Access opportunities in Italy and treat yourself to a slice of la dolce vita

1. Apply for a Long-Stay Visa to enter Italy at your home country. In some cases such as for an Italian work visa or family reunion visa. 
2. After receiving an Italian long stay visa, you can enter Italy and apply for Italian residence permit within eight days. 
3. Depending on your reason for moving to Italy, residence permits are valid for up to two years. Moreover, before it expires you have to renew it if you wish to remain in Italy. 
4. Once you have lived in Italy with a temporary residence permit for five years, you can get a permanent residence card.
5. Then, only after having lived in Italy with a permanent residence permit for ten years, can you submit an application for Italian citizenship through naturalization.

You are not allowed to leave Italy for longer than six months within a year or you will lose your residence permit.

EU citizens do not need a visa to enter Italy – they just have to register for residency. After five years of living in Italy, if you are an EU resident, you can get a permanent residence card. Another four years after that, you are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship.

However, for non-EU citizens, the wait time is longer and the entry procedure is far more complicated.

An Italy Long-Stay Visa is also known as D-Visa or National Visa. It is required if you want to stay for more than 90 days. 

After you have entered Italy you must get an Italian residence permit which allows you to stay longer than 90 days. 

The type of Italy long-stay visa that you apply for depends on the purpose you want to live in Italy for. So, if you want to go to Italy to study, work, or join a family member, you have to apply for the respective visa.

If you have no blood or marriage ties to Italy, you can try through naturalization. However, the naturalization process is very long, especially if you are a non-EU citizen.

EU citizens do not need a visa to enter Italy – they just have to register for residency. After five years of living in Italy, if you are an EU resident, you can get a permanent residence card. Another four years after that, you are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship.

However, for non-EU citizens, the wait time is longer and the entry procedure is far more complicated.

1. Apply for a Long-Stay Visa to enter Italy at your home country. In some cases such as for an Italian work visa or family reunion visa. 
2. After receiving an Italian long stay visa, you can enter Italy and apply for Italian residence permit within eight days. 
3. Depending on your reason for moving to Italy, residence permits are valid for up to two years. Moreover, before it expires you have to renew it if you wish to remain in Italy. 
4. Once you have lived in Italy with a temporary residence permit for five years, you can get a permanent residence card.
5. Then, only after having lived in Italy with a permanent residence permit for ten years, can you submit an application for Italian citizenship through naturalization.

You are not allowed to leave Italy for longer than six months within a year or you will lose your residence permit.

How to apply for Italian citizenship through marriage?

The non-Italian Spouse married to an Italian citizen can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage after two years from the marriage/civil union, if residing in Italy. 

This term is reduced by half if the couple has children under the age of 18, or when children are legally adopted by the couple.

Foreign nationals that reside outside Italy are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage three years after the date of marriage/civil union to an Italian Citizen.

How to apply for Italian citizenship through civil union?

The non-Italian Spouse married to an Italian citizen can apply for Italian citizenship by civil union after two years from the civil union, if residing in Italy. 

This term is reduced by half if the couple has children under the age of 18, or when children are legally adopted by the couple.

Foreign nationals that reside outside Italy are eligible to apply for Italian citizenship by civil union three years after the date of civil union to an Italian Citizen.

How to apply if you are a same sex civil union?

Same-sex civil unions were recognized in Italy in 2016. All same-sex marriages celebrated abroad are recognized in Italy as Civil Unions. Same-sex couples are provided with most of the protections that are provided to married couples.

You will need the following documents:

• Birth Certificate – Certificate from the commune in which your parent, grandparent or great grandparent was born.
• Death Certificate – If your parent, grandparent or great grandparent has since passed, you will need to obtain a death certificate.
• Marriage Certificate – Applicable if your parent(s) or grandparent(s) happened to get married in Italy.
• Naturalization Certificate – If no passport or citizen ID is available, you will need a naturalization certification for your parent, grandparent or great grandparent.
• Personal Certificates – You should submit your birth certificate and marriage/divorce certificates if appropriate 

If the relation was born in Italy and had Italian citizenship or the right to claim Italian Citizenship you may qualify but there are stipulations so you may want to speak to one of our immigration consultants. 

Important stipulations are they must not have renounced their right to Italian citizenship and if using a female ancestor the next in line must have been born after January 1st 1948 but this can be successfully challenged.

If so you will qualify so long as they were born after 1st January 1948.

Congratulations, You may qualify for citizenship as long as your parent/parents have not since renounced their Italian Citizenship.

This is a common route as many grandparents were born prior to January 1st 1948.

Italian Law states that prior to January 1st 1948 they are not able to provide dual citizenship to their children.  This law has since been challenged successfully but it is a complicated process so please speak with one of our immigration consultants. 

There are other restrictions in place and you need specific documentation so please speak with our immigration consultants.

It is more likely that you will qualify if you have an Italian citizenship through your father than opposed to applying through your mother.

There are other restrictions in place and you need specific documentation so please speak with our immigration consultants. 

You are eligible for an Italian Investor Visa if you are a non-EU citizen, and make a single investment into one of the following:

• A Government Bond issued by the Italian Republic.
• A company incorporated and operating in Italy.
• An innovative startup; or
• You make a philanthropic donation. You can support public interest in the fields of culture, education, immigration management, scientific research, preservation of cultural and natural heritage.

The elective residence visa is issued as a long-term residence permit and can be requested by those who want to relocate to this country permanently. With respect to the funds that must be evidenced by the applicants, these can have various sources, among which the accepted ones by the Italian Ministry of Interior are:

• pension;
• savings;
• investments.

It should also be noted that this type of visa addresses non-EU residents, as EU citizens can freely relocate to Italy by registering with the local police station in the city they live in. As a matter of fact, once moved here, elective residence visa holders must also complete this step.

There are several requirements and among them they must have a minimum annual income of 31,000 euros. For married couples seeking to retire in Italy, the minimum amount necessary is 38,000 euros.

1. Fill in an application on the official website for the Italy Golden Visa
2. Submit the required documents 
3. Download the Final Declaration and sign it electronically before submitting it.
4. The Investor Visa Committee Secretariat will check your documents. If they are all in order, you will get a green light and the Golden Investor Visa Committee will then evaluate your application
5. The  Golden Investor Visa Committee will assess your application.
6. You will receive a decision within 30 days.

Once the Italian Golden Investor Visa Committee reaches a decision, you have six months to apply for a visa at the nearest Italian Embassy or Consulate.

• You need the Nulla Osta as well as hard copies of all the documents you have submitted. You may be required to submit additional documents as well.
• Once the Italian Embassy/Consulate grants you the visa, you have two years to use it to enter Italy.

The Italian Investor Visa is valid for two years. During this time, you can use the visa to enter Italy and get a Residence Permit.

The Residence Permit for an Investor Visa is also valid for 2 years, starting from the date of entry. You can apply to renew it for another three years by applying at least 60 days before it expires.