Destinations
Italy
Italy’s Investor Visa opens EU residence from 250,000 EUR in an innovative startup — or 500,000 EUR in a company, 2 million in government bonds, or a 1 million philanthropic donation — with no minimum-stay rule and an optional flat tax for new residents. The thing to be clear about: this is residence, not a passport; citizenship needs ten years of genuine residence, and Italy otherwise taxes worldwide income up to 43%.
Key facts
- From
- €250 000≈ $360 450 — estimated total, family of four, fees included
- Processing time
- 2–5 months
- Physical presence
- There is no minimum-stay rule to keep the permit, but the investment must be made within three months of entry and held throughout. Naturalisation, by contrast, requires ten years of genuine legal residence.
Tax at a glance
- Tax-residents are taxed on worldwide income, up to 43% plus local surcharges
- New residents can opt into a flat tax of 200,000 EUR per year on all foreign income
- VAT (IVA) standard rate is 22%
- The Investor Visa gives residence, not citizenship — naturalisation takes ten years
- Holding the permit does not by itself make you tax-resident
Frequently asked questions
Does the Investor Visa give an Italian passport?
No. It grants residence. Italian citizenship requires ten years of genuine legal residence — one of the longest naturalisation periods in the EU — so treat this as a residence route, not a passport.
What is the cheapest option?
250,000 EUR invested in an innovative Italian startup. The other routes are 500,000 EUR in a company, 2 million EUR in government bonds, or a non-refundable 1 million EUR philanthropic donation.
Will Italy tax my worldwide income?
If you become tax-resident, yes, at rates up to 43% — though new residents can elect a flat tax of 200,000 EUR per year on all foreign income. Holding the visa does not by itself make you tax-resident, and it does not remove obligations to a country that taxes on citizenship, such as the United States.