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THE CITIZENSHIP DESK

Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori)

Italy ITA

Last verified 2026-07-26Official source

Italy's Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori) is a golden-visa route giving non-EU nationals residency in exchange for one of four qualifying investments: EUR 250,000 in an Italian innovative startup, EUR 500,000 in an established Italian company, EUR 2,000,000 in government bonds, or a EUR 1,000,000 philanthropic donation.

Beyond the capital, realistic costs run about USD 20,000-45,000 in the first year, and the process, gated by a Nulla Osta clearance and proof of lawful funds, takes roughly three months of application time. Family is included at no additional investment. Permanent residency is available after 5 years (with a language test) and citizenship after 10 years (B1 Italian); dual citizenship is allowed. Holders must reside in Italy and maintain the investment throughout.

Residents are taxed on worldwide income, but the optional New Residents flat tax substitutes a fixed annual charge on all foreign-source income, EUR 300,000 per year for new entrants from 1 January 2026 (up from EUR 200,000 for 10 Aug 2024–31 Dec 2025 elections and EUR 100,000 before that; earlier beneficiaries keep their entry rate) plus EUR 50,000 per family member (EUR 25,000 for pre-2026 elections), for those non-resident 9 of the prior 10 years.

Program Details

Category
Investment
Processing Time
3 months
Application Fee
$130
Minimum Income
—
Minimum Investment
$270,000
Family Included
Spouse and dependent children may be included as family members at no additional investment requirement
Path to PR
Yes — 5 years
Path to Citizenship
Yes — 10 years
Physical Presence
Must reside in Italy for the duration of the visa; investment must be maintained throughout the residency period
Dual Citizenship
Allowed
Tax Impact
Residency triggers Italian tax obligations; the Neo-Residenti flat substitute tax on all foreign-source income (€300,000/year for elections from 1 January 2026, grandfathered at €200,000 or €100,000 for earlier entrants) is particularly advantageous for high-net-worth investors and may be combined with family members at €50,000 each per year (€25,000 for pre-2026 elections)
Renewal Cost
$130

Application Timeline

Apply

3mo processing

Visa Granted

Initial permit

Permanent Residency

After 5 years

Citizenship

After 10 years

Key Requirements

  • ✓One of the qualifying investments: €250,000 in an Italian innovative startup, €500,000 in an Italian company, €2,000,000 in Italian government bonds, or €1,000,000 philanthropic donation
  • ✓Nulla Osta (clearance certificate) from the Italian Ministry of Economic Development
  • ✓Proof of source of funds and legitimate origin of investment capital
  • ✓Clean criminal record
  • ✓Valid health insurance for Italy
  • ✓Proof of accommodation in Italy

Am I eligible for Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori)?

Quick self-check based on the published criteria. Not legal advice. No data leaves your browser.

  • Nationality eligibility

    Select your nationality to check.

  • Minimum investment / capital

    Programme requires $270,000.

Fill in the fields above to see a verdict.

This is a heuristic, not a determination. Final eligibility depends on full documentation and immigration-officer discretion.

Nationality Restrictions

This program restricts applications from nationals of: EU/EEA nationals do not require this visa

Application Process — Step by Step

  1. 01

    Submit Nulla Osta (pre-approval) via invitalia.it

    online

    Online dossier: business plan OR philanthropy proposal OR share-purchase agreement. Committee reviews in ~30 days.

    Typical duration: 4-8 weekssource ↗

  2. 02

    Apply for entry visa at consulate

    home country

    Once Nulla Osta issued (valid 6 months), apply for 2-year investor visa at Italian consulate in country of residence.

    Typical duration: 2-4 weeks

  3. 03

    Transfer investment within 3 months of arrival

    destination

    Must deploy €250k (startup), €500k (operating Italian company), €1M (philanthropy), or €2M (Italian govt bonds).

    Typical duration: 4-12 weeks

  4. 04

    Apply for permesso di soggiorno within 8 days

    destination

    At Questura — 2-year residence permit.

    Typical duration: 6-12 weeks

Documents Required

DocumentIssued ByApostilleTranslate toValidity (days)
Valid passportHome countryNo—180
Nulla Osta certificateMISE committeeNo—180
Proof of investment funds (traceable origin)BankYesit90
Investment vehicle documents (SPA, donation agreement, bond purchase)Legal counselNoit90
Health insurance €30k+ EU-validInsurerNoit90

Realistic Costs

Some figures below are industry estimates rather than officially verified: lawyer_fee_low, lawyer_fee_high, total_first_year_low, total_first_year_high.

Government fee
$230
Lawyer fee (low–high)
$8,000
–
$25,000
Translations
$800
Apostilles
$300
Health insurance (year 1)
$1,200
Relocation misc.
$8,000
Total first year
$20,000
–
$45,000
Total 5-year
$30,000
–
$75,000

Excludes the €250k-€2M investment itself.

Realistic Timeline

  • Consulate wait2–8 weeks
  • Decision → arrival4 weeks
  • Residence card issuance8 weeks
  • Total to residence card16–36 weeks

Nulla Osta committee meets monthly; overall 6-9 month typical end-to-end.

Renewal

First renewal after
24 months
Subsequent cycle
36 months
Renewal fee
$230
Requirements
Continued investment + tax compliance. After 5 years can apply for long-term residence; after 10 years citizenship.

Path to Permanent Residency — Details

Years required
5
Language test
Required
Integration test
Not required

Path to Citizenship — Details

Years required
10
Language test
Yes (B1)
Civic test
Not required
Oath
Required
Dual citizenship
Allowed

Tax Residency

Trigger
183 days/year of presence
Taxation scope
Worldwide income
Exit-tax country
No

Special regimes

Health Insurance

Mandatory
No

Banking Setup

Open account before arrival
Not typically possible before arrival

Family Specifics

Spouse work rights
Child school enrolment
Parent inclusion
Not eligible
Sibling inclusion
Not eligible

Gotchas — Things to Watch For

  • ⚠€300k/yr flat tax for NEW applicants from 1 January 2026 (up from €200k for 10 Aug 2024–31 Dec 2025 entrants, and €100k before that) — existing beneficiaries keep the rate they entered at
  • ⚠Startup route (€250k) requires innovative start-up status (iscritta sezione speciale del registro imprese) — not every new company qualifies
  • ⚠Family flat-tax add-on is €50k/yr per dependent for entrants from 1 January 2026 (doubled from €25k, which still applies to earlier grandfathered elections)

What This Visa Does NOT Allow

  • ×The qualifying investment must be maintained throughout the residency period — withdrawing or reducing it ends eligibility
  • ×Working in Italy without separate work authorisation
  • ×Long-term residence in other EU or Schengen states beyond permitted short stays without separate authorisation

Before You Arrive — Checklist

  1. Nulla Osta application
  2. Select qualifying investment
  3. Tax advisor on Italy-specific entry planning

After You Arrive — Checklist

  1. Codice Fiscale
  2. Permesso di soggiorno application within 8 days
  3. Investment deployment within 3 months
  4. Optional: SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) registration

Common Rejection Reasons

  • •Source-of-funds gaps
  • •Investment vehicle doesn't meet qualifying criteria
  • •Business plan deemed non-viable (startup route)

Recent Legislative Changes

  • 2026-01-01

    Budget Law 2026 (Legge di Bilancio 2026, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 30 December 2025) raised the Art. 24-bis annual flat substitute tax from €200,000 to €300,000, and the per-family-member surcharge from €25,000 to €50,000, for individuals who transfer their tax residence to Italy from 1 January 2026. Those who transferred residence by 31 December 2025 keep their €200,000 (or grandfathered €100,000) rate, and the €25,000 family surcharge, for the life of the election.source ↗

  • 2024-08-10

    Legge di bilancio amendment — HNWI flat tax raised from €100,000 to €200,000 per year for new regime entrants from 10 August 2024. Existing beneficiaries grandfathered at €100,000.source ↗

Last known legislative update for this programme: 2026-01-01.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Italy Investor Visa similar to the Portugal Golden Visa?+

Conceptually yes — both grant residence in exchange for qualifying investment. Differences: Italy has a higher philanthropy/bonds threshold (€1M-€2M vs none for Portugal), Italy taxes worldwide income as tax resident unless you elect the flat-tax regime, and Italy's citizenship path is 10 years (Portugal 5 years). Portugal removed real-estate from its programme in October 2023.

Good Fit For

Investor Residency & Citizenship

Applying from a specific country? Your home-country tax rules, banking access, and dual-citizenship options affect every programme differently. Browse nationality guides → for tax obligations, renunciation rules, and second-passport routes.

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Sources & last verified

investmentgolden-visaeuropeschengenstartupflat-tax
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