If you can afford to live in Italy without working there, you may want to apply for a residence visa. A residence visa is issued solely to those who are planning to move to Italy.

Non-EU citizens with considerable financial resources (e.g. retired persons, persons living off private income) are granted with a residence visa in Italy. The assets that provide a high income (e.g. the ownership of real estates that guarantee rental incomes) and high pensions are considered the best piece of evidence to show that the applicant will able to have a good standard of living while in Italy.

To obtain this visa, the applicant must provide proof of:

• Available accommodation in Italy (ownership or lease of an estate/apartment) and
• Availability of considerable financial resources (no less than 31,000 Euro per year in case the applicant owns an estate in Italy, but the assessment is made by the competent offices on a case-by-case basis).

If the financial resources are sufficient to support all family members concerned, this visa can be extended to the applicant’s spouse/children/parents.

Neither the applicant nor his family members, however, are entitled to work in Italy.

The competent Embassy/Consulate grants (on denies) the visa within 90 days from the application. This visa is valid for 1 year and can be renewed by giving evidence that the original requirements are still met.

After 5 years of continuous stay in Italy, the individual is entitled to apply for a permanent residency permit.