Italy — immigration
Italy: visa options for individuals
Which visas are available if you are not sponsored by a company?
Elective Residence Visa (ERV)
This visa is for those who want to live in Italy without working. ERV requires the applicant to show a minimum passive income (i.e. not deriving from work or salary) of not less than € 31,000/year and to have a suitable accommodation.
Investors’ Visa
The Investors’ Visa can be obtained by: (i) purchasing € two million in Italian government bonds (to be kept for a period of at least two years); or (ii) investing € 500,000 in a company or € 250,000 in a “innovative start-up”; or (iii) donating € one million in philanthropic projects of public interest.
Enterpreneur Visa
Entrepreneurs intending to implement an investment plan of interest for the Italian economy, involving an investment of at least € 500.000 and creating at least 3 new jobs in Italy. The application is to be filed directly with the Italian Consulate having jurisdiction over the applicant’s country of residence.
Create your own “start-up” company
Tis visa is for non-EU nationals intending to set up an innovative start-up business. The applicant must prove the availability of at least € 50,000 to be used for the sole purpose of establishing and operating the start-up (ii) submit a detailed business plan.
Start your own business
If you do not qualify for a start-up visa but you still intend to carry out some activities in Italy, you can register an ordinary company. With few exceptions, Italy allows foreigners to register a new company entirely owned by foreign individuals or companies. A self-employee visa as company’s director can however be obtained only when a company has been in activity for at least 3 years and issuance is subject to quotas.
Self-employee visas
his visa can be applied for by individuals who are freelance. The issuance of the visa is subject to Italy’s quota-system, fixed annually and not all self-employment categories are available each year.
Favourable flat-tax regime for new residents
Individuals transferring their tax residency in Italy can apply for a special yearly flat tax of € 100,000. To qualify for the option the applicant must not have been resident in Italy for at least nine tax years during the previous 10 years.
- € 100,000 Flat tax — Individuals — Personal Income Tax — Irpef — Benefits for transferees of residence to Italy — Agenzia delle Entrate (agenziaentrate.gov.it)
- Guidelines and tax incentives — f4a91a80–8ed0–92a5–0186–424a9013bfc3 (agenziaentrate.gov.it)
Special regime for foreign retirees (7% tax)
Foreign retirees who move their fiscal residence from abroad in the small Municipalities of Southern Italy (Sicily, Calabria, Sardinia, Campania, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia) with population not exceeding 20 thousand inhabitants, can benefit from a substitute tax of 7% to be applied to any category of income produced abroad. The option is valid for 5 years.
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