Italy
Accompanying Family Visa

The process commonly takes 4-7 months, depending on the SUI, consular post and dossier. The statutory term for the Article 29 nulla osta decision is 150 days, followed by the consular visa phase. Family members of Italian or EU citizens are not part of this timeline because they use the separate Legislative Decree 30/2007 route.

Income is linked to the annual social allowance. For 2026, the base is €7,101.12, increased by one half for each accompanying family member, subject to the special rule for two or more children under 14. Suitable housing must be demonstrated. Health coverage is specifically required for qualifying parents over 65, not as a universal condition for every family member.

The Article 29(4) route is available for eligible family members of a principal holder with EU long-term resident status or a qualifying route for subordinate work based on a contract of at least one year, non-occasional self-employment, study or religious reasons. The underlying status must be verified first, for example through an Employment Work Visa or University Student Visa. Diplomatic and mission families follow special rules, and Italian/EU citizen families use a separate procedure.

The following family members can be brought as accompanying:

• Adult spouse not legally separated
• Minor children (including spouse's children or those born outside marriage)
• Dependent adult children with total disability
• Dependent parents lacking support in country of origin (specific cases)

The procedure has two coordinated phases:

1. SUI nulla osta: online request through the Interior Ministry portal, commonly managed by an authorized representative in Italy with the required delegation.
2. Consular visa: application by the family member at the competent Italian diplomatic representation after authorization.

Italian/EU citizen family members follow their separate national family-visa route without the ordinary SUI nulla osta.

The visa is the entry instrument. After arrival, the family residence permit authorizes subordinate and self-employment and supports NHS enrollment and access to education. Work should begin once the family permit application has been properly filed and the applicant holds the documentation required under the pending-permit rules.

The family permit generally follows the principal holder's residence title, subject to a maximum of two years for the initial Article 29 permit and three years for each renewal. It has its own family-permit rights, including work authorization, rather than simply copying every limitation of the principal holder's visa.

Within 8 days of arrival, the family member starts the residence permit procedure through the applicable postal/Questura channel. Municipal registration and NHS enrollment follow once the required residence documentation is available. Administrative charges change over time, so we confirm the official fees immediately before filing.

The accompanying-family procedure is coordinated with the principal holder's move, while the Family Reunification Visa is usually requested by a sponsor already resident in Italy. Coordinating the accompanying route can avoid a later period of separation. The two-year rule is not a universal waiting period: it concerns particular Article 29 sponsor categories and does not apply to minor-child reunification or the other legally protected exceptions.