Relocating to Italy in 2026: where to start, methods, and a step-by-step plan

Why Italy is chosen for relocation

Italy attracts not with slogans but with the sum of tangible things. It's a full member of the European Union and the Schengen area: the residence permit opens freedom of movement across the continent, and the euro removes currency hassle. The climate, cuisine, art, the unhurried rhythm of the southern regions, and the developed infrastructure of the north - all of this works for quality of life more strongly than any advertising.

Add to this reliable public healthcare (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, SSN), strong universities, and a clear road to permanent residency and citizenship after several years of legal residence. For wealthy people a weighty argument is the special tax regime for new residents (flat tax), which fixes the tax on all foreign income.

But honesty matters more than enthusiasm. Italian bureaucracy is slow, lines at agencies are real, everyday life is hard without the Italian language, and the labor market is tough for a newcomer. So relocating to Italy doesn't start with suitcases, but with a sober choice of grounds - we'll talk about that next. A detailed breakdown of everyday life we've collected in our article onwhat living in Italy is like.

Relocating to Italy: where to start

The main mistake is starting with a search for an apartment or plane tickets. There's only one correct starting point: the grounds for residing. Italy, like the whole EU, admits for the long term only under a specific reason - work, study, investment, passive income, family, descent. The type of visa, document package, timelines, and cost depend on the chosen grounds.

First, assess your situation. Do you have Italian roots through your father's or mother's line? What's your income and its nature - active earnings or rent, a pension, dividends? Are you ready to invest capital? Do you have an employer or a university spot? The answers determine which of the routes is genuinely yours, and which is a pretty illusion.

The second step is checking the facts for 2026. Income thresholds, investment amounts, and rules change, so relying on articles three years old is risky. The third - gathering and legalizing documents (apostille, sworn translation): this is the longest part, it's better to start it in advance. And only then - a consulate appointment, the visa, the move. This order saves months and nerves.

Ways to immigrate to Italy: a full overview

There are several legal roads into the country, and each has its own logic. Let's list the main ones, and break them down in more detail in the following sections.

• Citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis)- through Italian roots. After the 2025 reform the route narrowed significantly, many old schemes no longer work.
• Investment residence permit (investor visa)- a contribution to a startup, a company, government bonds, or a donation. With no requirement to permanently live in the country at the start.
• Elective Residence (Residenza Elettiva)- for the financially independent with stable passive income. You can't work.
• Work visa- by an employer's invitation within quotas (decreto flussi).
• Student visa- for university and language program students, with the right to a side job.
• Digital nomad (Digital Nomad Visa)- for highly qualified remote workers working for a foreign client.
• Family reunification- to a spouse, parents, or children legally living in Italy.

It's important to fix this right away: buying real estate isn't grounds. Italy has no 'golden visa for square meters,' and this fundamentally distinguishes the country from Greece, Portugal, or Spain of earlier years.

Citizenship by descent: what the 2025 reform changed

For many years, Italian citizenship by descent was one of the most generous in the world: it could be restored even through a great-grandfather or great-great-grandfather by proving an unbroken lineage. In spring 2025 that ended. Decree-law DL 36/2025 (March 2025), approved by law No. 74/2025 in May, restricted the right by blood.

Now, as a general rule, you can apply for citizenship if your father or mother, or grandfather or grandmother, was born in Italy - that is, within two generations. Additionally, the ancestor had to hold exclusively Italian citizenship at the time of death. Applications and appointment bookings filed before March 27, 2025 are reviewed under the old, softer rules.

What this means in practice: if your tie to Italy goes through a great-grandfather emigrant from the early 20th century, the former scheme most likely won't work anymore. Don't despair too soon - assess the line through your father or mother, and if the roots go deeper, consider other routes (naturalization after several years of living, investment, passive income). The reform closed some doors, but relocating to Italy doesn't end there.

Naturalization and a marriage-based residence permit

If there are no Italian roots, citizenship is obtained through naturalization - after long legal residence. The basic requirement is 10 years of continuous legal presence in the country. For citizens of other EU countries it's reduced to 4 years, and for people of Italian descent and those born in Italy - to 3 years. Besides the track record, Italian at the B1 level, stable legal income, and no criminal record will be needed.

A separate road is marriage to an Italian citizen. Living in the country, 2 years of marriage suffices, living abroad - 3 years; with joint children these terms are halved. The B1 language bar applies here too.

It's important not to confuse concepts. A child being born on Italian territory doesn't itself give citizenship - the country doesn't apply the 'soil' principle (jus soli). A child of an Italian citizen becomes a citizen by blood, while one born to foreigners can arrange status upon turning 18, provided continuous residence. Naturalization is a long but predictable path for those seriously tying their life to Italy.

Investment residence permit: the investor visa

The investor visa is the fastest way to get the right to live in Italy, without being tied to work or study. The state offers a choice of four investment options: 250,000 € in an innovative startup's capital, 500,000 € in shares of an Italian company, 2,000,000 € in government bonds (BTP), or a charitable donation of 1,000,000 € for a socially significant project.

The scheme is this: first you get preliminary approval (Nulla Osta), then the visa and a residence permit for a term of 2 years with the possibility of a further 3-year extension. At the start you're not required to permanently be in the country - this is convenient for those not yet ready for a full move. But keep in mind: for subsequently getting permanent residency or citizenship, genuine residence in Italy becomes mandatory.

This is the core of the country's investment-migration offer, and we have a separate detailed breakdown of amounts, timelines, and nuances in our article onItaly's investor visa. If you have capital and the goal is legal European status with no long entry requirement, this route deserves a first look.

Elective Residence: a residence permit for living on passive income

Residenza Elettiva, or the elected place of residence visa, was created for financially independent people who want to live in Italy without working there. This is the favorite route of well-off retirees and those living on rent, dividends, or other stable passive income from abroad.

The key requirement is stable income not tied to labor in Italy. Benchmark for 2026 - roughly from 31,000 € a year for a single applicant, higher for a couple and family. In practice, consulates in North America and Britain often want to see more - around 35,000-40,000 € and above, so the amount should be checked for the specific consular district. Housing in Italy is also needed - owned or on a long-term rental of at least a year.

The main restriction is that you can't work under this visa, including remotely: consulates refuse and cancel permits upon noticing active employment. This nuance distinguishes Elective Residence from the digital nomad visa. A full breakdown of conditions, income, and pitfalls - in our article onthe Residenza Elettiva visa.

Work, study, and digital nomadism

Work.The work visa is issued by an Italian employer's invitation within annual quotas - the so-called decreto flussi. Quotas are limited and taken up quickly, and competition for a foreign specialist is high: it's simpler for an employer to hire a local or an EU citizen. This path is most realistic for in-demand professions and highly qualified personnel (EU Blue Card).

Study.The student visa is one of the most accessible entries. It gives the right to study at a university or language courses, take a side job within set limits, and after graduation - convert the status into a work one if there's an offer. For young people this is a calm way to settle in the country and improve the language.

Digital nomad.The Digital Nomad Visa, launched in 2024, is designed for highly qualified remote workers working for clients outside Italy. Income benchmark - roughly from 28,000 € a year, plus medical insurance and proof of qualification. The visa gives 12 months of residence with the possibility of extension and, down the road, a road to permanent residency and citizenship. This is a convenient bridge for those earning online who want to legally live in Europe.

Family reunification and the path to permanent residency

If your loved one - a spouse, parent, child - already legally lives in Italy, family reunification (ricongiungimento familiare) is available. The receiving party confirms sufficient income and suitable housing, after which the relative gets the visa and family-based residence permit. This is one of the most human routes: it's not about investment, but about being close.

Wherever your first step leads, legal residence has a continuation - permanent residency. EU long-term resident status is arranged after 5 years of continuous legal presence in Italy with stable income and Italian at the A2 level. Permanent residency is indefinite, gives social rights nearly equal to citizens', and removes the need to renew the card every year or two.

Next - naturalization and the passport, whose timelines we discussed above. It's important to keep the whole ladder in mind in advance: grounds -> residence permit -> permanent residency -> citizenship. Then the first chosen route will be not a dead end, but the first step.

Relocation method - who it suits

To form a mental map of the routes, let's collect them into one table. This isn't a ranking - each path has its own audience.

If no option looks obvious, that's normal: the route is often chosen at the intersection of opportunities - for example, the investor visa with an eye on the flat tax, or study converted into work.

Relocating to Italy step by step

Once the grounds are chosen, the further path fits into a clear sequence. Here's what the move looks like step by step.

1. Choosing the grounds.You determine the route (descent, investment, passive income, work, study, family) and check the requirements for 2026.
2. Gathering documents.You prepare the package for the chosen visa, get an apostille and sworn translation. The longest stage - start it in advance.
3. D visa.You apply for the national long-term visa (visto nazionale, type D) at the Italian consulate by appointment.
4. Relocation and residence permit.You enter the country and within 8 days submit an application for the residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) at the post office and the questura.
5. Codice fiscale.You get the tax code - without it you can't open an account, sign contracts, or arrange services.
6. Registration (residenza).You register at your place of residence in the municipality (comune) - this is the basis for healthcare and many rights.
7. Bank and insurance.You open an Italian account and arrange medical insurance or register in the SSN.
8. Housing and daily life.You secure long-term rental or a purchase, settle into everyday life.

The order of steps may differ slightly by route, but the logic is one: first status, then the infrastructure of life. Steps shouldn't be skipped - almost every next step relies on the previous one.

Codice fiscale, registration, bank, and healthcare

Let's break down the relocation's 'everyday core' in detail - this is exactly where newcomers trip up.

Codice fiscale- an Italian tax code, the equivalent of a tax ID. Without it almost nothing is possible: no bank account, no rental contract, no SIM card, no doctor's appointment. It's obtained at the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) or through the consulate, and it's worth doing this as one of the first things.

Residenza (registration)- official registration at your residential address in the municipality. After filing, a municipal police officer may come to make sure you actually live at the address. Registration opens access to local healthcare and a number of resident rights.

Bank and healthcare.An Italian bank account simplifies paying rent, taxes, and utilities. As for healthcare, there are two paths: mandatory or voluntary registration in the state SSN system (a voluntary contribution from 2024 - from 2,000 € a year) or private medical insurance. Public healthcare is considered one of the best in the world, but in a number of regions you'll have to get used to lines and booking in advance.

Taxes in Italy: IRPEF, flat tax, and real estate

The tax side of the move requires a cool head. The regular income tax (IRPEF) is progressive: for 2026 the rates are 23% on income up to 28,000 €, 33% in the range up to 50,000 €, and 43% above that amount. On top, regional and municipal surcharges are added - another roughly 1.5-4 percentage points depending on the place of residence. Tax residency kicks in with residence of more than 183 days a year, and it isn't the same as citizenship.

For wealthy people a special regime for new residents applies - the flat tax. This is a fixed tax on all foreign income. Historically it was 100,000 € a year (from 2017), then grew to 200,000 €, and from 2026 was raised to 300,000 € a year for those transferring tax residency after the new law takes effect; the surcharge for each family member is now 50,000 €. The regime applies for up to 15 years. Those who moved earlier retain the former rate - this is an important caveat about grandfathering.

Real estate is taxed separately: the IMU tax is paid on a second and subsequent property (a single main residence is usually exempt), VAT (IVA) - standard 22%. When buying, registro tax or IVA, and notary expenses are added. It's better to calculate the figures in advance: a pretty house can come with a noticeable tax burden.

Relocating to Italy from Russia: what's important to know

For citizens of Russia and other CIS countries, relocating to Italy is realistic but requires special care. Italy is a Schengen state, so entry is on a Schengen visa, while long-term residence is strictly under the national D visa and one of the listed grounds. All procedures proceed within current EU legislation, with no workaround schemes whatsoever and in full compliance with the sanctions regime.

It's worth preparing for enhanced compliance: banks and agencies check the origin of funds and documents of applicants from Russia more closely. This isn't a ban, but a more thorough procedure - a transparent history of capital and carefully gathered papers noticeably ease the path. The cleaner and clearer the file, the calmer the checks go.

It's also useful to remember your home side: Russia allows a second citizenship, but its acquisition needs to be reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (roughly within 60 days). And again the key point - citizenship isn't the same as tax residency: where you pay taxes is determined by days of residence and the center of vital interests, not the color of the passport. These details are better clarified before the move, so as not to face surprises later.

How much life and the move cost

The relocation budget consists of two parts - one-off arrangement expenses and the regular cost of living. One-off ones include consular and government fees, apostille and sworn translations, lawyers' services, and for the investor route - the investment amount itself. Add the flight, the rental deposit, and settling in.

The cost of living strongly depends on the region. Milan, Rome, and Florence are expensive - especially rent; the south of the country and small towns are noticeably more affordable. Everyday spending is affected by habits, family size, and the choice between public and private healthcare. The famous 1-euro houses (in small towns, borghi) exist, but come with an obligation to renovate within a set term and pay a deposit - it's a project, not a loophole.

To plan concretely, not by guesswork, we've prepared a detailed breakdown of expenses in our article onthe cost of living in Italy. The general principle is simple: calculate the budget a year ahead with a cushion - the first months in a new place are always pricier than expected.

How to choose the route and not go wrong

Let's bring it all together. Relocating to Italy starts with a answer to one question: what do you have going in - roots, capital, passive income, remote work, a university place, or loved ones in the country? The route depends on this, not the other way around. Fitting reality to a pretty visa is a sure way to lose time and money.

Further, keep three pillars in mind. The first - honesty of facts: the 2025 descent reform, the absence of a 'golden visa for real estate,' the updated flat tax. The second - the order of actions: grounds, documents, D visa, residence permit, everyday core. The third - the long perspective: the first status should lead to permanent residency and, if desired, to citizenship.

If capital allows, the investor route and the tax regime for new residents often turn out to be the most logical pairing - legal European status with no long entry requirement at the start. BRIDGES GLOBAL specialists will help figure out the amounts, timelines, and file preparation for your situation: we solve the questions of getting a residence permit and citizenship, and exactly where your family will live in Italy is your decision. You can study the program on the pageItaly's investor residence permit.

Get a consultation on relocating to Italy

Expert view: typical relocation mistakes

The 2025 reform and the updated tax regime noticeably changed the landscape. Below is a comment on where people most often go wrong and how to avoid it.