Elective Residence Visa for Italy
The elective residence visa — often searched for as the elective residency visa or the Italy retirement visa — is for people who can live in Italy on income they do not have to work for. It has one rule that decides almost every application — the money must be passive — and ten Italian consulates in the United States that apply it in ten slightly different ways. This page sets out what each one publishes, word for word, and what the law behind them says.
Elective residence visa files at this firm since 2015, at every Italian consulate in the United States and at the Consulate General in London. Read the rules below in each consulate’s own words.
Consular pages verified 9 September 2026 · Legislative Decree 286/1998 · Presidential Decree 394/1999 · Interministerial Decree of 11 May 2011, Article 13
Thirty-second self-check
What Italy’s elective residence visa is — and what it is not
The Elective Residence Visa (visto per residenza elettiva) is a long-stay national visa for non-EU citizens who intend to take up residence in Italy and can support that residence from resources that do not depend on working. Citizens of EU countries do not need it. It is the route of the retiree, the person living on investments, the owner of a business abroad that runs without them.
It is not a work visa of any kind. Employment in Italy is excluded; so is employment for a foreign employer performed from Italy. The consulate in New York puts it in capitals: the applicant CANNOT finance your residence in Italy through any type of work
. A remote worker with a US salary is not an elective-residence applicant, however large the salary — that person is looking at the Digital Nomad Visa.
Nor is it an investor route. There is no investment to make and no minimum to place; the test is income, not capital. Someone who would rather invest than demonstrate passive income should compare the Investor Visa, which has different requirements and, for many, a faster and more predictable procedure.
San Francisco issues the visa for exactly 365 days: no more, no less
. Within eight working days of arrival the holder applies to the Questura for the residence permit, which is then renewed in Italy for as long as the conditions continue to be met. For a holder of a foreign pension, residence taken this way can also qualify for Italy’s 7% tax regime in the South, on that regime’s own conditions.
senza esercitare alcuna attività lavorativa— without carrying out any work activity. He must give
adeguate e documentate garanzie circa la disponibilità di un’abitazione da eleggere a residenza, e di ampie risorse economiche autonome, stabili e regolari, di cui si possa ragionevolmente supporre la continuità nel futuro— documented guarantees of a dwelling to take as residence, and of ample resources that are autonomous, stable, regular and can reasonably be expected to continue. Those resources,
comunque non inferiori al triplo dell’importo annuo previsto dalla tabella A allegata alla direttiva del Ministro dell’interno del 1 marzo 2000, must come from
cospicue rendite (pensioni, vitalizi), property, stable businesses
o da altre fonti diverse dal lavoro subordinato— any source other than employment. No euro figure appears in the decree; each consulate translates the formula into practice.
Passive income: what counts, what does not, how much
What counts. Every Italian consulate in the US uses the same family of words: pensions, annuities, income from property, dividends and interest from investments, and income from a stable business that the applicant owns but does not run day to day. The common thread is that the money arrives whether or not the applicant lifts a finger, and will keep arriving — Washington asks for guaranteed continuity in the future
.
What does not. Any salary. Boston: income deriving from subordinate work will not be taken into consideration
. Los Angeles: Income from work is ineligible for the purposes of this visa
. It makes no difference that the employer is American and the work is done at a laptop: the rule is about the nature of the income, not where the desk stands.
Capital alone. The checklists speak of income — stable, regular, continuous. A large bank balance without a recurring return from it does not match that language, and an application built on savings alone is the one most exposed to a request for more. Where the wealth is real but the income is not structured, the structuring comes before the application, not after.
How much: the minimum for a single applicant and for family members
Three consulates publish a figure, and it is the same one: €31,000 a year per applicant (Boston: more than 31,000 euros yearly per applicant
; Detroit: minimum yearly income of 31,000 euro
; New York, for family applications: typically around €31,000 per person
). The other seven publish no number and describe the resources as substantial
, ample
, or — San Francisco — as a visa targeted at wealthy persons
. There is no reason to assume that an unpublished threshold is lower than the published one, and a file that clears €31,000 comfortably, for each person in it, is the file that avoids the conversation.
Couples and dependants. Boston is explicit that the amount applies to each applicant
, dependants included, with one application packet per applicant
; Houston notes that a family of four people requires four sets of documents
. Do not assume a household figure: assume a per-head figure and a per-head file, even though the decree itself only asks that the applicant’s means be adequate for the dependants as well (see the law against the checklist). The administrative court in Rome has twice held that the per-head reading is not what the decree says; what the court decided is set out below.
What your consulate asks for, in brief
Select the consulate competent for where you live. You get how to book, the words it uses on income, and the documents that weigh most in its checklist, with a link to the checklist itself.
Based on the checklist each consulate publishes, read on 4 November 2026, and on our files. Checklists change without notice: the consulate’s own page prevails. This is general information, not legal advice.
What each Italian consulate in the US publishes
Ten Italian consulates, ten checklists — nine Consulates General and the visa office of the Embassy in Washington. The wording below is quoted from each consulate’s own page as of 9 September 2026, with a link to the source. You apply at the Italian consulate with jurisdiction over your state of residence — not the one with the shortest queue. For residents of the United Kingdom, London is set out below the table.
| Consulate | Income requirement, as stated | Work rule, as stated | Accommodation | Processing time | Biometrics / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkConsulate page → | typically around €31,000 per person— stated for family applications; otherwise substantial and steady economic resources | You CANNOT finance your residence in Italy through any type of work— funds cannot be derived from ANY FORM OF EMPLOYMENT | Lease or deed in the applicant’s name, REGISTERED before the local authorities (Agenzia delle Entrate), in original | Not stated on the ERV page | All D-visa applicants fingerprinted from 11 January 2025 (Decree 145/2024) |
| BostonConsulate page → | more than 31,000 euros yearly per applicant— dependants too, one application packet per applicant | income deriving from subordinate work will not be taken into consideration | a registered lease or deed for property in Italy | FAQ: up to 90 days for national D type visas; no fast track | Not stated |
| ChicagoConsulate page → | No figure — substantial and steady economic resources | you cannot finance your residence in Italy through any type of work | Lease for one property only, registered; multiple bookings of houses/hotels cannot be accepted | General page: one to two weeks for most visas; long-stay varies | Fingerprints in person from 11 January 2025, without exceptions |
| DetroitConsulate page → | minimum yearly income of 31,000 euro | Income deriving from work related activities will not be taken into consideration | Duly registered lease, rental contract, or deed | 1 to 3 weeks (longer in some cases) | Fingerprints in person from 11 January 2025 |
| HoustonConsulate page → | No figure — resources autonomous, stable, regular and consistent throughout the stay | Income should not come from active employment | Accommodation owned or already rented | Processing can take up to 90 days | Fingerprints mandatory from 11 January 2025, no exception |
| Los AngelesConsulate page → | No figure — substantial and stable private income | Income from work is ineligible for the purposes of this visa | Rental agreement or deed with proof of registration; hotels and third-party hospitality cannot be accepted | up to 90 (ninety days); rush not possible | All D-visa applicants fingerprinted from 11 January 2025 |
| MiamiConsulate page → | No figure — stable and ample pension income and high financial resources; resources for a minimum of one year | cannot work in Italy; they must be able to sustain themselves from their existing financial assets | Residential lease registered with Agenzia delle Entrate; residential lease of a transitory nature is not accepted | 90 days | Biometrics from 11 January 2025 for applicants aged 12 and over |
| PhiladelphiaConsulate page → | No figure — substantial and stable private income | Income deriving from subordinate work will not be taken into consideration | A registered lease or deed for property in Italy | General page: 7 days to several weeks | All D-visa applicants fingerprinted from 11 January 2025 |
| San FranciscoConsulate page → | No figure — substantial and steady passive private income; visa targeted at wealthy persons | cannot work for a domestic employer or rely on a salary | Lease for a minimum of one year (365 days); without lease or deed in the applicant’s name the visa application will be denied | Target thirty days; up to 90 days; cannot be accelerated | ERV applicants not exempt; in person via Prenot@mi |
| Washington DC (Embassy)Consulate page → | No figure — resources with guaranteed continuity in the future | cannot be derived from ANY FORM OF EMPLOYMENT | Registered lease or deed, with written hard-copy proofof registration | up to 90 days; rush not possible | Not stated; applicants must e-mail the visa office before booking |
Eight of the ten consulates state, in one form or another, that submitting complete documentation does not guarantee a visa; Chicago reserves the right to request further documentation, Houston says nothing either way. Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington say in terms that processing cannot be accelerated. Fingerprinting of long-stay visa applicants in person follows Decree no. 145 of 11 October 2024, in force from 11 January 2025; applications by mail are no longer accepted where they once were. Booking is through the Prenot@mi platform at every consulate; Washington asks applicants to e-mail the visa office before booking, and Chicago and San Francisco warn that appointments can be months away.
London
The Consulate General in London handles elective residence visa applications from people who live in the United Kingdom: a valid UK residence permit and the eVisa share code are on the list of required documents, so a British passport alone is not enough if you live elsewhere. London publishes no income figure. It asks for a documented and detailed guarantee of substantial and stable private income
, proved with letters from your bank or financial institution and your last two years of tax returns, and it states that income from subordinate work will not be taken into consideration. For accommodation it wants a registered lease or a deed for property in Italy. The application is lodged in person, and an incomplete file is not accepted at the appointment. Consulate page →
What goes in the elective residency visa application
A core that every consulate asks for, and additions that only some do. Build for the strictest — the extra document costs less than a refusal.
Proof of passive income
Pension statements, annuity contracts, dividend and interest statements, rental contracts for property abroad. New York asks for two years of tax returns; Miami for a year of bank statements. A one-page summary reconciling the sources helps — Boston asks for exactly that.
Registered lease or deed, in your name
A residential lease under Italian law, registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, or a deed of ownership. Not a hotel, not a friend’s offer of hospitality, not a short-term or transitory lease. San Francisco requires a minimum of one year; Miami excludes transitory leases in terms.
Health insurance
Private health insurance valid in Italy for medical expenses and repatriation. Boston’s FAQ sets the general minimum at €30,000; Chicago asks for cover of 100% of medical expenses. Buy the policy for the full first year, not for the trip; access to the Italian national health service once you are resident is a separate question, to be checked with the local health authority.
Reference letters
Miami asks for two letters from major banks or chartered accountants. Others accept the statements alone.
Criminal background check
San Francisco requires an FBI Identity History Summary issued within the last six months.
Travel and formalities
A one-way flight reservation (Boston), a letter explaining the reasons for the move (New York), a valid passport, for at least fifteen months at San Francisco. Read the checklist of your consulate, then read it again.
The refusals we see, and the words the consulates use
Income from work, however it is dressed
A consulting contract, a salary from your own company, a remote job. The rule is categorical — cannot be derived from ANY FORM OF EMPLOYMENT
— and consulates read tax returns.
An unregistered or short lease
A lease that the landlord has not registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, a holiday rental, a six-month contract. Chicago excludes multiple bookings of houses/hotels
, Los Angeles any third party offer of hospitality
; Miami excludes leases of a transitory nature
.
Money in someone else’s name
New York: the substantiation of financial means must be directly in the applicant’s name
. Income held by a third party — a relative’s undertaking, a company account, a trust that pays someone else — does not count. For a family, the decree asks that the applicant’s means be adeguate anche per quest’ultimi
— adequate for the dependants too; several consulates read that as a per-head figure and a per-head file. Plan for the stricter reading and keep the legal one in reserve.
Capital without income
A large balance and no recurring return from it. The checklists ask for income with guaranteed continuity
; savings that are being spent down are the opposite of that.
The wrong consulate, or the wrong moment
Applying outside the jurisdiction of your residence, or at the wrong time — Detroit and Washington open the window six months before departure, Boston only ninety days before entry, and Boston and Washington both close it fifteen days before.
Thin margins
Meeting €31,000 by a few hundred euros, for one applicant, with no other assets. Nothing on the page forbids it; the consulate’s discretion allows it.
Where the checklists go beyond the decree
The requirements are three sentences of Article 13. The checklists are pages long. Most of what they add is reasonable documentation of what the decree asks; some of it is a condition the decree does not contain — and a refusal built on one of those is a refusal without a legal basis. Article 4(2) of Legislative Decree 286/1998 allows a consulate to refuse a visa qualora non sussistano i requisiti previsti dalla normativa in vigore
— where the requirements set by the law in force are not met. Not the requirements set by the checklist.
| Point | What the decree says | What the consulates ask |
|---|---|---|
| The dwelling | la disponibilità di un’abitazione da eleggere a residenzaavailability of a dwelling to take as residence — no form, no minimum term, no exclusion of any title | A lease or deed in the applicant’s own name, registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, presented in original (New York, Washington); a term of at least one year (San Francisco); no transitory lease (Miami); no hospitality offered by a third party (Los Angeles, San Francisco). |
| The family | a condizione che le suddette capacità finanziarie siano giudicate adeguate anche per quest’ultimithe applicant’s means must be judged adequate for the spouse and dependent children too — one person’s resources may carry the household | more than 31,000 euros yearly per applicantand one application packet per applicant(Boston); each applicant must demonstrate sufficient financial resourcesand means directly in the applicant’s name(New York). |
| The amount | non inferiori al triplo dell’importo annuo previsto dalla tabella Aa formula: three times the annual amount in the Interior Ministry’s table of 1 March 2000 | €31,000 a year (New York, Boston, Detroit); no figure at all at the other seven, where the assessment is substantial, ample, wealthy— words the applicant cannot measure himself against before applying. |
| The source | da altre fonti diverse dal lavoro subordinato, including stabili attività economico-commercialiany source other than employment, expressly including a stable business the applicant owns | any type of work(New York, Chicago), work related activities(Detroit), active employment(Houston). Read literally, some of these reach income from a business that the decree expressly admits. |
| The documents | The decree lists none: it asks for adeguate e documentate garanzieand leaves the rest to the consulate. | Two years of tax returns (New York), a year of bank statements and two bank reference letters (Miami), an FBI record check issued within six months (San Francisco), a one-way flight reservation (Boston), a letter of motivation (New York). Each is a consular choice, and each is applied as if it were a condition. |
The consulate’s list is the file to build: it is applied at the counter, and arguing the decree there does not get a visa issued. What the decree gives you is the measure of a refusal. A file assembled to the strictest checklist, with the legal position documented alongside it, meets the consulate on its terms and keeps the law in reserve.
A refusal must be communicated in a language the applicant understands and, outside the security exception, must give its reasons. It can be challenged before the administrative court in Rome (TAR Lazio), within sixty days of its communication; the court does not re-decide the visa but reviews whether the consulate applied the law’s requirements, investigated the file, and gave reasons that hold. A refusal that rests on a checklist condition the decree does not contain, or on a formula that never engages with the applicant’s actual resources, is the kind that does not hold.
What the administrative court has said about the income threshold
Challenges to visa refusals issued by Italian consulates are heard by the Regional Administrative Court for Lazio (TAR Lazio) in Rome. Two of its decisions concern couples refused by the Consulate General in London because each spouse had been asked to show about €31,000 a year in their own right.
TAR Lazio, Third Section, judgment no. 18244 of 21 October 2024
The court read article 13 of Annex A to Interministerial Decree 850/2011 together with Table A of the Interior Ministry directive of 1 March 2000: the minimum is three times the daily amount in that table, which is €27.89 a day for the first applicant (about €30,540 a year) plus €17.04 a day for each further family member (about €18,660 a year). Demanding the full amount from the spouse automatically was unlawful, and the consulate had to assess whether the family’s resources were adequate for all of them. The court also found that a registered lease in the destination town, together with building land for which a permit had been obtained, satisfied the accommodation requirement. The refusal was annulled and the consulate was left to decide again on the application.
TAR Lazio, Fifth Section quater, judgment no. 12627 of 25 June 2025
The court applied the same reasoning to a couple with two pensions and rental income of about €53,000 a year, refused in August 2022 on the “€31,000 per person” reading. It annulled the refusal, left the consulate to decide again, and ordered the Ministry to pay costs.
The income rule, explained on video
The correct income figure, and what to do when a consulate asks for more
Fourteen minutes on the passive-income requirement, the gap between the decree and what some consulates demand, and a case in which that demand was overturned.
From first call to residence permit
Structure the income, find the home
Before anything is booked: confirm the income is passive and documented for each applicant, and secure a lease or purchase in Italy that can be registered in your name. This is where most of the work is.
Book on Prenot@mi
At the Italian consulate for your state. Appointments can be months out — Chicago warns of up to two months, San Francisco of being booked out for several months
. Cancellations open slots; check often. Washington requires an e-mail to the visa office first.
Appear in person, with fingerprints
Since 11 January 2025 every elective-residence applicant is fingerprinted at the appointment — San Francisco confirms there is no exemption for this visa. One packet per applicant. The consulate may request more documents and usually does not say when it will decide.
Decision within 90 days, then Italy
The statutory limit is ninety days; six of the ten consulates say so, and those that address the point say it cannot be accelerated. On arrival, apply to the Questura for the residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) within eight working days, and register your residence with the municipality — the transfer of residence on which the 7% regime, if you qualify, is built.
Buying a home in Italy from abroad?
The Italy Property Buyer’s Kit — 2027 Edition gives you a step-by-step roadmap, a due diligence checklist, a contract clause checklist, a cost calculator and a bilingual glossary. General information, not legal advice.
See what is inside the kitBefore you apply
Is the elective residency visa the same as an Italy retirement visa?
In practice, yes. Italy has no visa called a retirement visa: retirees who want to live in Italy without working apply for the elective residence visa (visto per residenza elettiva), which many people, and some consulates, call the elective residency visa. It is open to financially independent individuals of any age, not only to pensioners: what decides is passive income, not age.
Can I work remotely for my US employer on an elective residence visa?
No. The visa does not allow any work activity, and income from employment is not counted toward the requirement — the New York consulate states that the applicant CANNOT finance your residence in Italy through any type of work
. A remote employee should look at the Digital Nomad Visa, which is designed for exactly that situation and has the opposite income rule.
How much income do I need?
Three US consulates publish €31,000 a year per applicant; the other seven publish no figure and describe the resources as substantial and stable. The legal formula is three times the annual amount in the Interior Ministry’s 2000 table, from sources other than employment. Treat €31,000 for the main applicant as the floor, not the target, and expect most consulates to ask the same of each family member (see the next question).
We are a couple. Is the figure for both of us together?
At most consulates, no. Boston states the amount applies per applicant
and requires one application packet each; Houston notes a family of four needs four sets of documents. The decree itself says something softer — the spouse and dependent children may receive the same visa a condizione che le suddette capacità finanziarie siano giudicate adeguate anche per quest’ultimi
, that is, if the applicant’s means are judged adequate for them as well. The administrative court in Rome has twice applied it that way: the minimum for each further family member is the lower daily amount in Table A, about €18,660 a year, not a second €31,000, and the household’s resources are assessed together (TAR Lazio no. 18244/2024 and no. 12627/2025; both refusals were annulled and both consulates were left to decide again). Plan the file for the consulate’s per-head reading; if it is refused on that ground alone, the decree and those judgments are the argument.
I have savings but little income. Does that work?
Not as the checklists are written. The consulates ask for income with continuity, not capital. If the wealth is real, the answer is usually to structure it so that it produces documented recurring income — annuities, dividend-paying investments, rental property — before applying, not to argue the point at the counter.
Do I really need a registered lease before I have the visa?
Yes. Every consulate requires a lease or deed in the applicant’s name, registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, at the time of application. It is the requirement applicants most resent and the one most consistently enforced; San Francisco says the application will be denied
without it. We handle the lease and its registration as part of the file.
How long does it take?
The law gives the consulate ninety days from the application, and most Italian consulates in the US say so. Add the wait for the appointment itself — weeks to months depending on the consulate — and the time to structure the income and register the lease. From first conversation to visa, plan in months, not weeks.
Can I apply at any consulate?
No. You apply at the Italian consulate with jurisdiction over your state of residence, and Los Angeles, for instance, only accepts identification from California, Arizona, Nevada or New Mexico. A shorter queue elsewhere is not a reason the consulate will accept.
Does the elective residency visa lead to permanent residency or Italian citizenship?
The visa gets you in; the residence permit is renewed in Italy while the conditions last, and each renewal asks again for proof of the income and the home. After five years of continuous legal residence a long-term EU residence permit can be applied for. Citizenship by residence for non-EU nationals requires ten years — and for many Americans of Italian descent, citizenship by descent is the faster question to ask first.
Can I apply for the Italian elective residence visa in London?
Yes, if you live in the United Kingdom. The Consulate General in London requires a valid UK residence permit and the eVisa share code among the documents. If you live elsewhere, you apply at the Italian consulate competent for your place of residence.
What happens if the consulate refuses my application?
The refusal is given in writing and states its reasons. You can either file a new application that answers those reasons, or challenge the refusal before the Italian administrative court within the time limit indicated in the decision. In our experience refusals concern the suitability of passive income or the accommodation in Italy; we have challenged a refusal on passive income, and the court annulled it and ordered the consulate to issue the visa.
Do you handle the application yourselves?
Yes. We review your income and its sources against the wording of your consulate, prepare the file and the explanatory letter, check the lease or deed, and follow the application through to the residence permit in Italy. The first step is the free eligibility check through the form below, answered in writing by a lawyer.
Tell us where you live, what your income is, and where you want to be in Italy
We will tell you whether the elective residence route is the right one for you, which consulate has jurisdiction over you, and what needs to be structured before you book an appointment. If the answer is the Investor Visa or citizenship by descent instead, we will say so.
- No cost, no obligation
- Read by an Italian lawyer
- Every message is answered
Not sure this is your route? Read the 7% regime for pensioners or the Investor Visa for Italy. Moving a substantial estate as well as a household? See private client.
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