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Gia-Gina Across the Pond

So I've decided to follow my husband to his native Italy. Follow our adventures as we eat, drink, travel, adapt to and explore this remarkable country. Part food blog, part photo blog but mostly my rants and raves. After our two years in Italy, we relocated across the Atlantic "pond" and are back in the States.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Carta d'Indentita'

After over a year and 3 months, I have finally received my residence card. I am now a resident of Torino and entitled to all resident benefits. The main reason I wanted to get my residence card was so that I did not have to carry my passport around with me as a valid form of identification. Once in a while I would get nightmares about my purse being stolen or more likely, me misplacing it and having to go through all the red tape that comes with getting it replaced. I also don’t have to carry my permesso around with me anymore, although I have copies of both my passport and my permesso with me at all times. Those Italians sure love paper!

The nest step is for me to use my residence card to apply for a drivers’ license. I have heard quite a few hairy stories about the written test but I think I will be fine during the driven part. Funny but the drivers’ licenses here in Italy are NOT a valid form of identification and only get renewed something like every 10 years or so. Wish me luck!

Strange that Italian government expects you to keep this piece of paper on you at all times but they will not let you laminate it. The old cartas used regular staples to affix the photo and this was easily falsified. Nowadays they use a more secure system to fasten your photo.

So glad this bit of red tape is out of the way. When and if we move to Rome I get to start all over again.

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8 Comments:

At 6:02 AM, Blogger Eulinx said...

You can't laminate it? I know a lot of people who do! I personally use a "proteggi documenti", they sell it in tabaccherie for a few cents.
Anyway, congratulations on your new italian ID and residence!

 
At 2:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I took the oral driver's license test instead of the written. It was a breeze. I don't know about the written one, but I'm sure if you study you'll do fine.

 
At 3:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congrats!

Paz

 
At 2:00 AM, Blogger Cynthia Rae said...

Congrats Gina! Mine wasn't laminated, but they put into a nice plastic covering to keep it protected. Perhaps just a benefit of living in a small town. You tell those keep bast**ds in Torino to give you the plastic cover, or else we will strike!!!!

Maybe I have been living here too long! hehehehehe!
Cyn

 
At 4:31 AM, Blogger Piccola said...

Grats~

 
At 5:59 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

So the obvious answer to this, my dear, is DO NOT MOVE TO ROME!!

he he!! I will miss you if you go......
congrats on the bellissima carta d'identita'!!!

 
At 8:57 AM, Blogger Sara said...

Wow. Is sure took long enough! And we here in the US complain about red tape!

 
At 10:53 AM, Blogger midnightbunny said...

Congratulations. :)

 

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