Family Reunification Reaches Parents, and That Is Rarer Than It Sounds
Italy lets a lawfully resident foreigner bring a spouse who is not legally separated and is at least eighteen, minor children including the spouse's and those born outside marriage, adult children who are dependent and cannot support themselves because of a total disability, and dependent parents - the last only where they have no other children in the country of origin, or where they are over sixty-five and their other children cannot support them for documented serious health reasons. Where a foreign authority cannot certify a relationship, or where there are founded doubts about the documents, Italian consulates issue the certification themselves.
At a glance
- Spouse
- Not legally separated, and at least eighteen
- Minor children
- Including the spouse's and those born outside marriage, with the other parent's consent
- Adult children
- Only if dependent and totally disabled
- Parents
- If dependent and without other children at home, or over 65 with documented reasons
Article 29(1)(d) of the Testo unico, quoted below. Sixty-five is the age the article names.
- If the documents cannot be obtained
- The consulate certifies the relationship itself
Article 29(1-bis), where no recognised authority exists or the documents are doubted.
Requirements
- Lawful residence in Italy
- A family relationship of a kind listed in article 29
- For adult children: dependence and a total disability
- For parents: no other children in the country of origin, or being over sixty-five with documented reasons
Exceptions by origin
No exceptions recorded
Nothing we have read treats any nationality differently for this topic. The rule above applies to everyone.
What the law says
«Lo straniero puo' chiedere il ricongiungimento per i seguenti familiari: a) coniuge non legalmente separato e di eta' non inferiore ai diciotto anni; b) figli minori, anche del coniuge o nati fuori del matrimonio, non coniugati, a condizione che l'altro genitore, qualora esistente, abbia dato il suo consenso; c) figli maggiorenni a carico, qualora per ragioni oggettive non possano provvedere alle proprie indispensabili esigenze di vita in ragione del loro stato di salute che comporti invalidita' totale; d) genitori a carico, qualora non abbiano altri figli nel Paese di origine o di provenienza, ovvero genitori ultrasessantacinquenni, qualora gli altri figli siano impossibilitati al loro sostentamento per documentati, gravi motivi di salute. 1-bis. Ove gli stati di cui al comma 1, lettere b), c) e d), non possano essere documentati in modo certo mediante certificati o attestazioni rilasciati da competenti autorita' straniere, in ragione della mancanza di una autorita' riconosciuta o comunque quando sussistano fondati dubbi sulla autenticita' della predetta documentazione, le rappresentanze diplomatiche o consolari provvedono al rilascio di certificazioni»Who may be brought, and the provision for a family that cannot prove itself on paper - the second is unusual and matters most to applicants from states with broken registries.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Italian state's portal for legislation in force. It shows each article as currently amended, with an explicit testo in vigore dal date, and links the amending instruments.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: It gives the text and not its interpretation. Article 3-bis reads clearly and has still generated years of litigation over what it means, which is why the Constitutional Court is watched alongside it. A consolidated text can also lag a very recent amendment.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
Practical notes
The income and housing conditions for reunification are in the articles that follow and are not read here.
A non-EU family member of an Italian or EU citizen is under a different regime, and this record does not reach it.
- consolidatesTesto unico sull'immigrazione, articolo 29
Normattiva, Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
About this source
The Italian state's portal for legislation in force. It shows each article as currently amended, with an explicit testo in vigore dal date, and links the amending instruments.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: It gives the text and not its interpretation. Article 3-bis reads clearly and has still generated years of litigation over what it means, which is why the Constitutional Court is watched alongside it. A consolidated text can also lag a very recent amendment.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source