IS ITALY THE NEXT COUNTRY TO OFFER THE GOLDEN VISA?

Unfortunately, at the moment, Italy does not offer a golden visa scheme for real estate investors.

Permanent residency in Italy is available. However, candidates must have a minimum yearly income of €100,000. If the applicant is making a substantial property investment, this threshold is decreased to €35,000. The sum is not specified, but we believe it is in the range of €300,000 – €500,000.

The Italian residency scheme is very different from the Golden Visa programs of Portugal and Spain, as well as the Citizenship by Investment programs of Malta and Cyprus. There is no obligation to dwell and become a tax resident in certain European nations, no minimum stay, and clearly stated program regulations.
Italy introduced a new program known as the “Investor Visa for Italy” in 2017. This project is intended for non-EU nationals who want to invest or contribute to Italy. The bare minimum can be either:

  • €2,000,000 invested in government bonds
  • €1,000,000 loan to a limited Italian company,
  • €1,000,000 philanthropic donation
  • €500,000 invested into an innovative start-up