Italy Elective Residence Visa for Investors and Retirees (2026)
Italy Elective Residence Visa for Investors and Retirees (2026)
The Italy elective residence visa lets non-EU nationals settle in Italy on stable passive income, such as pensions, annuities, rents or investment returns, without working. There is no investment requirement and no statutory euro figure: the decree ties income to a multiple of an official table. The Paris and New York consulates cite about EUR 31,000 a year, and consulates read the rule differently.
On this page
- What is the Italy elective residence visa?
- Elective residence visa vs the Italy investor visa
- How much income do you need?
- No work, including remote work
- Housing first
- Who can come with you
- How to apply, step by step
- After you arrive
- The long view: EU long-term residence and citizenship
- Tax: the flat tax option
- Five things most guides get wrong
- Frequently asked questions
This guide is general information about the Italian elective residence visa and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Consulate requirements differ and change; check your own consulate’s current page before you prepare a file. Obtain independent professional advice, including from qualified Italian counsel, before making any application or relocation decision.
What is the Italy elective residence visa?
“Residenza Elettiva” is one of Italy’s national (long-stay) visa types, under Interministerial Decree 11 May 2011 n. 850. It is for a foreigner who intends to settle in Italy and can support themselves “senza esercitare alcuna attività lavorativa”, without carrying out any work. It is not an investment programme, not the Italy golden visa (the Investor Visa), and it allows no work in Italy.
“Investors” in the title means people who live on investment income, not people making an investment in Italy. The decree asks for documented guarantees of two things: housing you will elect as your residence, and ample, autonomous, stable and regular resources expected to continue, from pensions, annuities, real estate, stable economic or commercial activities or other sources other than employment.
Elective residence visa vs the Italy investor visa
The two visas are often confused. They answer different questions. For how investment-based programmes compare on cost across Europe, see how much a golden visa costs.
| Elective Residence Visa | Investor Visa (“Italy golden visa”) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Settle on your own passive resources | Invest or donate in Italy |
| Money test | Stable passive income; statute: triple the Table A amount; Paris and New York consulates cite about EUR 31,000 a year | EUR 250,000 to EUR 2m invested, or EUR 1m donated; EUR 1m (EUR 2m for bonds) available funds |
| Work in Italy | Not allowed | Same rights as a self-employment permit |
| Approval | Consulate for your place of residence | MIMIT Committee nulla osta, then consulate |
| Integration agreement | Applies | Exempt for 5 years |
| First permit | As shown on the visa (practice varies) | 2 years, then 3-year renewals |
| Citizenship | 10 years’ legal residence | 10 years’ legal residence |
Summary only. The Investor Visa has no property route and sits outside the annual quotas; full detail in our Italy golden visa guide.
How much income do you need?
What the law actually says
The decree sets the floor as resources “comunque non inferiori al triplo dell’importo annuo” in Table A of the Interior Minister’s directive of 1 March 2000: not less than triple the annual amount in that table. That is the whole statutory rule. EUR 31,000 is not in the law. It is how consulates translate the rule, and they do not all translate it the same way.
What consulates say: Paris, New York, London, Recife
| Consulate | Published figure | How it is applied | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | About EUR 31,000 a year | “Only one of the parameters” and a “starting point”; the visa targets applicants with “very high economic and patrimonial availability” | Up to 90 days to process; applicants must hold French residence |
| New York | “Typically around EUR 31,000 per person” | For family applications, each applicant must show sufficient resources | Means in the applicant’s own name; none from any form of employment |
| London | None published | Lists income sources and documents | UK permit and eVisa code required |
| Recife | None published | Lists income sources and documents | Property owned or leased for at least 1 year |
The same visa, four readings. Build your file for the consulate you will actually apply to.
Which income counts, and which does not
Counts: pensions, annuities, rental income from real estate, investment returns and stable business income that does not depend on your work. Does not count: salary, or any income from work. New York says residence cannot be financed “through any type of work”, and the means must be in the applicant’s own name.
Worked example: a couple with two children
Take a main applicant, a spouse and two minor children.
- Applying in New York: at “typically around EUR 31,000 per person”, four applicants means about EUR 124,000 a year of passive income, in the applicants’ own names, none from work. At the ECB reference rate of 28 September 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1378) that is about USD 141,100.
- Applying in Paris: EUR 31,000 is a “starting point” for applicants with very high means. Paris publishes no family multiplier, so there is no Paris family figure to quote.
- London or Recife: no published figure at all.
Illustration of consular readings, not a legal threshold. The decree sets no euro amount, and each consulate decides on the whole file.
If the family later opts into Italy’s flat tax, the annual amount is EUR 300,000 plus EUR 50,000 per included family member, and it does not replace the income test.
No work, including remote work
The Paris, London and New York consulates all state that the visa does not allow work. That includes remote work for an employer abroad: New York says residence cannot be financed through any type of work, so employment income does not count toward the resources. If you plan to keep a salaried job, this is the wrong visa. Choosing the flat tax later does not change this.
Housing first: the accommodation rule
Your home in Italy must exist before the visa, not after it:
- Paris and London: a registered lease or deed of a property in Italy.
- New York: a purchase or lease in the applicant’s name, registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, for the entire period.
- Recife: ownership or a lease of at least 1 year.
Housing here is a condition of the visa, not an investment route.
Who can come with you
The decree allows an analogous visa for your cohabiting spouse, minor children and cohabiting dependent adult children, if the resources are judged adequate for them too. That is why the New York per-person reading matters so much for families.
How to apply, step by step
- Secure housing with a registered lease or deed.
- Gather proof of resources in your own name, from passive sources.
- Apply at the Italian consulate for your place of residence. Paris requires a French residence permit, London a UK permit and eVisa code, and New York proof of US residence for non-US citizens.
- Enter Italy on the visa.
- Apply for the residence permit within 8 working days at the Questura, through the post-office kit.
- Sign the integration agreement.
- Renew at least 90 days before expiry, on continued proof of resources.
The only processing figure we quote is the Paris consulate’s own: up to 90 days.
After you arrive: permit, integration agreement and renewals
The residence permit is issued for the purpose and length shown on your entry visa. According to Cinformi, the Provincia di Trento’s public information service, the state contribution is EUR 40 for a 1-year permit or EUR 50 for a 2-year permit, on top of EUR 30.46 for the electronic permit card and EUR 30 to post the kit. Under article 5(4) of the Consolidated Immigration Act, in the text in force since June 2026, renewal is requested from the Questura at least 90 days before expiry and is checked against the conditions for issue, so you prove your resources again.
Elective residents must also sign the integration agreement. Under DPR 179/2011 it applies to foreigners over 16 entering for the first time who apply for a permit of at least 1 year: you commit to reach A2 spoken Italian and civic knowledge within 2 years, extendable by 1. The regulation contains no exemption for elective residents. Investor Visa holders, by contrast, are exempt for 5 years.
The long view: EU long-term residence and citizenship
After 5 years on a valid permit, you can apply for the EU long-term residence permit, with income of at least the assegno sociale, suitable housing and an A2 Italian test. Elective residence is not among the excluded permit types. Absences must stay under 6 consecutive months and no more than 10 months in total over the 5 years.
Citizenship takes 10 years of legal residence for non-EU nationals, under Law 91/1992 article 9. The June 2025 referendum to cut it to 5 years failed for lack of quorum. There is no faster route through this visa.
Tax: the flat tax option for new residents
This is a separate tax option, not part of the visa. Elective residents who become Italian tax resident may opt into the flat tax on foreign income if they were not Italian tax resident in 9 of the previous 10 years. For moves from 1 January 2026 it is EUR 300,000 a year, plus EUR 50,000 per included family member, under Law 199/2025. It needs a favourable ruling (interpello) and lasts up to 15 years. The rule sits in TUIR article 24-bis until 31 December 2026 and in article 246 of the consolidated text (Legislative Decree 117/2026) from 1 January 2027, with the same amounts. It does not replace the consulate’s income test.
Malta runs its own tax programme for new residents; see taxes in Malta. And if you want to live in the EU without an investment committee at all, Malta’s property route is a different model: permanent residence through a purchase from EUR 375,000 or a lease from EUR 14,000 a year, plus government fees and a contribution. See the Malta Permanent Residency Programme.
Applying from the US
If you live in the US, you apply at the Italian consulate for your place of residence; New York, for example, asks non-US citizens for proof of US residence. The US has an income tax treaty and a totalization agreement with Italy, but treaties generally do not reduce US tax for US citizens. Confirm your position with a US tax adviser.
Five things most elective residence guides get wrong
- “The law requires EUR 31,000.” It does not. The law requires triple the Table A amount; EUR 31,000 is the figure the Paris and New York consulates publish.
- “You can work remotely.” You cannot. No work of any kind, and employment income does not count toward the resources.
- “EUR 31,000 per family.” New York applies it per person for family applications.
- “Elective residents are exempt from the integration agreement.” They are not. The exemption belongs to the Investor Visa.
- “DPR 394/1999 article 11, letter c-quater, is the legal basis of the visa.” The visa type comes from Decree 850/2011. Letter c-quater covers a separate in-country route for holders of a pension received in Italy.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do I need for the Italy elective residence visa?
The law sets no euro figure: resources must be at least triple the Table A amount of a 2000 Interior Ministry directive. The Paris and New York consulates cite about EUR 31,000 a year. New York applies it per person for families; Paris calls it a starting point. Other consulates publish no figure.
Can I work remotely on an elective residence visa?
No. The visa allows no work of any kind. The New York consulate says residence cannot be financed through any type of work, so remote employment income does not count toward your resources.
Is the elective residence visa the same as the Italy golden visa?
No. The Italy golden visa is the Investor Visa: an investment or donation, approved by the MIMIT Committee. The elective residence visa involves no investment and rests on passive income alone.
Do I need to buy or rent a home before applying?
Yes. You need a registered lease or deed before the visa is issued. Details vary by consulate; New York asks for a lease or purchase in your name, registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, for the whole period.
Can my family come with me?
Your cohabiting spouse, minor children and cohabiting dependent adult children can get an analogous visa, if your resources are judged adequate for them too.
Does elective residence lead to Italian citizenship?
Only through ordinary naturalisation after 10 years of legal residence. EU long-term residence is available after 5 years on a valid permit, with income, housing and an A2 Italian test.
Do I have to learn Italian?
Yes. Elective residents sign the integration agreement and commit to A2 spoken Italian and civic knowledge within 2 years. The regulation has no exemption for them, unlike the Investor Visa’s 5-year exemption.
The bottom line
The Italy elective residence visa is for people who can live in Italy on their own passive income and do not need to work. There is no investment, no committee and no fixed euro figure in the law, just a consular judgement on stable resources, which Paris and New York put at about EUR 31,000 a year, per person in New York. Secure the housing first, build the income file for your own consulate, and plan for the integration agreement. If you would rather invest than prove income, the Investor Visa is the other door. For a family-specific view, the Aegir Global team can help, and advisory fees are quoted per engagement.
