How to Apply for Asylum in Italy as a Nigerian

Check whether you need international protection rather than another permit

International protection is for a person who cannot return to Nigeria because of a well-founded fear of persecution or a real risk of serious harm and cannot obtain effective protection there. Italy can recognise refugee status or subsidiary protection when the relevant legal test is met.

An expired student permit, loss of work, inability to pay fees or wish to remain with relatives does not create an asylum claim by itself. If the actual problem is a residence permit, use the legal-stay guide. If the actual problem is danger on return, explain the complete true facts to a qualified adviser.

Antarch Consulting does not decide whether a person qualifies, select events for the account or tell anyone what to say. The Police and Territorial Commission must receive the applicant’s own truthful information.

Tell the Border Police or the Questura that you want protection

A person arriving in Italy can express the wish to apply to the Border Police. A person already in Italy can go to the Immigration Office of the Questura for the place where they are staying. The request may be expressed orally or in writing, in the person’s own language, with free interpretation where needed.

There is no general deadline for first expressing the request, but official guidance recommends doing it as soon as possible. A person in prison or a pre-removal centre can still state that they want international protection.

Give an address, telephone number and email that can be used. Record when and where the request was made. Keep every appointment paper. If access is delayed, obtain help from UNHCR, a local protection service or an Italian lawyer and preserve evidence of the attempts.

Attend registration and lodging and provide the information requested

Since 12 June 2026, new EU asylum rules apply. Italy’s current official brochure states that until 31 October 2026 the application is registered and lodged at Police Headquarters or a Border Police station at the communicated date and time. Attend the appointment. Failure to lodge without a reason outside your control can cause the application to be treated as withdrawn.

The authorities record personal details, family members, languages, contact details, travel and earlier protection applications. They take a photograph and fingerprints under the current Eurodac rules. They ask for identity, travel and other relevant documents and for the reasons protection is requested.

Show a passport or identity document if you have one. If you do not have it, explain why. Do not destroy or hide an identity document. Tell the officer about pregnancy, disability, illness, trauma, trafficking, sexual or domestic violence, interpretation needs or another vulnerability that may require support.

After registration and lodging, the applicant receives an official document confirming the application. Keep the original safe, carry it as instructed and retain copies. The official document and later police permit or receipt determine the person’s recorded status, not an agent’s message.

Explain family links, visas, residence and earlier entry in Europe

An applicant cannot simply choose which European country examines the application. The authorities check responsibility under the current EU Asylum and Migration Management Regulation.

Tell them immediately about a spouse, minor child or other family member in another EU+ country, any European visa or residence document, earlier entry into Europe, an earlier asylum application and any qualification issued by another EU+ country. The exact family relationship and status may affect responsibility.

Do not leave Italy or attempt to start the same application in another participating country without legal advice and official permission. Fingerprints and application information are checked through European systems.

Use the Territorial Commission interview to give your own complete account

The Territorial Commission sends an invitation for a personal interview after lodging and any responsibility or admissibility stage. Each adult is normally interviewed separately. The interview is in person unless an exceptional arrangement applies and is audio recorded under the current procedure.

Explain what happened, who caused the harm, why protection was not available in Nigeria and what you believe would happen on return. Separate what you experienced from what another person told you. If you cannot remember an exact date, say so and explain what helps you place the event.

Free interpretation is available. Say immediately if you do not understand the interpreter, the dialect is wrong or a question is unclear. You may ask for a male or female interviewer or interpreter where that would help you speak fully, subject to availability.

Attend on time. If a serious reason prevents attendance, inform the authority immediately and provide the evidence requested. Missing the interview or refusing to answer without a justified reason can cause the procedure to be stopped or the application to be treated as withdrawn.

Submit genuine personal evidence as soon as possible

Relevant material can include passports, family records, employment or membership records, court or police documents, medical or psychological reports, photographs, messages and witness information. The value depends on how the item supports a fact in the individual account.

Keep original files, full message threads, dates and context. Do not alter a Nigerian police record, medical report, photograph or translation. Do not buy a ready-made story or submit a document merely because another applicant used it.

Where it is safe, obtain missing documents through a trusted person. If contacting an authority or relative in Nigeria could create danger, tell the lawyer or protection adviser before making contact. Submit later evidence through the channel and by the deadline the Police or Commission gives you.

Keep the authorities able to reach you and follow every instruction

An applicant generally has the right to remain in the responsible country while the application is examined and may qualify for reception support. Interpretation and free legal counselling about the procedure are available. A lawyer can assist, but a person does not need a lawyer simply to express the first request.

Stay reachable. Report a change of address, telephone number, email or lawyer through the stated official channel. Attend Police and Commission appointments. Keep the original notice and proof of any communication.

Do not assume that an asylum document permits every type of work or travel. Check the wording and current official instructions before working, leaving Italy or travelling to another country.

Read the complete written decision and protect any appeal period

The applicant receives a written decision, personally, electronically, by post or through the legal adviser. A positive decision identifies the status granted and the residence document to obtain. A negative decision explains the reasons and may include a return decision.

If the decision is negative, send every page and proof of notification to an Italian asylum lawyer immediately. The appeal must be filed within the specific period that applies to the procedure and is stated in the decision. Some procedures do not receive automatic suspension of removal.

Do not wait for Antarch Consulting to obtain or legalize a Nigerian document before protecting the deadline. The separate refusal guide explains what to organise for the lawyer.