Italy Investor Visa in 2026: €250,000 Startup, €500,000 Company, €1 Million Donation or €2 Million in Bonds

The Italian investor visa is the only European residence programme I know where the state says yes before you spend a euro. That makes it calm for the client, but it also means the committee reads your project carefully. Sources: the MIMIT page, the operating manual, article 26-bis of Legislative Decree 286/1998 and the BRIDGES programme page. Checked on 2 November 2026.

Four investment options

Option	Amount	What it means
Innovative startup	€250,000	capital in a company entered in the special register of innovative startups
Italian company	€500,000	capital in a company incorporated and operating in Italy
Philanthropic donation	€1,000,000	a project in culture, education, immigration management, research or cultural and landscape heritage
Government bonds	€2,000,000	Italian government securities

According to BRIDGES, the startup and company thresholds were halved on 19 May 2020, to today’s €250,000 and €500,000. The money must be your own and come from a legal source, and you must be able to move it into Italy.

How the procedure works

1. You apply online on the investor visa portal run by MIMIT. The manual says the clearance application is free.
2. An inter-ministerial committee examines the file and issues the clearance (nulla osta) within 30 days.
3. With the clearance you apply for the investor visa at the Italian consulate.
4. After entry you file for the residence permit at the questura within eight working days.
5. You make the investment within three months of entry and keep it for at least two years.

BRIDGES estimates the whole process at three to four months.

The permit and its renewal

The first permit is issued for two years. It is renewed for three more years if the investment is still in place. Italy sets no minimum stay for this permit, so a family can keep a base in another country. Remember that the residence card lets you travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in every 180, but living elsewhere for long periods affects tax and future citizenship plans.

Family and work

Family members join through family reunification: a spouse, minor children, dependent adult children and dependent parents. The investor may work in Italy, which is rare among European programmes. The applicant must show no criminal convictions in the countries where they lived for more than 12 months over the last ten years.

Russian and Belarusian citizens

According to BRIDGES, applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens have been suspended since 14 July 2023, following EU Recommendation C(2022) 2028, and a note of 20 March 2024 extended this to dual nationals. I could not open the official portal during this check, so I treat this as a point to confirm before any planning.

My view

I recommend this route to entrepreneurs who want to live and work in Italy and have a real business idea. The committee approves projects, not forms, so a startup or company investment needs a clear plan. For people who only want a calm life on passive income, elective residence is simpler.