Italy is a very appealing country to move to thanks to its rich culture, easy to learn the language, the bohemian lifestyle and many more. These are the main attractions for those interested in immigrating to Italy, however, there also those who decide to move to Italy for more objective reasons, such as business or employment.
If you want to move to Italy and obtain residence, there are a few important steps to take. These steps, together with 5 tips on how to move to Italyand obtain residence are detailed below by our immigration specialists.
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If you want to move to Italy but are not acquainted on the ways you can do that, here are 5 tips on how to relocate and obtain an Italian residence permit:
Our Italian immigration lawyers advise you to consider your options and take into account that you will need to learn Italian if you plan on applying for citizenship after obtaining residence here.
If you want to move to Italy and a job opportunity is your option, then you should know that you will need to apply for a job first and then wait for the Italian company to obtain the necessary paperwork and send you the employment contract before coming to Italy. Also, the Italian employer will apply for the residence permit on your behalf of Italy, following which you will also need to complete a few steps with the Italian embassy or consulate in your country.
Once you move to Italy, you will be granted a residence permit for a limited period of time. You can obtain more information on how to immigrate to Italy through employment from our lawyers.
One of the most advantageous ways of moving to Italy is as a businessman. You will first need to apply for a short-stay visa following which you can apply for an entrepreneur visa. Once the visa is obtained, you will need to buy an Italian company or register as a sole trader.
If you decide to move to Italy as an entrepreneur, you will also be allowed to obtain employment within the company you purchase.
For detailed information on how to move to Italy and obtain residence as a businessman, we kindly invite you to ask our Italian lawyers who specialize in immigration about the entrepreneur visa.
The Italian government has enabled two programs under which investors from non-EU countries can relocate to Italy. These are the StartUp Visa and the Residency by Investment Scheme. Each program has its own requirements, and if you want to move to Italy through one of the two programs you are advised to consider the conditions imposed under both of them.
For example, the StartUp Visa program implies opening a business in the research and development field and have an annual turnover of less than 5 million euros.
If you want to move to Italy under the Residency by Investment Scheme, the investment conditions start at 500,000 euros.
Our immigration lawyers in Italy can offer more information on these programs.
If you want to retire to Italy and obtain residence, you will have every chance of succeeding by applying for an elective residence visa. The main condition for obtaining such a visa is to have a minimum annual income of 31,000 euros. Health insurance which covers expenses in the amount of 30,000 euros per year is also necessary.
If you are married to an Italian citizen and are living abroad, you can move to Italy with your spouse and apply for a residence permit. You will need to file evidence of your marriage with the Italian citizen together with other documents in order to immigrate to Italy this way.
If you want to move to Italyandobtain residence, here is a brief comparison between the ways in which you can achieve that based on the time, complexity of the procedure and the possibility of obtaining residency:
| Moving to Italy | Timeframe | Complexity | Residency |
| By employment | A few months | Relatively low | Yes |
| As a businessman | A few months | Relatively low | Yes |
| By investment | Up to one year | Complex | Yes |
| By retirement | A few months | Relatively low | Yes |
| By marriage | A few weeks | Relatively low | Yes |
For complete information and assistance in moving to Italy and obtaining residency, please contact us.