The child of a foreign national citizen who is under the age of 14 years is registered on his/her parent or guardian's residence permit. When he/she reaches the age of 14 he/she has the right to apply for a residence permit for family reasons that is then valid until the age of 18 years.
Minors' Rights
Education: foreign national minors have the right to be enrolled in a school. Enrolment of the foreign national minor is carried out by his/her parents or whoever has guardianship and the same conditions apply as for Italian minors. Furthermore, enrolment in a school can take place at any time during the school year.
Moreover, in the field of training and education, neither the foreign national minor nor his/her parents should be asked for their residence permit and under NO circumstance, even indirectly, should any warning be given to the judicial authorities and/or the forces of order, to alert them to the presence of the child and/or the parents.
Health: minors who have a residence permit must be registered, by a parent or whoever has guardianship, in the National Health Service (S.S.N). They have the right to access all services available through our health system.
Work: foreign national minors, in relation to work, are protected by the same laws as Italian minors.
The Age of Majority
When a minor reaches the age of 18, his/her residence permit for family reasons is renewed for the same duration as the parent's residence permit, so long as the accommodation requisites and the conditions of income required for family reunification are still met. The same right applies to a minor who is in the care of a guardian.
Furthermore, upon reaching 18 years of age, those who meet the requirements can apply for a residence permit for study purposes, access to work, subordinate or autonomous work, but also for health and care demands.
Unaccomapanied Minors
Unaccompanied minors who find themselves on Italian territory have a residence permit for minors.
In Italy, the following are defined as unaccompanied foreign national minors:
- persons under the age of 18 years;
- persons who are not EU citizens;
- persons on national territory who are without parents or close relatives, in accordance with Italian legislation;
- persons who have not applied for international protection.
The Directorate General for Immigration and Integration Policy, in December 2013, updated the 2003 procedural Guidelines regarding unaccompanied foreign national minors. They were simplified, computerised and updated to reflect the legislative modifications of recent years.
On the Ministry for Employment and Social Policies website, it is possible to download the new Guidelines and all the relevant forms for informing The Directorate General for Immigration and Integration Policy of the presence of unaccompanied foreign national minors.
All information about how to apply for or renew a residence permit
