Habitual Residence
Plain English
It's the place where you usually live, as a matter of daily fact. It\'s the practical test behind residenza. To be registered in the anagrafe at an address, you have to actually live there most of the time.
Why it matters
Local officers (vigili) sometimes check whether you really live at the address you registered. If you don\'t, the comune can cancel your residenza, which then affects your ID card, tax breaks, and more.
Real example
"After registering a new address in Manduria, Aleksei left the country for several months. When a vigile rang twice without anyone home, his residenza was put under review."
Common confusion
Domicilio is where you officially receive mail. Dimora abituale is where you actually live. Residenza requires both to line up at the same address.
Official source
Ministero dell'Interno