Italy has a visa for retirees with passive income, one for remote workers, and one for investors. Here they are with 2026 numbers — no salesmanship. And if your grandparents were Italian, read the descent section first: the rules changed in 2025.
Figures verified 8 July 2026 Rules checked 30 September 2026| Visa | Who it's for | Money requirement (2026) | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elective residence Full guide → | Retirees and anyone with passive income (pensions, rents, dividends). No work allowed — at all, including remote | €31,000/year passive income per applicant minimum (couples commonly assessed at ~€38,000); consulates routinely want more | 1-yr permit → renewals → permanent-residency application possible at 5 yrs (discretionary from this permit) |
| Digital nomad | Highly-qualified remote employees and freelancers working for clients outside Italy | ~€28,000/year remote income minimum, plus 6 months' remote-work experience and a degree or professional licence | 1-yr permit, renewable while requirements hold; standard residency track |
| Investor visa | Investors who don't want to live in Italy full-time (no minimum-stay requirement) | €2M government bonds · €500k Italian company · €250k innovative startup · €1M philanthropic donation; held ≥2 years | 2-yr permit → 3-yr renewal; permanent residency at 5 yrs requires actual residence |
Enter on your D visa, then apply for the permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days — kit from a Poste Italiane "Sportello Amico" counter, then fingerprints at the Questura.
The elective residence permit starts at 1 year and is renewed in-country. Keep proving the income — and register your residence at the comune (town hall).
The EU long-term residence permit needs 5 years' continuous residence, A2 Italian, and declared income. From an elective-residence permit it's discretionary — not automatic.
10 years' legal residence for expats, B1 Italian, and a 3-year income history. The 2025 referendum to cut it to 5 years failed.
Income requirements, documents, insurance, and the step-by-step process .
Read the guide → GuideThe 10-year path, the B1 language bar, the income history — and what the 2025 descent reform means for you.
Read the guide →The ~€28,000/year income floor, plus the experience and degree requirements consulates actually check.
€250k startup to €2M bonds — the Nulla Osta process, timelines, and what "no minimum stay" really buys you.
How Schengen counting works, the EES biometric border system, and ETIAS (delayed to 2027, €20).
The permesso kit, appointment waits, and what to do when your receipt is your only ID.
Visa applications fail on paperwork details. We'll introduce you to an English-speaking immigration lawyer we've independently vetted — licensed, and experienced with expat cases in Italy.