Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Italian Ministry of the interior. Department for the Public Security.
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Central Directorate of Immigration and Border Police
Immigration Service – 1^ Division
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Via Tuscolana, 1558 - 00173 Roma
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Not requested.
2.1. Metadata last certified
2 April 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
3 September 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
3 September 2025
3.1. Data description
Data collection on the residence permits (RESPER) statistics contains statistical information based on the principles stated in the Union legislation on migration Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 and the Commission Regulation (EU) No 216/2010 implementing the categories of reasons for residence permits.
The main RESPER data collection based on Article 6 of the Migration Statistics Regulation
First residence permits,
Residence permits issued on the occasion of changing the immigration status or reason to stay,
Residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term permits issued during the year.
Statistics collected on voluntary basis
Residence permits issued for family reunification with beneficiaries of protection status.
3.2. Classification system
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Residence permits statistics.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.5. Statistical unit
Number of persons (one person one permit of stay).
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.7. Reference area
Italy.
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of persons (one persone one permit of stay).
Calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The Ministry of Interior is the only authority with have the mandate for collecting the residence permits and the registration of the administrative data.
This comprises all (mandatory and voluntary) statistics mentioned in the several EU Regulations and Directives.
There exists a formal agreement between MoI and ISTAT (National Institute for Statistics) regarding the provision of data for the purpose of EU and other statistics, which also features the residence permits data.
Legislative decree 286/98 on reception of the EU Regulation 115/2008 (consolidated text). Legislative decree 40/2014 on reception of the EU Regulation 2011/98. Legislative decree 3/2007 on reception of the EU Directive 2003/109.
Republic Presidend Decree 394/1999 (Regulations on the implementation of the Consolidated Text of Provisions Concerning the Discipline of Immigration and Regulations on the Status of Foreigners)
Until 2021 the residence permits statistics are based on the Regulation (EC) 862/2007. Data delivery for reference year 2021 onwards is based on Regulation (EC) 862/2007 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/851.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data sharing is conform the agreement between MoI and ISTAT regarding the provision of data for the purpose of (EU and other) statistics, and conform the Italian law and other relevant legal acts and agreements.
MoI receives and registers all applications for residence permits and the outcome of the decisions on the applications. All relevant data are registered at MoI in the database Stranieri web. MoI has moreover a datawarehouse, which contains all the necessary data concerning the flow of permits, the source for the data is Stranieri web. MoI compiles the residence permits tables RP1 - RP5. The stock reports (RP6 and RP7) are based upon a query for which the source is Stranieri web.
ISTAT has set up a secure and automated data processing system to receive the data from MoI, to process the data, and send the statistics via Edamis to Eurostat. This system includes the "database EU Asylum and managed Migration" and several secure and automated procedures for receiving, processing and sending the data. All procedures are in accordance with the ISTAT standards in the field of data collection and processing.
Employees are obliged to maintain confidentiality about official matters which, by their nature or in accordance with special regulations, must be kept secret. This obligation remains in force even after termination of the employment relationship: Republic President Decree 62/2013 Gazzetta Ufficiale.
8.1. Release calendar
The residence permit data are (partly) published by ISTAT in the public website: Dati istat.
The first reference year published is 2008, and every June the new reference year data is released.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not available.
8.3. Release policy - user access
No policy on release data for users.
No national dissemination. Eurostat dissemination yearly (on ESTAT website).
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Please find information at this website (Demo istat).
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not available.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Eurostat dissemination yearly (on ESTAT website).
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
The data are not accessible in micro-data form.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Apart from sending the tables to Eurostat and dissemination of the statistics in ISTAT website, there are generally no other means of dissemination.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
MoI works in accordance with the relevant Eurostat guidelines.
Continous quality assessments of data retrievals by the Italian Ministry of the Interior and the National Instute for Statistics (ISTAT). Quality evaluation cycle between the Italian Ministry of the Interior and National Instute for Statistics (ISTAT) on the annual data exchange.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Data is of good quality as it is taken from entries in the Italian "Stranieri web platform", which documents each case in Italy. A unique code or biometric data allows for the linkage of data within the SDI-database. Upon processing of national statistics, general plausibility checks are performed. Some data is also checked at random during the reference year, in order to assess data quality. Any inconsistencies are reported to the competent authorities by means of a clearing house.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
National level: The RESPER statistics produced are regularly used by national administrations: academic researchers and civil society groups working on a wide range of topics including the integration of immigrants, the development and monitoring of national asylum and immigration procedures, and the projection of the future population and labour force.
European and international level: The main users of RESPER statistics are Eurostat, DG Home Affairs and EUAA. The statistics are used in several publications of the Commission, as well as in the preparation of regular reports, policy proposals and analysis. The statistics also provide an input to the EMN studies and reports that address specific issues of current policy importance.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No information available.
12.3. Completeness
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall high accuracy: The reported statistics measure accurately the target population because the database includes all cases. Some cases that are entered into the database after data are retrieved for the data submission to Eurostat and therfore missing, which amounts to an underestimation of about 0.1-0.5% in total.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3.1. Coverage error
There is no difference between the frame population and the target population. There is no under-coverage or over-coverage. See table 13.3.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER 2023’.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
There may be small measurement errors: for first permits one person can be included more than once in the reference dataset, this happens when a person is granted a permit more than once in the same reference period due to administrative issues. However this is usually less than 1 % of the cases. Some people do have multiple permits, so in the table ' all valid permits on 31 December they are counted more than once.
Outside of the before mentioned errors, there are no other measurement errors: all individual data records concerning residence permits are registered within a few days in Stranieri web (the registration system of MoI) . Based on these data all mandatory tables are yearly extracted, checked and validated.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.4. Processing error
Processing errors sometimes occur in extracting the table from Stranieri web, sometimes in the method of extracting, but mostly in the format of the table. ISTAT corrects the format errors, and processing errors due to method errors are corrected by MoI.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Normally in time.
Data supply to Eurostat is in accordance with the Regulation and the Technical Guidelines, also concerning the timeframe of sending data to Eurostat.
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the first/preliminary data, at the earliest : 120 days
Reasons for possible long production of the first/preliminary data and plans to improve the situation : The tables are produced and send to Eurostat within the mandatory deadlines.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
See table 14.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not editable concept.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Statistics are comparable between geographical areas within Italy.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
See table 15.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER 2023’.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Taking into consideration the reference period of data, statistics on permits of stay shall relate to reference periods of one year.
No discrepancy could occur between number of permit of stay delivered and number reported in the same year.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal consistency assured.
Since administrative data are used, there are no costs/burden on repondents.
17.1. Data revision - policy
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables 2024’. The Excel file already contains explanations about the data revisions.
17.2. Data revision - practice
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not editable concept.
18.1. Source data
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER 2024’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Daily.
18.3. Data collection
National systematic process of gathering data for official statistics.
The sole source for the datasets for year 2008 and onwards is STranieri web, the MoI registration system.
18.4. Data validation
Validity checks include:
Checks of totals consistency Checks of magnitude of changes over time Checking if the double counting cases are excluded Checking the consistency between datasets
Data collection on the residence permits (RESPER) statistics contains statistical information based on the principles stated in the Union legislation on migration Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 as amended by the Regulation (EU) 2020/851 and the Commission Regulation (EU) No 216/2010 implementing the categories of reasons for residence permits.
The main RESPER data collection based on Article 6 of the Migration Statistics Regulation
First residence permits,
Residence permits issued on the occasion of changing the immigration status or reason to stay,
Residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term residence permits valid at the end of the year,
Long-term permits issued during the year.
Statistics collected on voluntary basis
Residence permits issued for family reunification with beneficiaries of protection status.
3 September 2025
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
Number of persons (one person one permit of stay).
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
Italy.
Calendar year.
Overall high accuracy: The reported statistics measure accurately the target population because the database includes all cases. Some cases that are entered into the database after data are retrieved for the data submission to Eurostat and therfore missing, which amounts to an underestimation of about 0.1-0.5% in total.
Number of persons (one persone one permit of stay).
Not applicable.
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER 2024’.
No national dissemination. Eurostat dissemination yearly (on ESTAT website).
Normally in time.
Data supply to Eurostat is in accordance with the Regulation and the Technical Guidelines, also concerning the timeframe of sending data to Eurostat.
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the first/preliminary data, at the earliest : 120 days
Reasons for possible long production of the first/preliminary data and plans to improve the situation : The tables are produced and send to Eurostat within the mandatory deadlines.
Statistics are comparable between geographical areas within Italy.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables RESPER’.
