer. If Italy asks another EU country to take responsibility for your claim, you have 15 days from notification to challenge the transfer before a court. Seek legal help immediately.

You already had a rejection. You can submit a repeat application only if you have new elements that were not available before. The Commission first rules on whether the new application is admissible.

You are a recognised refugee and want family reunification. For refugees and those with subsidiary protection, family reunification is simplified: you do not need to show proof of income or housing for your original family unit, provided you apply within 90 days of being granted status. The application goes to the Prefettura — Sportello Unico Immigrazione (one-stop immigration desk at the Prefettura), Via Ostiense 131/L.

Official Sources

Legal references: art. 10 Italian Constitution; Geneva Convention 28/07/1951 and New York Protocol 1967; D.Lgs 28/01/2008 n. 25 (asylum procedures); D.Lgs 19/11/2007 n. 251 (refugee and subsidiary protection qualifications); D.Lgs 18/08/2015 n. 142 (reception); D.Lgs 25/07/1998 n. 286 art. 19 (special protection); EU Regulation 604/2013 Dublin III; DL 10/03/2023 n. 20 conv. L. 50/2023 (decreto Cutro).

← All articles More guides on Burocrazia & documenti →