Rome Immigration Office in Via Patini: Complete Guide to Services
Residence permit applications, renewals, asylum, and family reunification — everything you need to know about the single address of Rome's Immigration Office at the Questura.
In a Nutshell
The Immigration Office of Rome's Questura (Questura — police headquarters, also responsible for issuing residence permits) is the counter where non-EU nationals handle everything related to their residence permit: first application, renewal, conversion, family reunification, asylum, EU long-term resident permit, and travel documents for refugees. There is one address: Via Teofilo Patini 23, 00155 Roma, in the Tor Sapienza neighbourhood. Access is almost always by appointment only — do not show up without having been called.
At a Glance
| Cost | Varies by permit type. Renewal for 1–2 years: approx. €147 in total (€70.46 permit contribution + €16 revenue stamp + €30.46 postal fee + €30.46 electronic card fee). Asylum and special cases: exempt from the contribution. |
| Timeline | Biometric appointment after Post Office kit submission: 30–90 days. Permit ready for collection: 3–12 months from application. |
| Where in Rome | Via Teofilo Patini 23, 00155 Roma (Tor Sapienza). Questura switchboard: 06 46861. |
| Documents | Permit to be renewed, passport, 4 passport-size photos, marca da bollo (revenue stamp you stick on official forms) €16, Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID), proof of residency, plus additional documents specific to your permit type. |
What the Immigration Office Does (and Does Not Do)
The Immigration Office handles, for the entire Province of Rome, all proceedings under the Consolidated Immigration Act (D.Lgs 286/1998) for citizens of non-EU countries. Its main services are: first issuance of a residence permit (after entry on a visa), renewal and conversion, data updates and duplicates, family reunification, asylum and international protection, EU long-term resident permit, and travel documents for refugees.
A few things the Immigration Office in Via Patini does not handle: it does not issue visas (those are requested at the Italian consulate in your home country), it does not manage your Codice Fiscale (Agenzia delle Entrate — Italy's tax-revenue agency handles that), it does not deal with civil registry or residency registration (Anagrafe — civil-registry office at the Comune, city hall / municipality, handles that), and it does not directly grant citizenship by residence (the application is submitted online to the Ministry of the Interior; the Questura only steps in for the oath ceremony).
How the Permit Renewal Works
Most renewals do not start at the Questura — they start at Poste Italiane (Italy's postal service) using what's known as the yellow kit (kit giallo). Here is the standard process.
Go to an enabled Sportello Amico (assisted-service counter) at a post office and pick up the yellow kit for free. Fill in Form 1 (mandatory) and the form specific to your permit category (work, study, family, etc.). Attach all required documents plus the €16 revenue stamp. Pay at the post office: the permit contribution (€30.46 if validity is under one year; €70.46 for permits lasting 1–2 years; €100.46 for the EU long-term resident permit), the registered-mail fee (€30.46), and the electronic card fee (€30.46).
The post office will give you a postal receipt (which serves as a provisional permit while you wait), a slip (cedolino) with credentials to track your case on portaleimmigrazione.it, and a sheet showing your appointment date at the Questura for the biometric session (photo, fingerprints, signature). After that appointment, you wait for an SMS saying "permit ready" and then return to Via Patini to collect it.
For a first issuance (if you entered on a visa), within 8 days of entry you must go to the Sportello Unico Immigrazione (one-stop immigration desk at the Prefettura), located at Via Ostiense 131/L — not directly to the Questura. The SUI will then call you to Via Patini for the biometric session.
Opening Hours and How to Get There
Indicative opening hours for the main counters:
| Service | Access | Indicative hours |
|---|---|---|
| Permit collection | By SMS / cedolino | Mon–Fri 8:30–12:00 |
| Asylum and international protection | Walk-in to express intent; then by appointment | Mon–Fri 8:00–12:00 (verify) |
| Duplicate for theft / loss | Online booking or urgent with police report | Mon–Fri 8:30–11:30 |
| Data update | Check current access method | Mon–Fri 8:30–12:00 |
Always verify on the official site questure.poliziadistato.it/it/Roma before going — hours change periodically.
To reach Via Patini by public transport: FL2 train to Roma Tor Sapienza station (about 1 km on foot); ATAC (Rome's public-transport operator) bus lines 314, 451, 542, 543, 545 (Tor Sapienza / Prenestina area). There is no nearby metro stop: Metro C Alessandrino station is about 2 km away. Check up-to-date timetables at atac.roma.it or on Moovit.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Showing up without an appointment. You will be turned away. The queue outside the building is made up of people who already have an appointment. Arriving without being called is a wasted trip.
- Trusting touts outside the office. People who approach you outside Via Patini offering to "get you in" or "speed up your case" are operating illegally. The post-office kit is free. Patronato offices (free union-run offices helping with social-security and immigration paperwork) — such as ACLI, INCA-CGIL, ITAL-UIL, and CISL-INAS — will help you fill in the forms at no charge. Be wary of private agencies charging hundreds of euros.
- Not updating your residential address. Appointment letters are sent to your last address on file with the Questura. If you move and don't notify them, you'll miss the letters and risk losing your case. Report every address change to the Questura via PEC (certified email) at immig.quest.rm@pecps.poliziadistato.it or in person.
Special Cases
Your permit expired recently. You have 60 days from expiry to start the renewal without becoming irregular. Go to the post office with the kit straight away. After 60 days you are technically in an irregular situation, but renewal is still possible if you can demonstrate continuity with the original permit.
You lost your permit or it was stolen. First file a report (denuncia) at the Carabinieri or your local police station (Commissariato di zona). With the report in hand, request a duplicate at the dedicated counter in Via Patini; in many cases urgent access without a prior appointment is possible.
Your permit has been ready for months but you haven't collected it. Uncollected permits are archived after a certain period. Go to the permit-collection counter and ask whether it is still available; if it has been archived, you may need to restart the process.
You want the EU long-term resident permit. You need at least 5 years of legal and uninterrupted stay, a minimum income equal to the annual social allowance (assegno sociale), suitable accommodation, passing an A2 Italian-language test (administered by the CPIA adult-education centres), and a clean criminal record. The card has no residency expiry, but must be renewed every 10 years.
You are a university student. The study permit is renewed annually with proof of enrolment, an exam transcript, and evidence of sufficient financial means. Italian universities often have international offices that can help you gather the documentation.
You have been waiting a long time and the permit still hasn't arrived. Track your case on portaleimmigrazione.it using the code from your cedolino, or call the Poste Italiane freephone number 803 160. If you have a documented urgent need (a work trip, a health matter, etc.), you can request a substitute certificate at the counter.
Official Sources
- Rome Questura — official page
- Rome Questura — Immigration Office
- Polizia di Stato — Residence permit
- Polizia di Stato — Asylum permit
- Portale Immigrazione — Case status
- Polizia di Stato — Online bookings
- Prefettura di Roma
- Poste Italiane — Sportello Amico permit kit
- ATAC — Rome public transport
Legal references: D.Lgs 25/07/1998 n. 286 (Consolidated Immigration Act), DPR 31/08/1999 n. 394 (implementing regulations), DM 11/05/2011 and DM 12/10/2005 (postal permit kit), D.Lgs 08/01/2007 n. 3 (EU long-term residents, Directive 2003/109/CE).