From Student to Worker: How to Convert Your Study Permit in Rome

In a nutshell

If you are in Italy on a student permesso di soggiorno (residence permit for non-EU citizens) and you receive a job offer, you can switch to an employment permit without leaving Italy. The process is called a conversion, and it comes with one important catch: it only happens once a year, on a specific click day set by the Decreto Flussi (annual quota decree allocating non-EU work visas).

At a glance

Cost	Approx. €106.92 total (marca da bollo (revenue stamp) €16.00 + postal fee €30.46 + electronic permit €30.46 + registered mail ~€30.00)
Timeline	Click day: one date per year. Sportello Unico Immigrazione (SUI) review: 60 days by law (in practice 2–5 months in Rome). Physical permit: 3–6 months.
Where in Rome	SUI Prefettura: Via Ostiense 131/L — Questura (police headquarters — also issues residence permits) Immigration Office: Via Teofilo Patini 23
Documents	Passport + valid study permit + Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code) + proposed employment contract + yellow Poste kit

Who needs this and why it makes sense

A student permit lets you work up to 20 hours a week (1,040 hours a year). If you land a full-time job or a stable contract that goes beyond that limit, you need a conversion.

You can convert if you are:

• a university student who found work during your studies (you do not have to wait until you graduate)
• a recent graduate from an Italian university who wants to stay and work in Italy
• a PhD student or master's graduate who receives a job offer
• someone who completed a formal internship and is being hired by the same employer

The main advantage over the standard procedure for people coming from abroad: you are already in Italy with a valid permit, so there is no consulate visa to apply for and no waiting outside Italian borders.

When you can do it: the conversions click day

Conversions fall within the annual quotas of the Decreto Flussi, but in a separate pool from new arrivals. The ministerial circular published each year specifies the exact date when the pre-filling window opens on the ALI portal, and the precise date and time of the click day for conversions.

On the click day, your employer (or an authorised patronato (free union-run office helping with social-security and immigration paperwork) or labour consultant) submits the application through the ALI 2.0 portal. Applications are processed in chronological order of receipt until the available quota runs out.

Start preparing at least 30–45 days in advance: the portal opens the pre-filling window early, and having everything ready makes all the difference.

Step-by-step

Phase 1 — Before the click day: you and your employer agree on the type of contract, salary, and workplace. The employer prepares their company documents (company registration extract, DURC (certificate showing a business is up to date with social-security contributions), financial statements) and enters the data in the ALI pre-filling form.

Phase 2 — Click day: the employer submits the application the moment the window opens. If it falls within the quota, they receive an electronic receipt with a protocol number. The application is forwarded to the Sportello Unico Immigrazione (SUI) (one-stop immigration desk at the Prefettura (regional state-government office representing the central state)) in Rome.

Phase 3 — SUI review: the SUI checks that your study permit is valid, that the employer meets the requirements, and that there are no disqualifying issues (the Questura runs a parallel check). Statutory deadline: 60 days. In Rome in practice: 2–5 months.

Phase 4 — Signing the stay contract: the SUI summons you and your employer to Via Ostiense 131/L to jointly sign the employment stay contract (contratto di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato). The SUI hands over a copy of the contract and the clearance for conversion.

Phase 5 — Yellow kit at the post office: within 8 days of signing, go to an authorised post office ("Sportello Amico") or a patronato to pick up the yellow kit. Fill in the forms indicating you are requesting a conversion, attach the required documents (including your original study permit, which will be surrendered), pay the fees, and hand in the kit. You will receive a receipt with an appointment for fingerprinting at the Questura (Via Teofilo Patini 23).

Working while you wait: once you have signed the stay contract at the Prefettura, you can start working immediately — even before the physical permit arrives. The postal receipt for the kit serves as a provisional document.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Waiting until graduation to convert. You do not have to wait. A student who is still enrolled can convert as soon as they have a genuine job offer. Waiting risks missing this year's quota.
2. Letting your study permit expire. If your permit expires before you have applied to renew it, you lose the right to convert and would have to return to your home country to go through the standard procedure. Apply for renewal at least 60 days before expiry.
3. Not preparing in advance for the click day. The pre-filling form takes time and precise data. Arriving unprepared means making mistakes, losing precious seconds, and potentially being shut out of the quota.

Special cases

Converting without a degree: the ALI portal allows this. A study permit that is still valid is sufficient, provided the employer presents a genuine job offer.

Formal internship: follows the same procedure as a study permit and falls within the same conversion quotas.

Converting to self-employment: possible but more complex. It requires professional qualifications, capital, a Chamber of Commerce attestation, and a separate quota in the Decreto Flussi for self-employment conversions.

EU Blue Card as an alternative: if you have a degree and your employer offers you a gross annual salary of at least roughly €24,789 (2024–2025 threshold), you can apply directly for an EU Blue Card. It is outside the quota system and can be requested at any time of year — no click day required.

Continuing university after conversion: a work permit does not prevent you from staying enrolled at university and finishing your degree. The two paths are fully compatible.

Two permits at the same time: not possible. When you convert, your study permit is surrendered and replaced by the new work permit.

Where to go in Rome

SUI – Sportello Unico Immigrazione, Prefettura di Roma Via Ostiense 131/L, 00154 Roma Phone: 06 67294444 — Email: sui.pref_roma@interno.it Website: prefettura.interno.gov.it/roma By appointment only (online booking).

Questura di Roma – Immigration Office Via Teofilo Patini 23, 00155 Roma (Tor Sapienza) Phone: 06 46861 Website: questure.poliziadistato.it/Roma Access only with the appointment generated by the Poste kit.

Patronati (free assistance): ACLI (Via Marcora 18-20, 06 5840371), INCA CGIL (Via Buonarroti 51, 06 47081), ITAL UIL (Via Boncompagni 19, 06 421771), INAS CISL (Via dei Frentani 4/A, 06 446841).

University immigration desks in Rome: Sapienza (Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 06 49912617), Roma Tre (Via Ostiense 159, 06 57332100), Tor Vergata (Via Cracovia 50, 06 72592553), LUISS (Viale Pola 12, 06 85225777).

Official sources

• Polizia di Stato — Permesso di soggiorno
• Questure — Sezione Stranieri
• Questura di Roma
• Ministero Interno — Immigrazione e asilo
• ALI 2.0 Portal — Sportello Unico Immigrazione
• Ministero del Lavoro — Immigrazione
• Integrazione Migranti
• Prefettura di Roma

Legal references: D.Lgs. 25/07/1998 n. 286 (TUI) art. 6 c. 1 e art. 14; DPR 31/08/1999 n. 394 art. 14 c. 5; D.Lgs. 13/10/2022 n. 152; DPCM annuale Decreto Flussi (quote conversioni); Circolari Ministero Interno annuali su conversioni e click day; Direttiva 2016/801/UE (recepita con D.Lgs. 71/2018).