Italy Investor Visa

Yes. The Investor Visa (often called Italy's golden visa) is open in 2026 with four qualifying routes.

There are four routes: 250,000 euros into an innovative Italian startup, 500,000 euros into shares or bonds of an established Italian company, a 1,000,000 euro philanthropic donation to a project of public interest, or 2,000,000 euros in Italian government bonds.

After the nulla osta (clearance) is granted and you enter Italy on the visa. The funds are generally committed within three months of entry, so you do not transfer the investment before approval.

Roughly one to three months to obtain the visa, with the investment completed after you enter Italy.

No. There is no minimum-stay requirement to hold and renew the residence permit. Naturalisation later is a separate matter that does require genuine, continuous residence.

After ten years of continuous legal residence. A June 2025 referendum proposing to cut this to five years failed on turnout, so the ten-year standard stands.

It is optional. New tax residents can elect a flat tax on all foreign-source income. The charge was 200,000 euros per year and rose to 300,000 euros per year for those transferring tax residence from 1 January 2026, while earlier opters are grandfathered at 100,000 euros (2024) or 200,000 euros (2025), plus a charge per additional family member. It can apply for up to fifteen years. Confirm your position with tax counsel.

No. Italy does not impose a fixed global net-worth test tied to the route. You must prove that you own and can freely transfer the specific investment sum, with a lawful source of funds.

Yes. A spouse, minor children, dependent adult children, and dependent parents can be included.

The startup, company-share and government-bond routes are recoverable assets you hold for the duration of the permit. The 1,000,000 euro philanthropic donation is not refundable.

Yes. The residence permit provides Schengen mobility, and Italian citizenship, if you pursue it, carries one of the strongest passports in the world.

For investors who want a top-tier EU passport over the long term and may use the flat-tax regime, it is compelling. For anyone whose priority is fast citizenship, the ten-year clock makes it a slow route compared with Caribbean options.