Schengen short stay (tourist): US citizens are visa exempt for Schengen short stays. The official EU ETIAS page, checked 2026-10-15, states that ETIAS is currently not in operation and that no applications are collected at this point.
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Living in Italy long term
Italy gives US passport holders four main long stay doors: a digital nomad and remote worker visa for highly qualified remote work, the elective residence visa for living on passive income (the route retirees use, since Italy has no separate retirement visa), an investor visa with tiers starting at EUR 250,000, and quota based work and study routes. Citizenship by descent still exists but was cut back hard in 2025 and now in practice stops at the grandchildren of Italian citizens. The EU long term residence permit opens after 5 years of legal residence and naturalization after 10 years.
Numbers on this page apply to holders of a US passport. Page last verified: 2026-10-15
Rules change. Confirm the current rules with the official source or the consulate for Italy before you apply, pay a fee, or book travel around a date in this table.
Every route, with the math
Scroll sideways for the full table. The route name stays in view.
| Route | Income required | Investment required | Total cost | Processing time | Days allowed | Renewal rules | Tax residency trigger | Years to permanent residency | Years to citizenship | Last verified | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen short stay (tourist) Tourist allowance | No income requirement applies to visa exempt US citizens. Italy does publish official means of support amounts for entry (the table under the Ministry of the Interior directive of 1 March 2000, published by the Foreign Ministry), which a border officer may ask a visitor to evidence: for a stay of over 20 days, a fixed EUR 206.58 plus EUR 27.89 per day for one traveller, with lower amounts per person for two or more travellers. | Not applicable | No visa fee. US citizens are visa exempt for Schengen short stays. ETIAS was not in operation at this check; the official EU ETIAS page lists a fee of EUR 20 for when the system starts and says the EU will announce the start date several months in advance. | No advance application as of this check. ETIAS is not yet in operation. | 90 days in any 180 day period across the Schengen area | Not renewable. The 90 in 180 limit is a rolling window; time spent outside the Schengen area does not reset it. | Short stays alone do not normally trigger tax residence. Tax residence requires, for most of the tax year (at least 183 days, 184 in leap years), one of the Art. 2 TUIR tests: habitual residence in Italy, domicile in Italy, physical presence in Italy, or registration in the Anagrafe resident population register. | Tourist stays are not residence under a permit and do not count toward the five years of legal residence required for the EU long term residence permit. | Tourist stays do not count toward the ten years of legal residence required for naturalisation. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Digital nomad and remote worker visa Digital nomad | Annual income from lawful sources of at least three times the minimum level set for exemption from participation in public healthcare costs. The decree of 29 February 2024 and the official consulate checklists state the test as this formula and set no fixed euro figure, so the amount in force is the one the consulate applies at filing. Also required: at least 6 months of prior experience in the remote activity, and a highly qualified profile, meaning a degree, a regulated professional qualification, at least 5 years of professional experience, or at least 3 of the last 7 years as an ICT manager or specialist (official consulate checklist). | None. | EUR 116 national (type D) visa fee, from the official MAECI consular fee table, paid to the consulate in local currency. In Italy the permit charges are EUR 86.46 in state charges: a EUR 40 contribution for a permit of up to one year, EUR 30.46 for the electronic permit, and a EUR 16 revenue stamp (Polizia di Stato). This permit is requested directly at the Questura, so the EUR 30 postal kit fee that applies to most other permits does not apply. | National visas are issued within 90 days of the application under Art. 5, paragraph 8, of DPR 394/1999, per the Foreign Ministry page on terms for issuing visas. The term can slip where checks or documents from foreign authorities are needed. | The residence permit is issued for a period of no more than 1 year (interministerial decree of 29 February 2024, Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 79 of 4 April 2024). It is requested directly at the Questura of the province of stay within 8 working days of entering Italy, and the Questura issues the tax code (codice fiscale) together with the permit. | Renewable annually for as long as the conditions and requirements that allowed issuance remain in place (Art. 5 of the decree of 29 February 2024). Family reunification is available, and family members receive a family permit of the same length. Self employed holders must also obtain an Italian VAT number (partita IVA). | Tax residence starts when, for most of the tax year (at least 183 days, 184 in a leap year), at least one of these is true: habitual residence in Italy; domicile in Italy, meaning the place where personal and family relationships are mainly centered; physical presence in Italy, counting fractions of days; or registration in the Anagrafe resident population register, unless the person proves the registration does not match actual residence (Art. 2 of the TUIR, per the Agenzia delle Entrate). No special tax regime attaches to this visa. | 5 | 10 | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Elective residence visa (residenza elettiva) Retirement | Substantial, stable and regular resources from sources other than employment, of not less than three times the annual amount in Table A of the Ministry of the Interior directive of 1 March 2000. The official consulate checklist states this minimum as approximately EUR 31,000 per year (Consulate General of Italy in Izmir). The resources must be passive and reasonably certain to continue: pensions, annuities, income from property, or stable economic and commercial activity. Consulates assess the file with discretion, and each family member files a separate application. | None. Owning a home in Italy counts as accommodation proof; it is not an investment route and confers no residence right by itself. | EUR 116 national (type D) visa fee, from the official MAECI consular fee table. The residence permit then costs EUR 116.46 in total through the postal kit: a EUR 40 contribution for a permit of up to one year, EUR 30.46 for the electronic permit, a EUR 16 revenue stamp, and a EUR 30 postal service fee (Polizia di Stato). | National visas are issued within 90 days of the application under Art. 5, paragraph 8, of DPR 394/1999, per the Foreign Ministry page on terms for issuing visas. No shorter elective residence specific term is published. | The visa is issued for 1 year. Within 8 days of entering Italy the holder applies for the elective residence permit, which is issued 1 year at a time. | Renewable in Italy at the Questura while the original requirements continue to be met, including the income test and real residence in Italy. Renewal is barred where the holder broke the stay in Italy for a continuous period of over six months, apart from military obligations or other serious and documented reasons (Art. 13, DPR 394/1999). Since 2020 this permit can also be converted into a work permit where a Flows Decree quota and the work requirements are available. | Tax residence starts when, for most of the tax year (at least 183 days, 184 in a leap year), at least one of these is true: habitual residence in Italy; domicile in Italy, meaning the place where personal and family relationships are mainly centered; physical presence in Italy, counting fractions of days; or registration in the Anagrafe resident population register, unless the person proves the registration does not match actual residence (Art. 2 of the TUIR, per the Agenzia delle Entrate). Holders with a foreign pension who settle in a municipality of no more than 20,000 residents in Sicily, Calabria, Sardinia, Campania, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise or Puglia, or in the listed earthquake affected municipalities, and who were not tax resident in Italy in the previous five tax years, can elect a 7 percent substitute tax on all foreign source income for the year of the transfer and the nine following years (Art. 24-ter TUIR, per the Agenzia delle Entrate). | 5 | 10 | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Investor Visa for Italy Investor | None. | Exactly one of four options set by the official program: at least EUR 2,000,000 in Italian government bonds; at least EUR 500,000 in capital instruments of an Italian limited company; at least EUR 250,000 in an Italian innovative startup; or a philanthropic donation of at least EUR 1,000,000 to a public interest initiative in culture, education, immigration management, research and development, or the protection of cultural and landscape heritage. Real estate purchases do not qualify. The investment or donation must be completed within 3 months of entering Italy and then maintained. | No state fee for the nulla osta application to the Investor Visa for Italy Committee. The visa costs EUR 116 (national type D fee in the official MAECI consular fee table). The two year residence permit charges are EUR 96.46: a EUR 50 contribution for a permit of over one and up to two years, EUR 30.46 for the electronic permit, and a EUR 16 revenue stamp (Polizia di Stato). | The Committee completes its assessment and issues or refuses the nulla osta within 30 days of a complete application, per the official program policy guidance; the clock pauses if the Committee requests more documents. The visa must then be requested at the consulate within 6 months of the nulla osta, entry into Italy must follow within 2 years of the visa, and the residence permit is requested at the Questura within 8 days of entry. | The investor residence permit is valid for 2 years from entry into Italy. The program sets no minimum physical presence requirement for keeping the investor permit itself. | Renewable for further periods of 3 years. Each renewal needs a new certificate of no impediment from the Committee confirming that the investment or donation was maintained for the entire validity of the previous permit, and the renewal application goes to the Questura at least 60 days before expiry. If the investment is withdrawn, the Committee asks the Questura to revoke the permit. | The permit alone does not create tax residence. Tax residence starts only when, for most of the tax year (at least 183 days, 184 in a leap year), at least one of these is true: habitual residence in Italy; domicile in Italy, meaning the place where personal and family relationships are mainly centered; physical presence in Italy, counting fractions of days; or registration in the Anagrafe resident population register, unless the person proves the registration does not match actual residence (Art. 2 of the TUIR, per the Agenzia delle Entrate). | 5 | 10 | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Work visa under the Flows Decree quotas (summary) Work | No single state threshold. The Italian employer applies for the work authorization (nulla osta) and must offer a contract that respects the applicable national collective agreement; the authorization is issued only inside the annual quotas. | None. | EUR 116 national (type D) visa fee (MAECI consular fee table). Residence permit charges through the standard kit are EUR 116.46 for a one year permit and EUR 126.46 for a two year permit: a contribution of EUR 40 or EUR 50 depending on duration, plus EUR 30.46 for the electronic permit, a EUR 16 revenue stamp, and a EUR 30 postal fee (Polizia di Stato). | For employment inside the Flows Decree quotas the visa term is 30 days from application, under Art. 5, paragraph 8, of DPR 394/1999 (Foreign Ministry page on terms for issuing visas). The binding constraint is the quota calendar: employer applications are filed on set click days and are granted only while quotas last. | The work residence permit runs with the contract: up to 9 months for seasonal work, up to 1 year for a fixed term contract, and up to 2 years for an open ended contract (Art. 5 of the TUI). | Renewable while a qualifying employment relationship continues, under the conversion and job loss rules of Art. 22 of the TUI. This entry is a summary of a route with many job categories; exact terms follow the category and the contract. A separate EU Blue Card route exists outside the quotas for highly qualified workers. | Tax residence starts when, for most of the tax year (at least 183 days, 184 in a leap year), at least one of these is true: habitual residence in Italy; domicile in Italy, meaning the place where personal and family relationships are mainly centered; physical presence in Italy, counting fractions of days; or registration in the Anagrafe resident population register, unless the person proves the registration does not match actual residence (Art. 2 of the TUIR, per the Agenzia delle Entrate). | 5 | 10 | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Study visa for university enrolment (summary) Study | Documented means of EUR 10,179.85 per year, equal to EUR 783.06 per month over 13 monthly payments, for academic year 2026 to 2027, under the parameters set by the annual circular of the Ministry of University and Research and stated in official consulate checklists. The funds can be the student's own, a parent's or a close relative's with a formal undertaking to provide them, or a scholarship. | None. | National study visa fee of EUR 90 in the current MAECI consular fee table; some consulate tables published in 2025 still show EUR 50, and the consulate of application confirms the amount due in local currency. The one year residence permit costs EUR 116.46 through the postal kit: a EUR 40 contribution, EUR 30.46 for the electronic permit, a EUR 16 revenue stamp, and a EUR 30 postal fee (Polizia di Stato). | Within the 90 day legal term for national visas (Art. 5, paragraph 8, of DPR 394/1999; Foreign Ministry page on terms for issuing visas). Pre enrolment runs through the Universitaly portal before the visa application. | The study residence permit is issued for the length of the course, up to 1 year at a time. | Renewable each year on proof of exam progress, for up to three years beyond the standard length of the course. Holders may work up to 20 hours per week and no more than 1,040 hours per year. After graduating, the permit can be converted into a work permit inside the Flows Decree quotas. | Tax residence starts when, for most of the tax year (at least 183 days, 184 in a leap year), at least one of these is true: habitual residence in Italy; domicile in Italy, meaning the place where personal and family relationships are mainly centered; physical presence in Italy, counting fractions of days; or registration in the Anagrafe resident population register, unless the person proves the registration does not match actual residence (Art. 2 of the TUIR, per the Agenzia delle Entrate). Students present for most of the year meet the test like anyone else. | 5 years of legal residence are required for the EU long term residence permit, but periods spent on a study permit count at half value and only where the holder has since held a work permit, so study time alone rarely builds the full period. | 10 | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis) Citizenship by descent | None. | None. | A consular fee of EUR 600 for each adult application for recognition of citizenship by descent, item 7B of the official consular fee table, paid to the consulate in local currency and not refundable. Certificates, apostilles and translations carry their own costs, which are not state fees. | No processing term is published on the US consulate pages checked. The Consulate General in New York states that applications are processed within the time limits established by law; in practice the wait for an appointment is the bottleneck, and an incomplete file is rejected and must be refiled with a new appointment and a new payment. | Not a visa. Recognition confirms citizenship held from birth, and with it the right to live and work in Italy and across the EU without a permit. | Not applicable. Citizenship is a permanent status and does not need renewal. | Citizenship alone does not create Italian tax residence. Tax residence follows the Art. 2 TUIR tests: at least 183 days in the tax year (184 in leap years) with habitual residence, domicile, physical presence, or Anagrafe registration. Recognized citizens who live abroad register in the AIRE register of Italians resident abroad, not in the resident population register. | Not applicable. A recognized citizen may take up residence in Italy immediately. | 0. Recognition is declaratory: the applicant is treated as an Italian citizen from birth, not naturalized. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
Route notes
Digital nomad and remote worker visa: For non EU citizens who carry out a highly qualified activity through remote working tools, as employees of a company that need not be resident in Italy or as self employed workers. Entry sits outside the Flows Decree quotas and needs no prior nulla osta. The employer must declare that it has had no convictions in the previous five years for the offences listed in Art. 22, paragraph 5-bis, of the TUI. Health insurance covering medical treatment and hospital stays for the whole stay is required, with minimum cover of EUR 30,000 in the official checklists, plus accommodation in Italy shown by a lease registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate or by property ownership.
Elective residence visa (residenza elettiva): Italy has no separate retirement visa. This is the route retirees use, and it is open to anyone who can live on passive income without working. No work activity of any kind is allowed on this route. Accommodation in Italy must be proved before applying, with a lease registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate or a property deed. New tax residents who were not tax resident in Italy for at least nine of the ten previous tax years can instead elect the flat tax for new residents (Art. 24-bis TUIR): a substitute tax on foreign source income of EUR 300,000 per year for those who transfer tax residence from 1 January 2026, and EUR 200,000 per year for transfers from 11 August 2024 through 2025, plus EUR 50,000 per year for each family member brought into the option (EUR 25,000 at the earlier rate), for up to 15 years (Agenzia delle Entrate, page updated 16 January 2026).
Investor Visa for Italy: Applications start on the program platform, investorvisa.mise.gov.it, and are decided by a committee chaired by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy with the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the tax agency and the financial police, under Art. 26-bis of the TUI. The four investment options and the nulla osta step are also listed in official consulate checklists, for example the Embassy of Italy in Wellington investor visa checklist. After 5 years the holder can apply for the EU long term residence permit, which separately requires real continuous residence (absences of no more than 6 months at a time and 10 months in total across the five years), income of at least the annual social allowance, and A2 level Italian. Holders who become tax resident can consider the new residents flat tax described on the elective residence route.
Work visa under the Flows Decree quotas (summary): The Flows Decree for 2026 to 2028 (DPCM of 2 October 2025, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 15 October 2025) admits 497,550 third country workers in total: 164,850 in 2026, 165,850 in 2027 and 166,850 in 2028, across seasonal work, non seasonal subordinate work and self employment (Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Labor announcements).
Study visa for university enrolment (summary): Summary route. Admission and pre enrolment run through the Universitaly portal, and foreign qualifications need a Declaration of Value or a CIMEA statement of comparability. Language knowledge at B2 level in the language of the course is required in the official checklists.
Citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis): Decree-Law 36/2025, converted into Law 74/2025, rewrote this route. A person born abroad who holds another citizenship is now considered never to have acquired Italian citizenship unless one of the conditions in the new Art. 3-bis of Law 91/1992 applies: the citizenship was already recognized, administratively or by a court, on an application filed by 11:59 pm Rome time on 27 March 2025; or the applicant has a parent or grandparent who holds, or held at death, only Italian citizenship; or the applicant has a parent who lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the applicant was born or adopted. In plain terms, descent claims now in practice reach only the children and grandchildren of Italian citizens. A line that runs through a great-grandparent no longer qualifies on its own.