It is an assessment made by the Directorate-General for Immigration of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
It is used to understand whether the pathway of the unaccompanied foreign minor in Italy has been positive, for example:
if the person has attended school;
if they have attended training courses or worked (internship, apprenticeship);
if they have respected the rules of the reception community;
if they have respected Italian law;
if they have participated in the social life of the territory.
When a person turns 18, the residence permit for minors is no longer valid.
To remain in Italy, it is necessary to obtain another residence permit.
The new permit can be, for example, for:
employment;
study;
awaiting employment (Faq-what-rights-do-people-have-who-are-waiting-for-the-renewal-or-granting-of-a-residence-permit/).
The opinion of the Directorate helps the Questura (Police Headquarters) decide whether to issue the new permit.
A positive opinion is a favourable recommendation to the Questura: the Directorate states that the pathway has been good.
The Questura is therefore more inclined to issue a residence permit for study, work or awaiting employment.
A negative opinion means that the Directorate does not assess the pathway positively.
Please note:
a negative opinion does not automatically mean that the permit cannot be issued;
however, the Questura will examine the situation more carefully and may refuse the application.
According to Italian law, the Questura must always evaluate the whole personal situation, even if the opinion is negative.
If the Questura refuses the conversion, it is possible to file an appeal.
The appeal asks a judge to review the decision.
Important to know about the appeal:
it must be submitted within 60 days from the refusal;
it is important to contact a lawyer (Consult the map of legal help desks on Juma);
during the appeal new documents can be submitted, for example:
a new study course;
a recently started job;
personal information not previously considered.
Not all unaccompanied foreign minors must request the opinion of the Directorate.
The law provides some cases in which the opinion is not necessary.
Who does not need to request it?
Those with a long and documented integration pathway
The opinion is not required for those who:
have lived in Italy for at least 3 years;
have followed an integration pathway of at least 2 years
(school attendance, training courses, internships, regular work).
Those entrusted to relatives
The opinion is not required for minors entrusted to relatives up to the fourth degree (for example uncles, grandparents, cousins).
Those who already have a decision from the Juvenile Court
The opinion is not required for those who already have an administrative extension decided by the Juvenile Court (faq-what-is-prosieguo-amministrativo-continuation-of-administrative-status).
Those who already hold another type of residence permit
The opinion is not required for those who already have a permit for:
international protection request;
asylum;
subsidiary protection;
special protection;
special cases.
To request the opinion, the following documents are required:
copy of passport or identity certificate;
copy of residence permit;
copy of the Juvenile Court decree;
a detailed report from Social Services.
The law provides that the Directorate must respond within 2 months from receipt of the complete request.
Before Law 50/2023, if the Directorate did not respond within 2 months, silence meant consent.
Now:
silence-consent no longer exists;
the Questura must wait for the written opinion;
without the opinion, the permit cannot be issued.
What if the opinion does not arrive within two months?
Delays may depend on:
Reasons linked to the application
missing documents;
need for further information on the integration pathway.
Organisational reasons
increase in applications after Law 50/2023.
send reminders via PEC through the tutor or social worker;
if the delay is very long, file an appeal to the TAR with a lawyer.
The SIM, active from 1 July 2025, is the new national information system that collects and updates digitally all the information on Unaccompanied Foreign Minors present in Italy.
The system was introduced to make procedures simpler and faster and to ensure stronger protection of minors’ rights, improving cooperation between services, communities and the competent authorities.
To read the official instructions of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, you can find everything here:
https://www.lavoro.gov.it/temi-e-priorita/immigrazione/focus-on/minori-stranieri/pagine/sim-sistema-informativo-minori
How does SIM help in the request for the opinion for the residence permit?
SIM allows the request for the opinion to be sent directly online and to keep track of the status of the procedure. Thanks to this digital method, the request becomes quicker and simpler, the procedure is traceable (you can check if it has been received, is being processed, or has been completed), and the time and the risk of loss of paper documents are reduced.
Who can submit the request for the opinion through SIM:
the person concerned (that is, the young adult who was an unaccompanied minor),
social workers, operators of the reception community, tutors or lawyers.
What must be done:
Access SIM as a “private subject” through SPID or CIE, from the official portal. Select the function “request for opinion” (provided for the conversion of the residence permit upon reaching the age of majority).
Attach the necessary documents and the information required on the pathway of social and educational integration.
You can find more information here: https://integrazionemigranti.gov.it/en-gb/
