Does Italy have a golden visa?

Yes! Italy has a Golden Visa, also known as the Investor Visa. The Italian Investor Visa is a type of visa that enables foreign nationals to gain long-term residency in Italy by making a significant investment or donation. The program was introduced by the Italian Government with the financial law in 2017. This Visa is valid for two years and can be renewed for three years. As long as the investment is maintained, the investor is eligible to renew their visa every five years for consecutive five-year periods. Both the applicant and their family members are eligible for the Italian Investor Visa.

What are the benefits offered by the Italian Golden Visa?

Like many Golden Visa programs, the Italian Golden Visa provides the right to live, work, and study in Italy. The country boasts a vibrant culture, appealing industries, stunning scenery, and delectable cuisine. The Investor Visa will provide the main applicant and family visa-free travel within Europe’s Schengen Area for 90 days within each 180-day period.

What are the investment options?

The investments are selected strategically and designed to improve Italy’s economy and society. There are 4 investment options to qualify for the Italian Golden Visa.

250,000 € in an Italian innovative startup;
500,000 € in an Italian limited company or shares of a publicly listed company, operating in Italy that has published a minimum of one annual financial statement;
1,000,000 € donation in an Italian philanthropic initiative, supporting a public project in culture, education, immigration management, scientific research, and recovery of cultural and landscape assets;
2 million € in Italian Government bonds.

Which family members can benefit?

The Italian Golden Visa allows the main applicant to include their spouse, minor children (including spouse’s children from previous marriages), children over 18 (only if dependent), and parents (only if dependent).

Does the Italian Golden Visa program lead to permanent residency and/or citizenship?

After maintaining continuous residency in Italy with a minimum of 183 days per year, the holder of an Italian Golden Visa can obtain permanent residency status in as little as 5 years. This is the same for any other residency scheme in Italy. As for citizenship, the Golden Visa holder must reside in Italian territory for at least 10 years.

What factors should you be aware of prior to submitting your application?

Selecting the investment type is not sufficient when applying for the Investor Visa. It is crucial to choose a specific investment, such as a limited company or innovative startup, before commencing the application process and obtaining the certificate of no impediment. The Italian Golden Visa is the sole program of its kind that provides the applicant with approval before carrying out the investment. Upon arriving in Italy, the applicant must execute the investment within three months.

How do you apply for the Italian Golden Visa?

To obtain your investor visa, you must obtain a "Nulla Osta" or a certificate of no impediment from the Investor Visa for Italy Committee (IV4I) through their portal. Once you have obtained this certificate, you can then apply for a two-year investor visa at the Italian consulate in your country of residence and then travel to Italy to execute the investment and obtain the residence permit.

There are 6 phases for successfully obtaining the residency permit and they are as follows:

Phase 1 – Application

Create an account on the portal. You must then submit the necessary documents and fill in the forms.

Phase 2 – Evaluation

The result of the Committee’s assessment will be issued within 30 days. If the application is approved, the applicant will receive a Nulla Osta. If the Committee needs more information, they can ask for additional documents. If they do, the 30-day limit for deciding will be put on hold for a maximum of 30 days.

Phase 3 – Obtaining the Investor Visa

The client must apply for the Investor Visa at the consulate within 6 months of receiving the Nulla Osta. The consulate's jurisdiction is determined by the client's stable residency area. The Client is required to be physically present at the consulate on the day of the application. The applicant must submit the necessary documentation, including a copy of the Nulla Osta and proof of accommodation during the application.

Phase 4 – Carrying out the investment

The investor has 3 months to execute the investment from the date of arrival to the Italian territory.

Phase 5 – Investor Committee document reviewal & issuance of the residence permit

The Investor Committee has a period of 30 days to review and evaluate the documents submitted on the portal. If the outcome is favorable, the Investor Visa secretary will inform the investor.

Phase – 6 Biometrics and residence permit

The applicant must attend a second appointment at the police headquarters, where their fingerprints will be taken, to obtain their residence permit. The permit is valid for 2 years from the date of entry into Italy.

How do you renew the residence permit after 2 years?

The investor must apply for the renewal of their residence permit at least 60 days before the expiration of their current permit. The renewed permit must be valid for three years. To be eligible for renewal, the applicant must prove that they have not withdrawn or altered their initial investment. Before submitting the renewal application to the appropriate police headquarters, the applicant must request a new Nulla Osta from the Investor Committee by providing documentation that demonstrates the maintenance of their investment.