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Immigration to Italy

Elective residence visa in Italy

Benefits of
RP in Italy
Advantages and disadvantages
Elective Residence
Process
Family reunion
How can we help you?
PR and Citizenship

Having an Elective Residence visa for Italy is a great achievement you can celebrate, as becoming a resident in Italy has many advantages for you and your family. An Italian Residence Permit (Permesso di soggiorno) can only be obtained in Italy. You may need to obtain Visa D before coming to the country to apply for your permit. The easiest way to guarantee that you’ll be able to immigrate to Italy in 2021 is the Elective Residence visa (Residenza elettiva), which is later converted into the Residence Permit.

With the Elective Residence you and your family can:

Live in Italy full-time
Travel to other European countries
Receive high quality healthcare
Manage a business in Europe
Study in Italian schools, colleges and universities
Become a citizen after 10 years of living in Italy

Moving to Italy pros and cons

Mediterranean climate, variety of landscape and climatic zones
Friendly and easygoing mentality
Fantastic cuisine and quality products
Affordable, high standard education

Bureaucracy
High cost of living

How can I legally immigrate to Italy?

The Elective Residence visa in Italy (Residenza Elettiva Italia)

Elective Residence is the easiest way of getting a Residence Permit in Italy for financially independent individuals and their families.

A citizen of any non-EU country has the right to obtain a Residence Permit under the Elective Residence Program as long as his or her passive income accounts to more than €35,000 a year.

This method is perfect if you:

have passive income of over €35,000 a year from securities (shares, bonds), property rental, pension, dividends and so on. Income from employment is not considered to be passive. In addition, the passive income you receive cannot be related to any activities that take place in Italy;
would like to live in Italy, freely travel around Europe and to give your children a chance of free, high-quality education;
would like to have a Residence Permit in Italy in order to have the opportunity of moving there in case you need to, at the same time carrying on with your life at home;
would like to obtain Italian citizenship after 10 years.

There is no requirement with regard to minimum stay in Italy for Elective Residence holders. This means you can live in Italy for as much time as you’d like, either full-time or just visiting for holidays.

Financially independent visa candidates must have permanent accommodation in Italy and a high level of passive income.

Requirements for getting an Elective Residence visa:

documents proving a continuous passive income of over €35,000 per year.
accommodation in Italy. Having a long-term lease is suitable, as well as owning residential property;
medical insurance cover for the amount of at least €30,000.

Many investors are curious about getting a Residence Permit after purchasing real estate in Italy. However, according to the law the purchase of real estate itself is not a valid reason for applying for a Residence Permit.

If you have purchased real estate in Italy and are looking to get a Residence Permit for your family and yourself, then you still need to fulfil the conditions of the Elective Residence visa, by showing passive income of at least €35,000 a year from activities that take place outside of Italy.

If you wish to buy property in Italy then there are many details that need to be considered, including regional differences and the tax implications. Our licensed agent can help you find a property in Italy that would be a perfect fit for you and your family, and help you with any problems on the way.

The process of moving to Italy

under the Elective Residence visa program consists of the following steps:

Step 1

Signing a contract and developing your personal immigration plan.

Step 2

Collection and submission of documents to the Embassy of Italy for your Elective Residence visa.

Step 3

Coming to Italy under the Elective Residence visa.

Step 4

Submission of documents to the local Questura (police department) for the conversion of your Elective Residence visa into a Residence Permit. The documents must be submitted within 8 days of entering Italy. After receiving the Residence Permit, the Elective Residence visa becomes void.

On average, the process of obtaining a Residence Permit for financially independent individuals takes around 6 months. The exact time frame depends on the region the applicant is seeking to reside in

The first Residence Permit for financially independent individuals is issued for the period of 1 year.

After receiving an Elective Residence visa you can make a family reunion application so that your family members are free to join you in Italy.

Free consultation

Family reunion in Italy.
How can your spouse, children and parents obtain a Residence Permit on the basis of family reunion (Motivi familiari)?

Conditions for family reunion in Italy:

sufficient financial resources of the main applicant (an additional 20% to the amount of passive income for the spouse and 5% for every child);
a valid Residence Permit of the main applicant;
accommodation that is suitable to house all family members;
confirmation of kinship (marriage certificate, birth certificate).

Procedure and timeframe for family reunion

An application for family reunion can be submitted either at the same time the main applicant submits the Elective Residence visa application or after the main applicant receives their Residence Permit. The family reunion Residence Permit is issued for the same period as the Residence Permit of the main applicant. On average, the family reunion process takes up to 6 months.

Immigration lawyer in Italy. How can we help you?

Talk to our immigration lawyer to get:

an analysis of your current situation, on the basis of which you will get a personal immigration plan;
comprehensive assistance – we will take care of all necessary documents, find suitable accommodation and handle communication with the immigration offices. The only thing you will need to do is collect your personal documentation;
guaranteed result – we will submit your application in a small town in the east of Italy, which significantly speeds up the process and increases the chances of approval. Full payment for our service is completed only upon approval of the Residence Permit.

Services

Your personal manager will:

prepare documents for the Elective Residence visa,
search for accommodation and register the rental or purchase agreement,
arrange medical insurance in Italy (if needed),
interact with the related Italian Embassy during the Elective Residence visa application,
prepare the application and documents for the Residence Permit in Italy,
accompany you in Italy during the submission of documents for the Residence Permit,

The complete service is €14,300 + €200 for every family member 50% payment after approval of the Residence Permit

Get in touch

Start with a free consultation

Our immigration lawyer can analyze your current situation and suggest the best suitable program. You will get professional advise and can count on us in handling your residency in Europe

+386 70 400 757

Advantages and disadvantages of the Elective Residence visa in Italy

No requirement for the minimum stay in Italy;
No need to register a company or run business activities in Italy;
No quotas for visas;
Immediate family reunion with all family members;
Residenza Elettiva can be changed to a Residence Permit on the basis of work;
Citizenship after 10 years.

Residence Permit without the right to work;
Becoming a tax resident if you live more than 183 days each year in Italy;
Residenza Elettiva program does not allow you to become a Permanent Resident, instead you apply directly for citizenship after 10 years!

Extension of the Residence Permit for financially independent individuals

In order to extend the Residence Permit for a financially independent individual, you need to present: 1. confirmation of sufficient funds – bank statement with a balance over €50,000; 2. rental agreement or confirmation of ownership of residential real estate in Italy.

The Residence Permit obtained under the Elective Residence program has to be extended every one or two years (depending on validity) up until the moment of being granted Italian citizenship. Extension of the Residence Permit for family members is conducted at the same time with the main applicant.

Permanent Residence of Italy

Permanent Residence of Italy is officially called the Residence Permit of the EU for Long-term Residents (Permesso di soggiorno CE per soggiornanti lungo periodo).

The application for Permanent Residence of Italy can be submitted after 5 years of continuous living in Italy on the basis of a Residence Permit (except Residenza Elettiva holders).

In order to receive Permanent Residence the applicant has to fulfil the following conditions:

an income higher than the amount of monthly social benefits (over €8,400 per year);
proof of accommodation in Italy (rented or owned);
knowledge of the Italian language – A2 certificate required;
no criminal record in Italy;
the applicant has spent no more than a total of 12 months outside of Italy or EU within the last 5 years.

The Permanent Residence of Italy is issued for 5 years. In order to get a new card after this time you only need to provide a recent passport sized photo.

The only difference between holding Permanent Residence and citizenship is the fact that a foreign national with Permanent Residence status cannot be elected into Italian government bodies. Other than that, Permanent Residence status holders in Italy have the same rights to healthcare, education and social benefits as the citizens of Italy.

Citizenship of Italy

You may become a citizen of Italy after 10 years of living in Italy. The application review process can take up to 12 months. Once the decision to grant citizenship is made, you will be invited to participate in the citizenship ceremony to give an oath of allegiance.

The Italian passport is ranked 2nd according to the Global Passport Power Rank, and holding one means you can visit 93 countries visa free. Italy is one of the European countries that allows two or more citizenships, and so once you get your Italian citizenship you can also keep your original one, and the associated passport.

Reviews

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retired US government worker

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founder of Nomadexpat.io

I am ready to recommend (and have already recommended to my personal acquaintances) this company in relation to services related to obtaining a residence permit in Slovenia. The company has a flexible approach to the specifics of the situation and the individual needs of customers (as was the case in my situation), which required the involvement of third-party specialists. At the same time, I received prompt and competent advice to resolve emerging and changing difficulties. I also received support after the formal fulfillment of the terms of the contract (that is, after the fact of obtaining a residence permit). There are no complaints about the prompt response to questions. There was also no talk of additional paid services due to the need to settle personal nuances. Definitely recommend the services of Michael and his team.