MaltaResidency
- Min. investment
- €375,000+routes from €99,000
- Time to approval
- 6–8 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Residency by Investment
Italy Golden Visa
EU residence with approval before you invest: Italy's investor visa — the Italian golden visa — starts at €250,000 with no stay requirement.
Time to residency
3–6 months
Minimum investment
€250,000+
Figures as of October 2026, per the official program source — confirmed on application.
Program Overview
About the Italy program
In brief
The Italy program is a residency-by-investment program that grants the right to live in Italy. The minimum qualifying investment is €250,000+, and approvals typically take 3–6 months. It requires no residence or relocation. Figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant.
Italy's investor visa is unusual in that approval comes first: the Nulla Osta is granted before any funds are committed, so you know the route is approved before you invest; the visa and residence permit are then issued as separate steps.
Routes range from a €250,000 innovative-startup investment to government bonds, and new residents may be eligible for Italy's flat-tax regime.
Presence requirement
No minimum stay to keep the permit
Document validity
2-year permit, renewable in 3-year increments
Dual nationality
Italy permits dual citizenship if you later naturalize
Program Finder
Plan Italy for your family
Estimate the total cost with every government fee, check who in your family can be included, get the document checklist for everyone applying, and see how Italy ranks against the other 17 programs.
What Italy's Investor Visa unlocks
A two-year national visa and residence permit against a qualifying investment, renewable for three more. What it changes from day one:
- Two years, then threeThe investor permit runs two years and renews for three while the investment is maintained — with EU long-term residence available after five.
- Schengen mobilityVisa-free movement across the Schengen Area, 90 days in any 180, on an Italian residence permit.
- Work and do businessThe permit allows you to work and run businesses in Italy alongside the qualifying investment.
- The flat-tax optionNew tax residents can elect Italy's substitute flat tax on foreign income — €200,000 a year under the 2024 rules — subject to advice on your circumstances.
- Family reunificationSpouse, minor children, and dependent parents can join under Italy's family-reunification rules with their own permits.
- Citizenship is a ten-year roadNaturalization requires ten years of genuine, registered, continuous residence — the visa starts the road; living in Italy walks it.
Capabilities follow from the status itself — citizenship or residence as the program grants it; specifics are confirmed during your assessment.
Investment Pathways
Innovative Startup Investment
From €250,000
Investment in an Italian innovative startup.
Held for the duration of the permit
Italian Company Shares
From €500,000
Investment in an established Italian limited company.
Held for the duration of the permit
Government Bonds
From €2,000,000
Purchase of Italian government bonds.
Held for the duration of the permit
Philanthropic Donation
From €1,000,000
A donation to an Italian public-interest project in culture, education, research, or heritage.
Explore your route
From (indicative)
$291,000
Capital treatment
Held for the duration of the permit
Investment in an Italian innovative startup.
Who comes with you
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Dependent children
- Dependent parents
Family additions are quoted individually — request your exact figure
Application Timeline
Government processing time
The Italy authorities publish a processing time for complete files — the numbered stages below show where those months go. Here is the figure to plan around.
3–6 months
Official processing time, complete files
Plan around the top of the range — 6 months end to end leaves room for queries without changing your plans.
Your dates
Complete files are typically processed in 3–6 months.
Based on the officially published range — last re-verified October 2026. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
- 1
Months 1–2
Nulla Osta pre-approval
Online application to the Investor Visa Committee; approval before any funds are committed.
- 2
Months 2–3
Investor visa
Two-year investor visa issued by the Italian consulate.
- 3
Months 3–5
Entry & investment
Entry to Italy and completion of the investment within three months.
- 4
Months 5–6
Residence permit
Two-year residence permit issued, renewable while the investment is maintained.
Requirements
- Qualifying investment completed within three months of entry
- Clean criminal record
- Proof of the legal source of investment funds
- Valid health insurance covering Italy
Family Eligibility
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Dependent children
- Dependent parents
Required documents
The standard checklist for a single applicant. Get the checklist for your whole family in the Program Finder.
- Nulla osta application Main applicant
- Passport Every applicant
- Proof of financial resources Main applicant
- Criminal record documentation Main applicant
- Visa & arrival file Main applicant
- Family reunification papers Dependants
Exact formats — apostille or legalization, sworn translation, issue dates — vary by your country of origin and are confirmed document-by-document during your engagement.
What to Weigh
Honest advice includes the trade-offs. Before committing to the Italy program, consider:
- The €250,000 startup route carries genuine venture risk — invest in the business case, not just the visa.
- Italy taxes worldwide income for genuine residents; the flat-tax regime for new residents needs advance planning.
- Citizenship by naturalization requires ten years of genuine residence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Italy's process lower-risk than others?
Approval comes first: the Nulla Osta certificate is issued before you commit any funds. You invest only after the Nulla Osta is issued; the visa and residence permit follow as separate steps.
What is the flat-tax regime?
New tax residents can opt to pay a fixed annual substitute tax on foreign income for up to fifteen years. It suits high-income families genuinely relocating; we coordinate with Italian tax counsel.
Which investment route is most popular?
The €500,000 company route for families prioritizing stability, and the €250,000 startup route for cost-conscious applicants comfortable with venture risk.
Regulatory framework
Legislative Decree 286/1998, Article 26-bis
Consolidated Immigration Act (Testo Unico Immigrazione)
Investor visa operative since 2017
Inserted by Law 232/2016 (2017 Budget Law), art. 1(148) — implementing decree of 21 July 2017
Article 26-bis grants non-EU nationals a two-year national visa and residence permit — renewable for three more — against a qualifying investment completed within three months of entry and maintained throughout: €2,000,000 in government bonds, €500,000 in an Italian company, €250,000 in an innovative startup, or a €1,000,000 philanthropic donation.
View the law (opens in a new tab)Official statute text — normattiva.it
Sources & verification
Program terms are set by the issuing government and may change without notice — figures last re-verified against the official source in October 2026. Investment figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant; fees, due diligence, and family additions are quoted individually. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
Alternatives
Related Programs
Families often weigh this program against these alternatives.
PortugalResidency
- Min. investment
- €500,000+routes from €250,000
- Time to approval
- 10–14 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
GreeceResidency
- Min. investment
- €400,000+routes from €250,000
- Time to approval
- 3–6 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Is Italy right for your family?
A private assessment covers eligibility, total cost, and timeline for your situation — and says so if another route fits better.