Italy-Investor-Visa-Requirements
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Since early 2017, Italy launched an under-the-radar investor program called “Investor Visa for Italy”.
This investment-by-residency program was not mainstreamed at that time, so nobody knew about the fact Italy had (and still has) an investment Visa option.
Why this?
The main reason is that the Italian Investor Visa program was not so competitive in the past.
Nowadays, that same Investor Visa program maintains that name, but it highly improved itself, and that’s why now it’s called “Golden Visa for Italy.”
Other countries like Spain, Portugal, and Malta offer a similar track. But the Italian Investor Visa is undoubtedly one of the most competitive right now.
With a small amount of money (starting from 250,000 €), you can get your residency in Italy, with huge benefits (for the principal applicant also the Family members) and taxation.
We receive many inquiries about Italy Investor Visa Requirements, so we want to clarify all relevant points.
We will explain to you what are the main requirements for getting the Italian Golden Visa, how long it takes, and some other helpful information about the Investor Visa for Italy program.
Before starting to list all Italy Investor Visa Requirements, let’s introduce this new Investment Visa program.
The Italian Investor Visa is a residency-by-investment immigrant Visa.
It is a 2-year visa given to non-EU citizens who choose to make significant investments in Italy.
As soon as You get the Investor Visa for Italy, you will be a long-term resident in Italy. You and your family members.
After five years of Italian Residency, you can optionally apply for the European Permanent Residency – that is the step before getting the Italian Citizenship by Naturalization.
Have you ever dreamed of becoming an Italian Citizen? If you can’t apply for Italian Citizenship by Descent or through Marriage, that’s the easiest way if you aim to get an Italian Passport.
What are the Italy Investor Visa Requirements?.
The main requirement is having money (from lawful sources) ready to invest.
Is it so simple? Yes, and no.But let’s go more profound on the process for getting the Italy Investor Visa.
Let’s see the requirements, processing times, and how is the application procedure. And what to do as long as You have your Investor Visa for Italy on your passport.
First of all, the most important requirement for getting an Investor Visa for Italy is to have the availability of resources from lawful sources.
This may sound like a weird or obvious requirement, but that’s not. Let’s think, for example, about Cryptocurrencies.
Recently, a client asks us, “Can I invest with my cryptocurrencies gains for the Italian Investor Visa?” – the answer is “it depends.”
If you sell a portion of your cryptocurrencies and paid income taxes on that (as investment gain), this may be considered lawful money. You satisfy the Italy Investor Visa Requirements.
If you want to show that you own 1milion USD in Bitcoin, you cannot. This Portfolio may not be considered a lawful source of money, as the provenience of the crypto-money cannot be proven.
This is just an example: but you understand how important it is to have a qualified Immigration Lawyer who can assist you in this delicate pre-application and pre-eligibility phase.
About the Italy Investor Visa requirements: Can a legal person apply for an Investor Visa for Italy?
If you have a look at the Investor Visa Policy Guidance, it says, “No, it is not allowed: only individuals can obtain an investor visa. Applications from legal persons will not be considered.”
But pay attention.
From the latest update on the Investor Visa regulation – since October 2020 – the correct answer is “Yes.”
A legal representative (i.e., CEO of his own Company) can apply as a legal representant under certain conditions.
No, the Investor Visa for Italy program does not foresee any restriction on specific nationalities.
Everybody can apply for an Italian Golden Visa.
The procedure for getting the Italy Investor Visa may be divided into two main phases.
The Investor Visa for Italy Committee (so-called “Comitato Investor Visa for Italy”) is the inter-institutional body responsible for ensuring that visa applications meet the requirements provided for by the law.
It comprises representatives of institutions with expertise in the migration, financial, and business aspects of the investment and donation project.
They will evaluate your investment plan and satisfy all the Italy Investor Visa requirements set by the law.
With “Investment Plan” we refer to the detailed explanation of where you want to invest. We will assist you in the process of the pre-eligibility of your investment.
The Italy Investor Visa can only be issued for a single investment, falling into only one of the types listed below.
Therefore, it is impossible to combine assets directed to different subjects.
The Committee Investor Visa for Italy will decide your application in (maximum) 30 days.
Take in mind: In whole or part, investments executed before the investor submits the visa application do not qualify for an investor visa.
And You cannot split the investment into different destinations.
For example: if you want to invest 500,000€ into an Italian Company, you cannot split that amount into two different Companies. You have to choose one Company. And it will receive the 500,000€ investment.
Investments in mutual investment funds (e.g., FIAs – alternative investment funds) or in CIUs (OICRs, Organismi di investimento collettivo del Risparmio).
You have four investment options to choose from. Let’s see in detail all of them.
Treasury Certificates (CCT/CCTeu), Zero-coupon Treasury Bonds (CTZ), Long-term Treasury Bonds (BTP), Long-Term Treasury Bonds index-linked to Eurozone inflation, and BTP ITALIA.
For each typology, it’s required a minimum residual maturity of no less than two years.
This is the most chosen investment right now.
You can invest in stakes or shares of limited companies operating, incorporated, and tax residents in Italy.
A company is considered to be “operating” if it is in an active state and has already filed at least one balance sheet at the date of the visa application.
The recipient company may be either listed or unlisted.
Its name and tax code are substantial and mandatory pieces of information for the successful application for the Italy Investor Visa.
The most common categories of a limited company recognized by the Italian law are s.r.l. (società a responsabilità limitata), s.p.a. (società per azioni), and their variants are all eligible. They can be either listed or unlisted.
Also, direct investments in other types of firms that are comparable to limited companies are eligible. These include, among others, the following investment companies:
SICAVs;
SICAFs,
SGRs,
SIMs – Società di Intermediazione Mobiliare.
You can invest in stakes or shares in innovative startups. The official list of innovative startups, which is updated every week and accessible free of charge, is available on the portal startup.registroimprese.it, administered by the Italian Chambers of Commerce system.
Donation supporting a project of public interest in culture, education, immigration management, scientific research and of cultural and natural heritage preservation.
As long as you will receive your pre-approval from the Investor Visa for Italy Committee, then the Italian Consulate can stamp the Golden Visa itself on your passport.
The Investor may apply for an Italian investor visa at the responsible Embassy or Consulate of his/her country of permanent and continuous residence within six months of issue.
There are some additional documents you need to bring to the Italian Consulate – but we will assist You also on this step.
An Italy investor visa is valid for two years, as we said above.
So, the Golden Visa holders shall enter Italy within this period and request an Investor residence permit.
The permit is valid for two years from the date of entry into Italy.
The visa holder must apply for a residence permit within eight working days of entering Italy by going personally to the Questura with responsibility for the place where s/he intends to stay.
And, of course, you have to invest.
The owner of the Italian Golden Visa has three months from the communicated date of entry to execute in full the investment or the donation.
If the investment consists of Government bonds or shares, it is mandatory to deposit them in a financial institution domiciled in Italy.
So you need to open your Italian bank account.
The investor shall demonstrate compliance with this obligation by presenting the relevant certificate of deposit of the securities/shares.
Let’s take an example, referred only to the investment into an Italian Company.
The entire procedure is pretty complicated – we only tried to briefly explain the main Italy Investor Visa requirements and how the process is composed.
Only a qualified immigration lawyer, as we are, specialized in Italy Investor Visa, can assist you on the Golden visa process in a smoother way.
The Golden Visa Italy is a new program designed by the Italian Government to letting you have Italian and European residency rights after investing in Italian strategic assets.
This is actually the Best European Golden Visa Program and the most recent one.
The most important requirements for getting an Investor Visa for Italy are:
This is specified on the Golden Visa Italy Policy Guidance: The Investor Visa for Italy is split into two different phases.
The 1st one, where you will prepare Your investment plan and You will collect all investment documentation.
The second part, regarding the application at the Italian Consulate, after the Investor Visa Committee approved Your Golden Visa Italy documents.
This is not specified on the Golden Visa Italy Policy Guidance: The Investor Visa For Italy’s processing time depends on different factors.
The Investor Visa Committee will evaluate Your investment plan in 30 days.
Also for the Consular phase, this is really fast, as the Investor Visa For Italy is a high-priority Visa. Timing depends on Consulate.
Investments start from 250,000€ in Italian startUp, or You can choose to invest 500,000€ in Italian Companies, or 1,000,000€ as a philanthropic donation, or 2,000,000€ in Bonds.
As reported by Golden Visa Italy Policy Guidance concerning limited companies, both capital increases and the purchase of shares already issued are considered as qualifying investments.
The most common categories of a limited company recognized by the Italian law are s.r.l. (società a responsabilità limitata), s.p.a. (società per azioni), and their variants are all eligible. They can be either listed or unlisted.
Also, direct investments in other types of firms that are comparable to limited companies are eligible. These include, among others, the following investment companies:
SICAVs;
SICAFs,
SGRs,
SIMs – Società di Intermediazione Mobiliare.
Investments in mutual investment funds (e.g., FIAs – alternative investment funds) or in CIUs (OICRs, Organismi di investimento collettivo del Risparmio).
This is not specified on the Italy Investor Visa Requirements: concerning limited companies, No, the investment must be directed to only 1 company per application.
By extension, it is also not allowed to combine different types of investment (e.g. direct part of the amount to a donation and part to an investment in shares).
This is specified on the Italy Investor Visa Requirements: the investment will be done in 3 months after the Investor Visa For Italy approval.
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