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Italian visas

Italy's elective residency visa

The elective residency visa is how most retirees and people living on their own means move to Italy from outside the EU. It is simple on paper: prove a steady passive income, somewhere to live and health cover. Consulates read it strictly.

Updated September 2026 · figures from ISTAT

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Who the elective residency visa is for

  • Retirees living on a pension
  • People living on rental income, dividends or investments
  • Anyone who will not work in Italy — in any form

Elective Residency Visa requirements

Passive income

Regular, provable income that does not come from work — roughly €31,000 a year for one person and around €38,000 for a couple, more with dependants. Pensions, rent and dividends count; consulates prefer monthly income to a lump of savings.

Somewhere to live

A registered lease or a property you own in Italy, in place before you apply. This is where buying a house first can help.

Health insurance

Private cover valid in Italy until you can join the national health service.

Clean paperwork

Passport, application form, bank and pension statements, and supporting documents translated and legalised as your consulate asks.

Thresholds are approximate and each consulate applies them in its own way. Information, not legal advice.

What it does not allow

Work of any kind — including remote work for an employer or clients abroad. If you plan to keep working, this is the wrong visa: look at the digital nomad visa instead.

How to apply

  1. Book the consulate appointment for your area first — it is the bottleneck.
  2. Secure accommodation in Italy and gather the income evidence.
  3. Apply in person; the national visa fee is €116, and processing can take up to 90 days.
  4. Enter Italy and, within eight working days, file for your permesso di soggiorno at a post office.
  5. Register residency at the comune, then join the health service or keep private cover.

Tax on this visa

Living in Italy on this visa normally makes you tax resident, so Italy taxes your worldwide income under its treaties. Pensioners who settle in a qualifying small southern comune can elect a flat 7% on foreign income for nine years.

Retiring to Italy · the 7% tax towns

Elective Residency Visa: questions people ask

What are the financial requirements for the Italian elective residency visa?
Consulates look for regular passive income of roughly €31,000 a year for a single applicant and around €38,000 for a couple, with more for dependent children. It must come from sources such as pensions, property or investments — not employment.
How much does the elective residency visa cost?
The national visa fee is €116. Budget more for translations, legalisation, health insurance and the permesso di soggiorno, which together usually run to several hundred euros.
Can I work on an elective residency visa in Italy?
No. The visa forbids any work, including remote work for a foreign employer. Remote workers should apply for the digital nomad visa instead.
How long does the elective residency visa take?
Consulates can take up to 90 days to decide, and appointments are often booked weeks or months ahead. Allow four to six months from starting to arriving.
Does the elective residency visa lead to citizenship?
It can lead to long-term residence, and after ten years of legal residence to an application for citizenship, subject to the conditions at the time.

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