A free PDF guide — an income from €31,000 a year
A guide to Italian residencefor living on your income
A status for people moving to Italy and living on a pension, rent or dividends: neither investment nor quotas. We set out what income convinces a consulate, why housing has to come before the filing and what happens after the entry.
- PDF in English
- Free of charge
- Verified on 12.08.2026
- Sent by email, WhatsApp or Telegram
Preliminary information is not a guarantee of approval. Whether the income is enough is judged by the consulate.
01 / The essentials first
What to know about the status before you file
Four things that decide the consulate’s answer.
- Neither investment nor quotas
Nothing has to be put into the country and there is no cap on applications. What is evidenced is a steady passive income — consular practice takes about €31,000 a year as the mark.
- The consulate sets the threshold
There is no single figure in the law: each consulate judges for itself whether the income is enough. So it matters not only to reach the sum but to show that it will hold.
- Housing has to be in place first
By the time you file there has to be a lease or a property you have bought: without an address in Italy the application is not accepted.
- You may not work on this ground
The status is built for living on rent and a pension. Moving to a work ground is arranged separately, once you are in Italy.
02 / Income
What income to show the consulate
Choose the kind of income and the family: we will show the mark and the costs that go with it.
03 / The family
How the requirement grows with the family
There is no single rule, but practice is settled: a noticeable sum is added for each person.
The values were checked against the official material on 12.08.2026. Only the rows for which there is no official wording are marked separately.
| Criterion | OneA single applicant | A coupleThe applicant and a spouse |
|---|---|---|
| The income taken as the markA BRIDGES estimate | from €31,000 a year | from €38,000 a year |
| The form of the income | a pension, rent, dividends | added together for both |
| Housing | a lease or a purchase | a lease or a purchase |
| Work in Italy | not permitted | not permitted |
| The permit | 1 year | 1 year |
| Renewal | for 2 years | for 2 years |
| EU long-term status | after 5 years | after 5 years |
- The income taken as the markA BRIDGES estimate
- from €31,000 a year
- from €38,000 a year
- The form of the income
- a pension, rent, dividends
- added together for both
- Housing
- a lease or a purchase
- a lease or a purchase
- Work in Italy
- not permitted
- not permitted
- The permit
- 1 year
- 1 year
- Renewal
- for 2 years
- for 2 years
- EU long-term status
- after 5 years
- after 5 years
Different consulates apply different marks: before filing it matters to know the practice of the particular city.
04 / The country
What the country looks like
Briefly about the country and about what sets the terms of the status.
- The essentials firstThe key facts of the programme: what decides the matter.
- A comparisonThe thresholds and the terms of the programme in one table.
- How the work runsThe process step by step — from the check to the documents.
- The analysisWhat is checked before the status is granted.
- The limitsWhat affects the timings, the costs and keeping the status.
- Your teamWho runs the case and what each specialist answers for.
05 / The order of work
How the process runs
The housing and the income are prepared before the filing, and after the entry there are only eight days for the questura.
- The income is assessed
We look at the sources and at how steady they are: the consulate judges not a single sum but your ability to live on that income for years.
- Housing in Italy
A lease of at least a year or a purchase: the address is required before the filing.
- The visa application
Filed at the consulate: the income, the housing, the insurance, a certificate of no criminal record, the family’s documents.
- The decision and the visa
The application is considered and a national visa is issued for the entry to Italy.
- The permit at the questura
Within eight days of the entry the request for the permesso di soggiorno is filed and biometrics are given.
- The card and the renewals
A permit for 1 year, then renewals for 2 years. The whole process takes 3-5 months.
07 / The check
What the consulate examines
How steady the income is, the housing, the insurance and the family’s documents.
- How steady the income is
Statements, pension certificates, lease agreements for past periods: what is evidenced is the regularity.
- Housing
A registered lease or a deed of sale, with the address where you will live.
- Insurance
Medical cover for the whole of the stay, valid in Italy.
- No criminal record, and the family
Apostilled certificates, and marriage and birth certificates with a sworn translation.
The decision is a matter of judgement: the same sums are read differently in different consulates, so the file is built with something to spare.
08 / The limits
What to take into account in advance
Five limits that bear on the filing and on living with the status.
You may not workThe ground is living on your income
Neither employment nor business in Italy is allowed on this status.
There is no single thresholdThe consulate decides
The requirements differ from city to city: the same sum passes in one place and not in another.
Housing before the filingAn address is required
The rent starts running before the status exists.
Tax residenceAfter 183 days
Italy taxes the worldwide income of its residents. The special regimes are discussed in advance.
Eight days for the questuraThe deadline is hard
The request for the permesso is filed straight after the entry: missing the date creates trouble for the status.
09 / Your team
Who runs your case
The work is led by specialists who deal with the Italian consulates and questure.
The editorial record
The material was prepared and checked by
- First published
- 12 August 2026
- Last updated
- 12 August 2026
The official sources
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, the visa portalMinistero degli Affari Esteri · checked 12.08.2026The residenza elettiva category: the requirements on income, housing and documents.
- The consolidated immigration act, D.Lgs. 286/1998Normattiva · checked 12.08.2026The legal basis for staying without working.
- The residence permits portalPolizia di Stato · checked 12.08.2026How to file the request for the permesso di soggiorno after the entry.
10 / Common questions
Questions about Italian residence on income
How much income is needed?
There is no single figure in the law. Practice takes about €31,000 a year for the applicant and €38,000 for a couple as the mark; the decision is the consulate’s.
What income qualifies?
Passive and steady: a pension, rent, dividends, interest. A salary does not qualify on this ground.
May I work in Italy?
No. There are other grounds for work, and the move to one is arranged separately.
Do I need housing before I file?
Yes, a lease of at least a year or a property of your own — without an address the application will not be accepted.
How long is the status granted for?
The first permit runs 1 year, then renewals for 2 years.
When does permanent residence open?
EU long-term status after 5 years of residence, citizenship after 10 years.
What about tax?
After 183 days you are a tax resident of Italy. Special regimes apply to certain categories — we work the sums out in advance.
How long does the process take?
3-5 months from the filing at the consulate to the permit at the questura.
Free of charge
Take the guide and an assessment of your income
We will send the PDF with the requirements and a preliminary assessment of your income against the consulate’s practice.
- What income counts as enough
- The requirements on housing and insurance
- What happens in the first eight days after the entry
- The path to EU long-term status