If you or your family were displaced by the war in Ukraine and you have recently arrived in Italy, you can use this article to learn more on:

  • What to do when you arrive
  • What’s important to know
  • Who can help (Rome, Milan, Naples, Trieste, Bologna)

We are doing our best to keep this article updated to provide you with accurate information. However, the situation is constantly evolving, please share with us any other update, info or feedback via private message – we will fact check and share it on our channels.

If you are coming to the European Union, you can find more information about crossing borders into the EU and your rights here

First things to do

Here’s a list of things you have to do as soon as you get to Italy and find a place to stay. This includes informing authorities of your arrival and regularizing your stay in Italy.

Inform authorities

Questura

If you are a Ukrainian national or from another visa free country and you haven’t got your passport stamped at the borders when entering Italy, or you do not have a passport, you must inform Italian authorities of your presence in the country.

To do this, you have to go to the Immigration Office of the police (‘Questura’ in Italian) or police station (‘Commissariato’ in Italian) within 8 days from your arrival. There, you will have to show your documents and fill out a form called ‘dichiarazione di presenza’. You can find the form here.

You can find the address of the Questura of your city here, or you can send us a private message if you need any help in finding it.

Note that if you are staying at your family or friends’ place, they must inform the police. To do this, the person who is hosting you has to go to the Questura or police station within 48 hours from your arrival, and issue a declaration of hospitality (’dichiarazione di ospitalità’ in Italian). You can find the template here here.

If you are not from a visa free country and you wish to stay in Italy, you will need to apply for a protection or permit of stay as soon as possible.

What if I do not have my passport or ID?

If you are Ukrainian and you do not have a passport or identity document, the Ukrainian Consulate can give you a temporary consular certificate for free, which you can use to prove your identity.

Note that Ukrainian authorities extended the passports’ validity for 5 years. If your children under 16 do not have a passport, they can be added to your passport once you get to Italy.

Ukrainian consulate

Ukrainian Consulates in Italy ask Ukranians arriving in Italy to fill a out a specific form to stay informed on arrivals and support:

  • If you are or will stay in Lombardia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Piemonte, Liguria, Valle d’Aosta, Trentino Alto Adige, Emilia Romagna your relevant Consulate is the Consulate in Milan and you have to fill out this form.
  • If you are or will stay in Lazio, Molise, Toscana, Abruzzo, Marche, Umbria, Sardegna your relevant Consulate is the Consulate in Rome and you have to fill out this form.
  • If you are or will stay in Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, Sicilia your relevant Consulate is the Consulate in Naples and you have to fill out this form.

Below you can also find contact details of Ukrainian Embassy and Consulates in Italy:

  • Ukrainian Embassy: Via Guido d'Arezzo 9, Rome - +39068412630 - emb_it@mfa.gov.ua
  • Ukrainian Consulate in Rome (for the central regions): Via Monte Pramaggiore 13, Rome - +390682003641 - gc_it@mfa.gov.ua - ucrconsolatoroma@gmail.com
  • Ukrainian Consulate in Milan (for the northern regions): Via Ludovico di Breme 11, Milan - +3902801333 - gc_itm@mfa.gov.ua
  • Ukrainian Consulate in Naples (for the southern regions): Via G.Porzio 4, Centro Direzionale, isola B3, Naples - +393277364822 - gc_itn@mfa.gov.ua - consolato.ucraina.napoli@gmail.com

Things to know

Getting to your destination in Italy

People displaced by the conflict in Ukraine can travel for free to get to their destination in Italy, within 5 days from their arrival. You can use it for free trains, ships, highways, and in some cities such as Rome you can also use public transportation for free.

Staying in Italy

If you are a Ukrainian national

Ukrainians can stay in Italy without a visa or without applying for a permit of stay for the first 90 days. If you got your passport stamped in another EU country and then you entered Italy, the 90 days start from the stamp.

If you want to stay in Italy longer, you have to apply for a permit of stay (‘permesso di soggiorno’ in Italian). Ukrainians and their families, as well as holders of international protection in Ukraine and their families, can apply for a permit of stay for temporary protection at Questura. Learn more about this permit here.

If you fear persecution or danger in your home country, you have the right to seek international protection (also known as asylum) in Italy. You can ask for asylum at the Questura or border police. Learn more about seeking asylum here.

If your close family members have a regular permit of stay in Italy or are Italian, you may also apply for a family permit, if you meet specific requirements.

If you are not a Ukrainian national

If you come from a third country, you need to check whether your nationality exempts from the requirement to have a visa for the first 90 days. You can check it here.

However, even if you do not come from a visa free country, you are allowed to transit Italy to return to your home country – if it is safe for you.

If you want to stay in Italy longer, and your family is Ukrainian or you hold international protection in Ukraine, you can apply for a permit of stay for temporary protection at Questura. Learn more about this permit here.

However, if this is not your case, you can apply for asylum if you do not feel safe returning to your home country. Alternatively, you could apply for a permit of stay (‘permesso di soggiorno’ in Italian) if you meet specific requirements, but you need to know that you cannot apply for a work or study permit directly in Italy. Learn more about other types of permit you may be eligible for here.

Accommodation

If you need accommodation, you can contact the Prefettura or the Questura of the city where you are to be hosted in a reception facility. Other temporary accommodation solutions may be available such as staying in a family, or temporary hotels.

Some cities activated specific helplines to help you find accommodation – have a look at the end of the article!

Financial aid

If you applied for temporary protection and you managed find accommodation on your own (including if you’re staying at your family’s or friends’), you may be eligible to receive economic support from the Italian Government. You can apply for a bonus of 300 euros, plus 150 euros per child, for a maximum of 3 months. You can get the bonus also if you are staying in a center, but you have lived for at least 10 days in a month on your own.

To be entitled to this bonus ('contributo di sostentamento' in Italian) you must have submitted an application for a permit of stay for temporary protection at the Questura - the Immigration Office of the city where you are located. Under this condition - and if you meet the requirements - you can apply for this bonus throughout the year 2023.

You must apply for the bonus online, by entering your codice fiscale, phone number and email here: https://contributo-emergenzaucraina.protezionecivile.gov.it/#/registrazione

You will receive an SMS when the bonus is ready to be withdrawn. You can get it at any post office by presenting your receipt or permit for temporary protection, along with an identity document.

You can find more info about the bonus here: https://contributo-emergenzaucraina.protezionecivile.gov.it/#/vademecum

Education

In Italy, every child between 6 and 16 years old must be enrolled in an Italian school. To enroll your children in school, you can directly go to the nearest school, or ask social services of your Municipality to help you out. In some cities (such as Milan), you can also contact the Ufficio Scolastico Provinciale. You can find the contacts here.

This means that even if your kid is attending online lessons from Ukraine, they must attend the Italian school too. The only alternative is homeschooling, which entails a communication to the headmaster and a yearly exam for the child.

If you fail to enroll your children in school, you may be liable under Italian criminal law or be reported to social services.

Healthcare

In Italy, everyone has the right to the following healthcare services, regardless of whether they have a permit of stay or not:

  • Urgent medical care (emergency care that cannot be postponed)
  • Essential medical care (for example, you have a chronic disease or another disease with the risk of complications)
  • Continuative medical care (for example, treatments that enable your recovery from an injury or disease)
  • Preventive medical care (for example, vaccination or pregnancy)

To access these healthcare services, you need to get the STP code at the desk of the local healthcare centers ('ASL' in Italian). However, if you have an emergency, you can directly go to the emergency room (‘pronto soccorso’ in Italian) of the nearest hospital or call 118. Learn more here.

However, if you apply for a permit of stay, you can register with the National Healthcare System and get a health card (‘tessera sanitaria’ in Italian) at the local medical center (ASL or ATS). In this way, you can access all healthcare services and also get a family doctor. If you are currently unemployed you can also get the X22 healthcare exemption, when choosing your family doctor or pediatrician. With this exemption you do not need to pay the fee ('ticket sanitario' in Italian) to access public healthcare services in Italy.

Learn more about: YOUR RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE

Covid-19

Until April 30, 2022 to access several services and workplaces you needed a certificate called Green Pass. The Green Pass is no longer in use, with the exception of healthcare professionals and hospital and residential care facilities (RSA) visits.

If you need any information on Covid-19, call 1500 or regional numbers available here.

If you want to get vaccinated, you can book an appointment through the regional online booking portals and numbers by searching on Google: vaccino covid + [name of the region where you are]. In some cities such as Rome and Milan, there are facilities where you can get the vaccine without any appointment – have a look below! Note that Covid-19 vaccination is mandatory for people under 50. Learn more here.

Who can help

Here below you can find useful info and services in the main Italian cities (Rome, Milan, Naples, Trieste, Bologna). For any other location, send us a message on Facebook, or visit this website in Italian.

Rome

Municipality of Rome for Ukraine emergency: call the helpline 800938873 (8am - 8pm) or visit the website. Lazio region for Ukraine emergency: visit the website

Immigration Office of the Questura: Via Teofilo Patini 23 - +390646863911 or +390646864100 or +390646865050 - immigrazione.segreteria.rm@poliziadistato.it.

Accommodation: call the Protezione Civile Lazio at 803555 (available 24/7) or +390699509292 from abroad. The service is available in Ukrainian as well.

Covid-19 and healthcare: You can receive first medical assistance, get the STP code, get a Covid-19 test for free, and get vaccinated (against Covid-19 and other illnesses) without appointment at Hub Termini (Piazzale dei Cinquecento, everyday from 8am to 11pm) and at Hub Ostiense (via delle Cave Ardeatine 34, everyday from 8am to 6pm). You can also get a free Covid-19 test in any of these vaccination centers. To get the STP code, go to one of these medical help desks. For any more info about Covid-19 or STP code, call 800118800.

Milan

InfoPoint: to get basic information on regularization, accommodation and basic services, you can go to InfoPoint at Via Sammartini 106 (10 mins walking from Central Station), open from 8:30am to 8pm. If you need nocturnal assistance from 8pm to 8:30am, you can go to the InfoPoint at Via Privato Stella, 5 (25 mins walking from Central Station). You can also contact the InfoPoint of AVSI at +3902674988368 available in Ukrainian, from Monday to Friday, 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm. 

Immigration Office of the Questura: via Montebello 26, from Monday to Saturday 8 - 12am - +390262265820 or +390262265821 - urpimmigrazione.mi@poliziadistato.it

Accommodation: call the Municipality of Milan at +39 020202 or Lombardia region helpline 800894545, or visit the InfoPoint at Stazione Centrale.

Covid-19 and healthcare: here a list of the addresses where you can get a Covid-19 test for free, STP code, health screenings, and vaccination. For any more info, call 800894545.

Naples

Help desk - Ukrainian Consulate: if you need information, to get the STP code, to get a Covid-19 test, you can go to the Ukrainian Consulate in Via G.Porzio, 4 Centro Direzionale, isola B3 from 9am to 6pm.

Help desk - Residence Ospedale del Mare: if you need information or accommodation, to get the STP code, to get a Covid-19 test, you can go to Residence Ospedale del Mare at the cross between via Luca Pacioli and viale delle Metamorfosi, from 9 am to 6 pm. There is also a desk of the Immigration Office of the Police to declare your presence in Italy.

Immigration Office of the Questura: Via Galileo Ferraris, 131 - +390816064111

Trieste

Immigration Office of the Questura: Via Matteo Demenego e Pierluigi Rotta 2, from Monday to Friday, 8.30am -1pm and 2pm - 4pm and on Saturdays 8 - 11.30am - +390403790111

Accommodation: ask Questura, they will contact Caritas to provide you with accommodation.

Bologna

Info Point and Covid19: You can get a Covid-19 test for free, get information on accommodation, healthcare, education and other topics, and declare your presence to the police at Piazza XX Settembre, from Monday to Friday, 9am - 7pm and on Saturday, 8.30am - 1.30pm.

Accommodation: fill out this form of the Municipality here.

Healthcare: to get information on healthcare services, screenings and vaccination, call 051413161 from Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 1.30pm.

Immigration Office of the Questura: Via Bovi Campeggi, 13/3, from Monday to Friday, 8.30am -1.30pm and 2.30pm - 5.30pm - immig.quest.bo@pecps.poliziadistato.it

Learn more on: USEFUL NUMBERS IN ITALY

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