Move to Italy in 2026: Visas, Costs and First Steps

To move to Italy as a non-EU citizen you need a long-stay (Type D) visa for your route, then a residence permit requested within 8 working days of arrival; the national visa fee is €116 (New York consulate fee table, checked 18 October 2026). The main routes are Elective Residence, which consular checklists set at about EUR 31,000 a year of passive income per applicant, the Digital Nomad visa at EUR 24,789 a year or more, and the Investor Visa from EUR 250,000. Last updated: 18 October 2026. Official sources are linked beside the main claims; lifestyle and cost figures are planning data, not legal thresholds.

Moving to Italy from outside the EU is a two-step process: a national visa issued by an Italian consulate abroad, followed by a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) issued by the Questura in Italy.

Movingto is a Portugal-first immigration firm that puts a named, Bar-registered lawyer from its in-house legal team on your case and publishes its fees.

For Italy, we review which route fits and prepare the visa file with you; Italian tax advice and filings sit with a licensed commercialista.

Which Italy route fits me?

Start with the route that matches how you will support yourself in Italy. Use Elective Residence if you have stable passive resources and will not work in Italy; use the Digital Nomad route if you will keep working remotely for non-Italian clients or an overseas employer; use the Investor Visa only if one of the four official investment categories fits. Check the official visa database before preparing documents, because consular evidence can vary by route and applicant facts.

Can Americans Move to Italy Without a Job?

Yes. The Elective Residence route can work for Americans and other non-EU nationals who can support themselves from stable passive resources such as pensions, annuities, rental income or investment income. The law sets no euro figure, but consular checklists apply three times the amount in Table A of the Interior Ministry directive of 1 March 2000, about EUR 31,000 a year per applicant, including a spouse, plus at least 5% per child (Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi checklist, checked 18 October 2026). The visa does not permit employment in Italy.

Route requirements snapshot

Elective Residence income requirements (2026): about EUR 31,000 a year for each applicant, including a spouse, plus at least 5% for each child, from pensions, annuities, property or stable business income, never from work. The Embassy of Italy in Washington says each family applicant typically needs around EUR 31,000. Use the visa database and your consulate's checklist as the live source, because consulates assess continuity and can ask for more.

Evidence matters more than headline thresholds

Expect to document the origin, continuity and availability of your resources. Savings can help, but Elective Residence applications are usually stronger when they show recurring non-employment income rather than only a lump-sum balance. Confirm the evidence list against the visa database and the consulate handling your application.

Use this route-fit table before you spend time on documents:

Italy is not always the best European fit. Compare the trade-offs before choosing it by default.

How Much Does It Cost to Live in Italy vs Portugal?

Treat Italy-versus-Portugal cost comparisons as directional. Third-party cost databases move every month and can disagree with each other. The durable point is regional spread: Milan and Rome usually require a higher rent budget, while some Southern cities can be materially cheaper.

Cost comparison snapshot

Source note: the cost rows below use city-level third-party planning data. They are not official figures and should not be used as visa-income evidence.

What is the rent in Italy's major cities?

Rent varies by city, neighbourhood and lease type. Use the table as a quick planning snapshot, then confirm current listings before choosing a city or visa budget.

Source note: rent data is a city snapshot from Numbeo pages accessed on 30 June 2026. Current listings can differ sharply by district, lease length and furnished status.

What is the monthly budget for living in Italy?

For a first-pass budget, separate official visa evidence from living-cost planning. Visa officers care about the route's evidence standard; your monthly budget should be built from the city you choose, your housing contract and whether you use public or private healthcare.

For a deeper budget, read the Italy cost of living guide.

How Do I Get an Italian Tax Code (Codice Fiscale)?

The Codice Fiscale is Italy's tax identification code for people and entities. Agenzia delle Entrate explains the foreign-citizen process. In practice, you commonly need it for bank accounts, rental contracts, utilities, healthcare registration and employment-related paperwork.

Before you arrive

Try to obtain your Codice Fiscale before arrival through the relevant consulate where possible, or through Agenzia delle Entrate in Italy. Timelines vary, but having it early reduces friction with banks, landlords and utilities.

What should I do in my first 30 days in Italy?

How do I open a bank account in Italy as a foreigner?

Bank onboarding is practical, not just financial. Expect requests for your Codice Fiscale, passport, address evidence and income or savings evidence. A fintech or multi-currency account can help at arrival, but it may not replace an Italian bank account for every lease, utility, visa or local-admin step.

Bank account options

Compare three paths: a traditional Italian bank for full local acceptance, an online Italian or EU bank for faster onboarding, and a multi-currency account for short-term arrival spending. Check current fees and acceptance before relying on any one account for visa evidence.

For account setup details, read the Italy bank account guide.

For tax-code steps, read the Codice Fiscale guide.

Is Italy's Healthcare System Good for Expats?

Italy's Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN) is the public healthcare system. Legal residents normally register through the local ASL after they have the right residence status and local registration path. Voluntary enrolment charges vary by category; do not rely on the old EUR 388 headline as a universal current fee.

Healthcare cost note

Healthcare costs (2026 planning): employed and self-employed residents join the SSN through compulsory registration. Voluntary enrolment costs at least EUR 2,000 a year, EUR 700 for students and EUR 1,200 for au pairs (D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 34, checked 18 October 2026); confirm the amount for your residence category with the local ASL before budgeting.

For the full healthcare path, read Italy healthcare for foreigners and expats.

How Much Does the Italy Golden Visa Cost?

Italy's Investor Visa official portal lists four investment routes: EUR 250,000 in an innovative startup, EUR 500,000 in an Italian company or venture-capital fund, EUR 1,000,000 as a philanthropic donation, or EUR 2,000,000 in Italian government bonds. The permit is initially issued for 2 years and can be renewed for 3-year periods if the conditions continue to be met.

Investor Visa sequence

Official sequence: use the Investor Visa portal for the investor committee nulla osta, then apply for the national visa, enter Italy, request the residence permit, and complete the investment within the required post-entry window. Treat third-party processing-time averages as estimates, not a guarantee.

What are the Italy Golden Visa investment options?

What are the total costs for Italy Golden Visa?

Total costs include the chosen investment route, professional fees if you use advisers, the national visa fee, residence-permit issuance costs and private or public-healthcare costs where required. The official investor-committee nulla osta application itself is not the investment payment.

Investment timing is critical:

Capital is not committed before investor pre-approval. After entering Italy, the investor must complete the investment within the required period and maintain the qualifying investment while relying on the investor residence permit. Use the official Investor Visa portal for the current sequence before moving funds.

What are Italy's tax rates for new residents?

Italy taxes residents under the IRPEF system unless a special regime applies. For 2026 the national bands are 23% up to EUR 28,000, 33% from EUR 28,001 to EUR 50,000 and 43% above EUR 50,000 (Law 199/2025, art. 1(3); MEF summary, checked 18 October 2026); the Agenzia delle Entrate IRPEF page explains how the tax is calculated. Regional and municipal surcharges are separate, so the final rate depends on where you are resident.

Need help choosing an Italy route?

If the route still is not obvious, contact Movingto for an Italy route-fit review before booking a consulate appointment. Bring the route you think fits, your income source, family members, timeline and any tax-residence concerns. Our Italy services cover the elective residency and digital nomad visas (each from €2,500 on our pricing page) and the investor visa (quoted per case).