Italian Immigration Options

Italy Launch New Booking Portal for Consular Services

The Italian Foreign Ministry has launched a new portal for booking consular services appointments at its consultates around the world. Appointments are open to both expatriate Italians seeking citizen services and prospective immigrants applying for Italian residency, citizenship and other services. Called Prenota Online, it is being rolled out worldwide this year. Click here to find your local Prenota site.

Davies & Associates is a one-stop shop for all Italian immigration services. We provide legal assistance with Italian residency, citizenship, tax, property, student visas. We also offer Italian-language support for Italians seeking to move from Italy to the United States. Our Italian presence in the United States is led by Matteo Tisato in Miami. The South of Florida is home to one of the largest Italian expatriate communities in the United States. Matteo is also the key point of contact for our US and global clients seeking Italian immigration and business services. Matteo works closely with our teams located in Florence, Rome and Milan.

Visit D&A Italy Practice Homepage


Cambia il servizio di prenotazione dei consolati Italiani all’estero. Sia che tu sia un cittadino italiano residente all’estero o un cittadino americano che intende fare richiesta per un visto italiano, da oggi potrai utilizzare un nuovo servizio di prenotazione “Prenot@Mi”, il quale sostituisce il servizio precedente aggiungendo funzionalità innovative e semplificate.

Il nostro studio da anni fornisce assistenza legale in materia di immigrazione, assistendo una vasta clientela in materia di residenza, cittadinanza, tassazione, compravendite immobiliari, visti. Offriamo anche supporto in lingua italiana per gli italiani che cercano di trasferirsi negli Stati Uniti. La nostra presenza italiana negli Stati Uniti è guidata da Matteo Tisato, il quale gestisce il nostro ufficio di Miami, in quanto la Florida ospita una tra le più importanti comunità di espatriati italiani nel continente americano. Matteo è inoltre il punto di riferimento per tutti nostri clienti statunitensi e globali che cercano servizi di immigrazione e affari in Italia. Matteo lavora quotidianamente a stretto contatto con i nostri teams situati a Firenze, Roma e Milano.

Italian Residency

The most popular Italian visa category for our firm is the Elective Residency Visa. To apply you need to be able to prove you have at least €32,000/year in funds earned outside of Italy and a place to stay. An alternative pathway to residency is through investment – the Italian government slashed the prices of its Investor Visa last year and now options start from $250,000. A new tax system designed to attract High Net Worth Individuals and retirees as well as self-employed workers was introduced three years ago.

Italian Citizenship

After ten years’ residency a person can apply for Italian citizenship (2 years for EU citizens and a less clear picture for British post-Brexit). An alternative path to Italian citizenship is through lineage. If you are able to prove you have an Italian ancestor you may be eligible for citizenship. This option is especially popular in Latin America – Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela – because of considerable Italian migrant exodus in the early twentieth century.

Other Services

Italy can be quite bureaucratic at times and Davies & Associates network across Italy can help with relocation including explaining all the necessary steps on arrival, and help with finding and signing on a rental or purchased property.

Services for Italians

D&A has helped many Italians move to the United States. The most popular visa is the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, which allows the holder to move their families to the US to invest in and run a business. Spouses are eligible for work authorization. The visa is renewable indefinitely, so long as the underlying business remains in operation.

Alternative visas are the L-1 Visa for the transfer of a manager or specialized knowledge employee from the Italian office of your firm to the US office (if you do not yet have an office you can create one and apply for the L-1 Visa). The EB-5 Investor Visa requires a $900,000 investment for US permanent residency – it is only used by a small number of Italians each year.

Whether you are looking to move to Italy or you are an Italian living overseas, Prenota will be your online booking system for all future consular appointments. For any questions about Prenota, Italian immigration, or Italian emigration, contact Matteo Tisato for a free consultation.

I nostri servizi per la clientela Italiana
Davies & Associates assiste centinaia di Italiani nel trasferirsi negli Stati Uniti. Nella maggioranza dei casi, la nostra clientela Italiana decide di richiedere il Visto E2, il quale consente all’investitore e alla propria famiglia di trasferirsi in America a seguito di un investimento sostanziale. Questo visto è sempre rinnovabile, a condizione che il business sia operativo.

In alternativa, una soluzione può essere data dal Visto L-1, che si rivolge a Manager d’azienda o lavoratori specializzati che necessitano di lavorare in una succursale americana. Una parte minoritaria decide invece di richiedere direttamente la Green Card grazie ad investimenti di almeno 900,000 dollari.

This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


Tax Incentives for Investing and Renting Residential Properties in Italy

By Matteo Tisato

The lure of Italy is undeniable. Stunning landscapes, historic cities, culture, design, culinary tradition. Before Covid-19 hit Italy so badly in early 2020, Rome was the country’s most popular destination with almost 27 million of visitors every year, or 6.4 percent of the total, followed by Milan and Venice (both 2.8 percent), and Florence (2.4 percent).

However, in the recent years, Italy has become an excellent place attracting not only tourists but international investors as well, who are finding always more opportunities and great deals even on tax regimes.

Today we dig into the international real estate business and want to share something that most potential investors in the real estate market do not know: A 10% flat rate for incomes coming from renting out residential properties. 

A 10% flat rate for incomes coming from renting out residential properties. 

If in most cases a rate of 21% is applied to these incomes, for lease contracts that meet certain requirements it is possible to qualify for a 10% flat fee, which is certainly more convenient for the investors/owners. Here are the main criteria to qualify for this special taxation regime:

  • Firstly, the residential lease must be in the form of 3 plus 2 years, or Interim contracts (up to 18 months) or student contracts (up to 36 months).
  • Secondly, the 10% flat rate applies only to leases for which the maximum amount is not freely established by the parties but is determined in accordance with agreements made by the local authorities and the most representative tenant organizations.
  • Thirdly, the 10% flat rate applies exclusively to homes located in specific areas, including the biggest cities such as Bari, Bologna, Catania, Florence, Genova, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Rome, Turin, and Venice. Buying a property in these cities may also include further reductions on IMU, which is the Italian property tax.

International investors are always more interested in investing in the Italian real estate by taking advantage of the above tax regime. In addition, house expenses are usually paid by the tenant, and these include water-sewer taxes, condominium taxes, gas, electricity, Internet/Wifi, and Tv/cable tax.

In addition to reduced rental taxes, Italy offers a range of tax benefits to attract foreign workers and retirees. This includes a generous time-limited reduction on income tax for workers who move their tax residency to Italy. As well as a 7% flat tax on overseas pensions for retirees who switch their tax residency to Italy. Conditions apply.

Italy also attracts high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) through a €100,000 flat tax for up to 15 years. This has proved popular with 784 people taking up this offer over the past three years. The majority of HNWI applicants (10%) are from the United Kingdom, where Brexit uncertainty coupled with Italy’s generous tax provisions, have spurred people to act.

For anyone interested in moving to Italy, there are a range of options available. Including the investor visa – for which the Italian government has just reduced the investment amounts; the elective residency visa – for which you need to prove annual stable income in excess of €32,000; the European Blue Card – for highly-skilled individuals; and naturalization by proving Italian ancestry.

Learn more in our podcast.

Contact Us to discuss your case.

This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


E-2 US visa for Brazilan Nations

Italy Flat Tax for HNWIs Leads to 784 New Tax Residents

The Italian authorities have announced that 784 high-net-worth individuals have applied for tax residency in Italy over the first three years of the program. The reason? A €100,000 flat tax on income for up to fifteen years.

The country with the most applicants (10%) was Great Britain, followed by France (58 applicants), the United States (20 applicants) and Russia (19 applicants).

Italy’s attempts to attract foreigners to obtain tax residency does not stop with high-net-worth individuals. The country has attempted to attract retirees to switch their tax residency with the lure of a 7% annual flat tax on overseas income (e.g. pension), with an emphasis on retiring to the southern regions of Italy.

Italy is also seeking to attract more people of working age, especially the self-employed. A generous tax incentive for workers includes a 70% reduction in income tax on Italian income for five years, with the potential to increase and extend the discount if settling in the South or bringing family members.

In addition to tax residency, Italy offers a range of residency and citizenship options. The country offers and investor visa program, and recently offered substantial discounts to attract more investors to obtain residency.

Other options include obtaining the European Blue Card for highly skilled workers, or obtaining an Elective Residency Visa if you can prove you have a steady income of at least €32,000.

An alternative pathway to Italy is by claiming a right to citizenship through an Italian ancestor. Given high levels of emigration in the early twentieth century, a surprising number of Americans, Brazilians, Argentinians, Venezuelans and Mexicans can claim Italian citizenship.

Given the favourable flat tax and the high quality of living, it is little surprise that Italy has registered almost 800 new HNWI tax residents. It is also understandable that Brits are among the highest applicants, given that British citizens will lose their automatic access to reside in European Union countries after Brexit.

As with anything to do with tax, there is considerable nuance in the details. It is vital to engage tax counsel before planning your move. Please contact Matteo Tisato in our Italy team to discuss your specific circumstances in greater detail.

This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients.


Positano Italy

Podcast: Chasing the Italian Dream: Residency & Citizenship Options

Matteo Tisato, Senior Immigration Analyst at Davies & Associates takes you through various options for moving to Italy, including:

The Italian Investor Visa.

Matteo discusses recent changes to the Investor Visa. The Italian Investor visa has long been considered uncompetitive on price in relation to other, similar European programs. To attract more high-net-worth individuals as a result of Covid. The government has halved the minimum investment requirement of certain investor visa criteria. The pathway to citizenship is also discussed.

The Elective Residency Visa

Matteo discusses the benefits of one of the most popular visas for people looking to work or retire in Italy. The core requirement of the Elective Residency visa is to rent or lease a house and have an income of 32,000 Euros or more.

Italian Citizenship Through Ancestry

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Italy experienced mass migration on a vast scale. Many people around the world, especially in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina, can claim Italian citizenship through an ancestor. Matteo talks us through the main requirements, including the need to provide documentation to support the claim.

EU Blue Card

The European Union offers a “blue card” program to attract highly skilled workers from around the world. So-named to infer a link to the US Green Card. As you will hear, it is actually more similar to the H-1B visa.

Italian Tax

The Italian tax system can be daunting even to the initiated. Many of our clients want to know the best way to structure their taxes when moving to Italy from abroad. Italy has recently made it more attractive for workers, retirees and high net worth individual to become tax resident.

Hosted by Duncan Hill. Neither Duncan nor Matteo are licensed lawyers in the US or Italy and nothing in this blog constitutes legal advice. Contact Davies & Associates to discuss your circumstances with an attorney.


D&A Immigration Newsletter: July 2020 Updates India, US, Italy, Vietnam Immigration

Join our EB-5 Visa Webinar | July 8 2020

Interest in EB-5 visa is growing quickly because it has not been included in President Trump’s “immigration ban”. 

Join us for a free webinar where our Global Chairman, Mark Davies, will answer all your EB-5 questions. Mark will be joined by Matt Hogan, Vice President of Project Development at CMB Regional Centers. The EB-5 visa offers a path to US permanent residency (Green Card) for a minimum $900,000 investment per family. Conditions apply.

July 8, 2020 – 5:30pm India | 7pm Vietnam | 1pm London | 8am New York

Davies & Associates Italy: Expansion

We are pleased to announce the appointment of a new Italian-speaking team member, Matteo Tisato. Matteo is based in our Miami, Florida office and brings experience from working for law firms on both sides of the Atlantic. Matteo is already busy assisting our Italian clients with realizing their US immigration goals. He is also our go-to staff member for anyone seeking residency and citizenship of Italy. Matteo can be reached at [email protected] 

Siamo lieti ti annunciarvi l’ingresso di Matteo Tisato nella squadra Davies & Associates. Matteo gestisce il nostro ufficio a Miami (Florida), assiste tutti i nostri avvocati americani ed è punto di riferimento per la clientela Italiana. Matteo si occupa inoltre di permessi di soggiorno e naturalizzazioni Italiane

Read Matteo’s latest blog on the Italian Elective Residency Visa

Davies & Associates India: Remittance Taxes

The Indian government is changing the way it collects tax on remittance payments from October 1. People seeking to emigrate who do not wish to pay this tax at source and rather account for it later may wish to move their money ahead of the new rules coming into effect. It is possible to pre-emptively move money into an escrow account in the United States until such a time as they are ready to proceed with emigration process.

Read more about India’s remittance tax at source 

Davies & Associates Vietnam: New Hanoi Office

Davies & Associates is opening a new office to meet demand in Vietnam. Our new premises are located in the Hanoi Lotte Center in Ba Dinh, Hanoi. This complements D&A’s Ho Chi Minh City office, located in the landmark Bitexco Tower. Davies & Associates Global Chairman Mark Davies is currently based out of our Vietnam office and is available for meetings. 

Davies and Associates đang mở một văn phòng mới để đáp ứng nhu cầu tại Việt Nam. Cơ sở mới của chúng tôi được đặt tại Trung tâm Lotte Hà Nội, quận Ba Đình, Thành phố Hà Nội.

Contact us to schedule a meeting with D&A Chairman Mark Davies

Davies & Associates India: Retrogression

Big news for EB-5 in India is that the country is technically no longer in retrogression. This may be the artificial result of a slowdown in processing at USCIS. Given recent changes to the way USCIS sequences applications, this could be a favourable time to make an application before processing picks up and India potentially returns to retrogression.

Contact us for a more detailed explanation. 

D&A in the News

Davies & Associates was quoted in the Financial Express on the impact of President Trump’s suspension of H-1B, J-1 and L-1 visas through the end of the year. Mark Davies, Global Chairman of D&A, explained that restrictions on the H-1B have been tightening for years, and that we are seeing an increasing number of H-1B holders looking at the E-2 and the EB-5 visa as alternatives. Both visas have been exempted from the “immigration ban”.

Read the article here.

Finally: Happy Independence Day to Those Celebrating on Saturday