How to renew an Italy resident permit in the 21st century
The internet by now is ubiquitous even in Italy, which is known to be behind when it comes to digital service adaptation among advanced industrial country. Many government services are trying to improve by moving many operations on-line, to renew ¡°permesso di soggiorno¡± (sojourn¡¯s permit) is one of them. However, sometimes these ¡°improvement¡± can be so counterproductive and ill-conceived it often leaves the user in astonishment.
Defying logic
The Questura (Police Prefect) of Caserta, Immigration Office allows the renewal of sojourn¡¯s permit only to be booked on-line on their web site. The web site unfortunately is only open twice a week! On Tuesday from 9:00 to 10:00 for electronic permesso di soggiorno, and on Thursday from 9:00 to 10:00 for paper permesso di soggiorno and Europea Union card.
The web site is only open two hours a week to making appointments
When you attempt to use the web site to make your appointment starting at
its opening hour, you will be testing your patience against the system for
the next 60 minutes. Usually the system is overloaded so it is not possible
to make an appointment and then you find the system closed. For one person I
know, it took her at least three attempts over three weeks before finally
getting an appointment for six months later.
First of many attempts to make an on-line appointment
Sometimes, you may get lucky by trying to book your appointment just few minutes before the end of the opening hour and squeeze in an appointment.
Cannot make the appointment, try again.
This is a baby step into bringing government bureaucracy into the on-line world in the year 2019, and severak steps back in practicality.
After 3 weeks, finally an appointment for 6 months later.