Italy Elective Residence Visa in 2026: About €31,000 a Year of Passive Income, No Work and the Road to Long-Term Residence

Elective residence (residenza elettiva) is the route I suggest most often to retired couples and to families who live on rent or dividends. It asks for no investment, but it asks for proof that you can live in Italy without working there. Sources: Interministerial Decree 850/2011, the consulates in Houston and Paris, the Abu Dhabi embassy checklist and the BRIDGES elective residence page. Checked on 2 November 2026.

The legal basis

The visa is described in point 13 of Annex A of Decree 850/2011. It is a national D visa for foreigners who want to settle in Italy and can support themselves. Consulates issue it for 91 to 365 days with multiple entries, and then the permit is issued in Italy.

The income requirement

The applicant must show resources at least three times the annual amount in Table A of the Interior Ministry directive of 1 March 2000. Consulates translate this as about €31,000 a year for one person. The Houston consulate gives €62,000 for a married couple. Income must be stable and passive:

• pensions and life annuities;
• rent from property you own;
• income from securities;
• income from stable business holdings that you do not run as a job.

Salaries and self-employed income are not counted. In my experience consulates also look at savings, but savings alone are not a substitute for regular income.

Housing and insurance

You need a place to live in Italy before you apply: a registered lease or a property you own. The Paris consulate asks for health insurance with cover of at least €30,000 and bank statements for the last 12 months. It lists the visa fee as €116.

Deadlines

The Abu Dhabi embassy accepts applications no more than six months and no later than 15 days before travel, and the procedure may take up to 90 days. Each consulate serves only residents of its district, so you apply where you legally live. BRIDGES sees one to three months from filing to the visa in practice.

After arrival

Within eight working days of entry you file for the permit at the questura. The permit can be renewed while you keep the income and live in Italy. After five years of legal residence you can apply for EU long-term residence, and after ten for citizenship. Both are explained in the permanent residence and citizenship guide.

Who this route suits

• retired people with a pension from abroad;
• families living on rent or dividends;
• people who do not need to work in Italy.

If one partner works remotely, the digital nomad visa may fit better, because elective residence does not allow any work.