golden visa
Golden Visa Italy and the Investor Visa Route
We prepare the investor visa file and the receiving Italian company in the order the law sets; the Committee decides.
- Four categories, from EUR 250,000 (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI)
- Outside the annual quotas (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI)
- The company exists only once registered (Art. 2331 c.c.)
The company side is prepared in Milan; the Committee, the consulate and the questura each decide their own step.
The investor visa, prepared from the company side
The "golden visa" is the reader's word for the investor visa (visto per investitori), which Art. 26-bis of the immigration act (TUI, D.Lgs. 286/1998) allows outside the annual quotas. In the two company categories the money goes into an Italian company, so we settle the company, the applicant and the order of steps first.
Founders who want to run a business rather than invest start from our founder visa service: the Italian startup visa sits inside the annual quotas (Art. 26(5) TUI), while the investor visa does not. One guide sets out what a digital nomad cannot do that a founder can.
The four investment categories
Art. 26-bis(1) TUI names four investments, and the applicant proves a larger sum of funds than the minimum.
| Category (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI) | Minimum | Instrument or recipient | Holding period | Funds the applicant proves, available and transferable to Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | EUR 2,000,000 | Government securities | At least 2 years | EUR 2,000,000 |
| (b) | EUR 500,000 | Equity instruments of a company or venture-capital fund formed and operating in Italy | At least 2 years | EUR 1,000,000 |
| (b), start-up | EUR 250,000 | Equity of an innovative start-up (start-up innovativa) entered in the special section of the Register | At least 2 years | EUR 1,000,000 |
| (c) | EUR 1,000,000 | Philanthropic donation to a public-interest project in culture, education, immigration management, scientific research, or recovery of cultural and landscape assets | None named in the text | EUR 1,000,000 |
Source: Art. 26-bis TUI on Normattiva.
What's included
What we prepare, and what stays with you and the state.
Category and applicant map
The four categories side by side, and the applicant in their own name or for the legal person they legally represent (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI). Conditions only; the choice is made with you.
The company that receives the investment
An S.r.l., S.p.A. or innovative start-up, formed before a notary and entered in the Register before the money moves. For an existing S.r.l., see the detailed ready-made companies page.
The start-up special-section request
Where the EUR 250,000 route is used, the request for the special section goes in with the deed, in the same Comunicazione Unica (single filing), as the Register's start-up guide allows.
The document file
Proof of the funds and their lawful origin (provenienza lecita dei fondi), criminal records, the signed declaration; the papers of a foreign legal person, apostilled or legalised and translated (Foreign Ministry).
The order of steps
The receiving company registered first, the subscription deed and filing ready for the three months after entry in which Art. 26-bis(1) TUI asks for the whole investment.
Hold and renewal papers
Evidence that the sum was employed within three months of entry and is still invested, ready for the renewal under Art. 26-bis(6) TUI.
What stays with you and the state
The Committee's decision and nulla osta (clearance), the visa, the permit, the lawful-origin certification and the movement of your money. You sign and submit on the portal; no outcome is promised.
The company that receives the investment
The conditions of each vehicle, article by article; which one receives your investment is decided with you.
| S.r.l. | S.r.l.s. | S.p.A. | Innovative start-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital (Arts. 2463, 2327 c.c.) | Not below EUR 10,000, or from EUR 1 in the low-capital variant | The standard-model statute (Art. 2463-bis c.c.) | EUR 50,000 | A capital company that meets the tests of Art. 25(2) D.L. 179/2012 |
| Founders and directors (Arts. 2475, 2380-bis and 2383 c.c.) | No residence or nationality condition on a director | Natural persons only, so a foreign group's holding cannot found one | As for the S.r.l. | Formed no more than 60 months ago; no profits distributed; not born of a merger, demerger or business transfer |
| Deed | Notarial deed, or an electronic deed by videoconference with cash capital; the notary files within 10 days | The same, on the standard model | Notarial deed; the videoconference route of Art. 2(1) D.Lgs. 183/2021 names the S.r.l. and S.r.l.s. only | The deed of its form; the special-section request in the same Comunicazione Unica |
| State charges at formation | Stamp duty EUR 156, secretarial fee EUR 90, registration tax EUR 200, first-year annual fee EUR 120 (Milan, 2026); the notary's fee is agreed, with no official scale; listed, never summed | No notarial fee, stamp duty or secretarial fee on the standard model | As for the S.r.l. | Relieved of secretarial fees, stamp duty and the annual fee, no longer than the fifth year of registration (Register guide, 2019 edition) |
| Category it can receive | (b), EUR 500,000 | Not settled: its capital stays below EUR 10,000 (Art. 2463-bis c.c.) | (b), EUR 500,000 | (b), EUR 250,000, once in the special section |
| A newly formed company | Formed in Italy; resident if its registered office is in Italy for most of the tax period (Art. 73(3) TUIR, as in force in 2026); whether "operating" asks for more is not settled; the Committee decides | As for the S.r.l. | As for the S.r.l. | Can ask for entry in the same filing as its deed if it starts activity at formation |
Sources: Art. 25 D.L. 179/2012 on Normattiva; Art. 3(3) and Art. 9 D.L. 1/2012; the Romagna and Milan chamber tables; Art. 73(3) TUIR as in force in 2026 (D.Lgs. 117/2026 replaces the TUIR numbering from 2027).
Vehicle by vehicle: S.r.l. registration for a non-resident and S.p.A. formation Italy.
Who applies, and which company receives the money (Art. 26-bis TUI)
Who applies
Art. 26-bis(1) TUI
- The investor, in their own namesigns and submits on the programme portal
- The legal representative of a legal personthe Foreign Ministry's prior reciprocity check, recorded in the nulla osta
- both funds owned, beneficially owned, available and transferable to Italy (Art. 26-bis(1)(c) TUI)
Which company receives
the company categories, (b)
- A capital company formed and operating in Italycan receiveEUR 500,000: an S.r.l. or an S.p.A.
- An innovative start-up in the special sectioncan receiveEUR 250,000, once entered in the special section (Art. 25(2) D.L. 179/2012)
- A branch (sede secondaria)cannot receiveno capital instruments; on our reading of Art. 2508 c.c.
Conditions only: no route is marked as the right one.
How the process works
Who acts at each step, and the term the law or the programme portal sets.
Settle the structure
The category, the applicant and the receiving company; the portal gives notice of a suspension for Russian and Belarusian citizens (order of 14 July 2023).
You, with us; no term
Assemble the evidence
Proof of the funds, the lawful-origin certification, criminal records, the travel document and the signed declaration.
You and the issuing authorities; no statutory term
Form the receiving company (company categories only)
A deed before a notary, by videoconference for an S.r.l. or S.r.l.s. with cash capital: the Italian company formation process. Notary: files within 10 days; Register: enters within 10 days of protocol, halved if electronic.
Apply on the portal
Forms, uploads and the final declaration, signed electronically by you or the legal person's representative; for a foreign legal person, the Foreign Ministry's reciprocity check (verifica di reciprocità) comes first.
No term set
The Committee's nulla osta
Issued within 30 days of sending the application, says MIMIT; a request for information gives 30 days to answer and suspends the application meanwhile.
The Secretariat and the Committee
Visa and entry
Request the investor visa at the consulate within 6 months of the nulla osta, in person where it requires; enter Italy within 2 years of its release.
You and the consulate
Permit and investment
Request the permit within 8 days of entry (Art. 5(2) TUI says eight working days); make the whole investment within 3 months and upload proof. See how a founder applies for the permit after entering Italy.
The questura decides within 90 days
Hold and renew
Keep securities or equity at least 2 years. The permit lasts 2 years, renewals 3, requested at least 90 days before expiry (Art. 5(4) TUI, as amended by D.Lgs. 83/2026, applying from 22 May 2026). After 5 years, the EU long-term permit (Art. 9 TUI).
law a statutory termprogramme the programme portal (MIMIT)
Company and clearance
- 1
Deed filed
The notary
- law within 10 days (Art. 2330(1) c.c.)
- 2
Company entered in the Register
The Register
- law within 10 days of protocol, halved if electronic (Art. 11(8) D.P.R. 581/1995)
- 3
The Committee's nulla osta (clearance)
The Secretariat and the Committee
- programme within 30 days of sending the application
- programme a request for information gives 30 days to answer and suspends the application
- 4
Visa requested
You and the consulate
- programme within 6 months of the nulla osta
Entry, permit and investment
- 5
Entry into Italy
You
- programme within 2 years of the visa's release
- 6
Permit requested
You
- law within 8 days of entry; eight working days in Art. 5(2) TUI
- 7
The whole investment made
You, with proof uploaded
- law within 3 months of entry (Art. 26-bis TUI)
- 8
Permit decided
The questura
- law within 90 days (Art. 5(9) TUI)
Hold and renew
- 9
The permit
The questura
- law lasts 2 years
- 10
The investment held
You
- law at least 2 years, categories (a) and (b) (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI)
- 11
Renewal
You
- law requested at least 90 days before expiry; renewals for 3 years (Art. 5(4) TUI)
- 12
EU long-term permit
You
- law after 5 years (Art. 9 TUI)
The programme portal still prints 60 days for the renewal; Art. 5(4) TUI has asked for at least 90 days since the amendment applying from 22 May 2026.
No end-to-end time: each term runs on its own
Not sure which company should receive the investment?
The category and the applicant decide which company, if any, is formed before you apply. A short call maps it.
Documents and state charges
The documents the statute names and the state's charges, item by item, with no total. Our own fee is on request.
| Item | Who issues or collects | Figure or condition | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel document | The issuing state | Valid at least three months beyond the visa | Art. 26-bis(2)(a) TUI |
| Proof of funds | The applicant, with the bank holding them | Owned and beneficially owned: EUR 2,000,000 for category (a), EUR 1,000,000 for (b) and the donation; available and transferable to Italy; plus resources to live on above the health-cost exemption level | Art. 26-bis(1)(c) TUI |
| Lawful origin of the funds | The applicant | A certification of the lawful origin of the funds | Art. 26-bis(2) TUI |
| Declaration of the investment | Signed by the applicant | A detailed description of the investment or donation and its recipients, and the undertaking to invest within three months of entry | Art. 26-bis(2)(d) and (1)(c) TUI |
| Criminal record | The authorities of each country concerned | Named in the portal's upload step | Programme portal, Phase 1 |
| Papers of a foreign legal person | Its register; the apostille or legalising authority; an official translator or the consulate | The extract and the representative's powers, legalised or apostilled and translated | Foreign Ministry |
| Revenue stamp | The questura | EUR 16.00 | Polizia di Stato |
| Postal dispatch | The post office | EUR 30.00, where the postal kit is used | Polizia di Stato |
| Electronic permit | The questura | EUR 30.46 (a permit over 90 days) | Polizia di Stato |
| Permit contribution | The questura | EUR 50.00 (a permit over one year and up to two; decree of 5 May 2017) | Questura notice |
Sources: Art. 26-bis TUI; the programme portal; Foreign Ministry, legalisation of documents; Polizia di Stato, how, where and how much; the Catanzaro questura notice on the decree of 5 May 2017. The company-side charges are in the vehicle table above.
Problems we solve
Five points where an investor file stalls, and how we handle each.
The money is ready, the company is not
A company exists only once entered in the Register (Art. 2331 c.c.), and the whole investment is due within three months of entry. We have it formed before a notary and entered in the Register first, in the planned order.
Funds proved at the wrong figure
Art. 26-bis(1) TUI asks the applicant to prove EUR 2,000,000 for category (a), EUR 1,000,000 for (b) and the donation, not the EUR 500,000 or EUR 250,000 minimum. We match the proof to the statute.
A start-up that cannot enter the special section
A company that does not communicate its start of activity at formation cannot ask for entry, and Art. 25(2) D.L. 179/2012 sets the tests. We prepare the request with the deed.
A holding company behind the application
When a foreign legal person's representative applies, the Foreign Ministry's reciprocity check comes first, and the funds must still be owned and beneficially owned. We map the ownership chain first and give no verdict on any country.
State pages that disagree
The portal still prints 60 days for the renewal, where Art. 5(4) TUI has asked for at least 90 days since the amendment applying from 22 May 2026; a consulate page calls category (b) bonds or shares, the statute equity. We read every term from its article.
Will the company exist before the money is due?
The whole investment is due within three months of entry, and the company must exist to receive it. A plan orders the steps.
Why work with us
Silvia Brivio
Regulatory and Founder Mobility Lead, Milan. Italian, English, Portuguese.
We are not a law firm, a notary or an immigration authority.
Last checked: Art. 26-bis TUI as current to 1 July 2026; Art. 5 TUI as amended from 22 May 2026; the programme portal, 9 October 2026.
From our practice
we settle the receiving company, the applicant and the order of steps before the application is lodged, and we read every term on this page from its article, with the date it was read.
Frequently asked questions
Can you guarantee the nulla osta or the visa?
No. The Committee issues the nulla osta, the consulate the visa and the questura the permit, and the applicant, or the legal representative of the legal person, signs and submits on the programme portal (Art. 26-bis TUI; programme portal). We prepare the file and the company that receives the investment, and we promise no outcome.
Can a newly formed S.r.l. receive the EUR 500,000?
Art. 26-bis(1) TUI asks for equity of a company formed and operating in Italy, and a company whose registered office is in Italy for most of the tax period is tax-resident (Art. 73(3) TUIR, as in force in 2026). Whether "operating" asks for more is not settled, so we promise neither answer: the Committee decides on the file.
Can my foreign holding company make the investment?
The applicant may act for the legal person they legally represent (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI). The Foreign Ministry then runs a prior reciprocity check, recorded in the nulla osta, and the funds must still be shown as owned and beneficially owned. Which countries pass the check is not published on the pages we read.
Can a new company take the EUR 250,000 start-up route?
Only as an innovative start-up under Art. 25(2) D.L. 179/2012, entered in the special section of the Register: formed no more than 60 months ago, with no profits distributed. A new company can ask for entry in the same filing as its deed if it starts activity at formation (Register of Companies start-up guide).
Is there an Italian golden visa for real estate?
Art. 26-bis(1) TUI names government securities, equity of a company or venture-capital fund and a philanthropic donation, and no purchase of property, so a house bought in the investor's own name is not one of its investments. Whether a company that holds property could be a recipient is not addressed by the texts we read.
How long does the investor visa take?
The Committee's nulla osta is due within 30 days of the application (MIMIT), and a request for information gives 30 days to answer while the application is suspended. The visa is requested within 6 months and Italy entered within 2 years. The consulate publishes no processing time on the page we read, so we give no end-to-end timeline.
What does the state charge?
The two-year permit carries EUR 16.00 for the revenue stamp and EUR 30.46 for the electronic permit (Polizia di Stato), a EUR 50.00 contribution, and EUR 30.00 at the post office on the postal-kit route. No programme or consular visa fee was found. A company formed for the investment adds its deed and Register charges. Our fee is on request.
When must the money go in, and how long must it stay?
The whole investment is made within three months of entry into Italy, with proof uploaded to the portal (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI). Securities and equity are kept at least two years: disposal inside that period makes the permit revocable, and renewal needs proof that the sum is still invested (Art. 26-bis(5) and (6) TUI).
Does Italy have a golden visa?
Yes, under the name investor visa (visto per investitori, Art. 26-bis TUI). It has four categories, from EUR 250,000 in an innovative start-up to EUR 2,000,000 in government securities, and entry and stays over three months are allowed outside the annual quotas of Art. 3(4) TUI.
How much do I need to invest in Italy to get residency?
EUR 2,000,000 in government securities, EUR 500,000 in a company or venture-capital fund, EUR 250,000 in an innovative start-up, or a EUR 1,000,000 donation (Art. 26-bis(1) TUI). The applicant also proves funds of EUR 2,000,000 or EUR 1,000,000. For residence without an investment, see our elective residence visa overview.
How to get an investor visa in Italy?
Apply on the programme portal for the Committee's nulla osta, request the visa at the consulate within six months, enter Italy within two years of the visa's release, request the permit within 8 days of entry and make the whole investment within three months of entry (programme portal; Art. 26-bis TUI).
Can I get citizenship in Italy if I buy a house?
Buying a house is not one of the investments listed in Art. 26-bis(1) TUI. After five years with a valid permit, and with income not below the annual assegno sociale (social allowance), the holder may ask for the EU long-term permit under Art. 9 TUI. This page makes no statement about citizenship.
How long is the permit, and when do I renew it?
The first permit lasts two years; renewals run for further periods of three years, on proof that the sum was employed within three months of entry and is still invested (Art. 26-bis(5) and (6) TUI). Under Art. 5(4) TUI, as amended by D.Lgs. 83/2026 and applying from 22 May 2026, the renewal is requested at least 90 days before expiry.
Can my family come with me?
Family members for whom reunification is allowed may enter with the holder on a family visa under Art. 30 TUI, and a family permit lasts at most two years, each renewal at most three (Art. 5 TUI). Whether the housing and income tests of Art. 29 TUI apply to an investor's family is not settled by the texts we read.
Does the investor permit make me an Italian tax resident?
Not by itself: residence, domicile or presence for most of the tax period decides (Art. 2(2) TUIR). The new-resident option of Art. 24-bis TUIR is separate: EUR 300,000 per tax period, EUR 50,000 per family member, for residence moved to Italy from 1 January 2026 (TUIR as in force in 2026). More on how Italy taxes a foreign owner.
Ready to plan the company side of your investor visa?
Tell us the category you are considering and whether a legal person stands behind you; we come back with the order of steps.