Italy Elective Residence Visa

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Your passport must have at least 18 months of validity remaining and at least 2 blank pages for visa stamps.

Two recent biometric photos meeting Schengen format (35×45 mm, white background, neutral expression).

Complete the type-D visa application. Italy requires the form to be signed in person at the consulate appointment (no postal applications).

A signed letter explaining your reasons for relocating to Italy, your plans during the stay, and an explicit demonstration that every income source is passive (no employment, no remote work for a foreign employer).

Award letters or annuity statements showing the projected periodic payments. Pension income is the universally accepted source; if you're using annuity income, provide the policy documentation. Sworn Italian translation required.

If you're relying on rental, dividend, or royalty income to meet the threshold, provide the underlying contracts and multi-year statements. Rental contracts must be notarized in the issuing country. Sworn Italian translation required.

Six to twelve months of bank statements from every account in the applicant's name, showing balances and any income deposits. Italian consulates pay close attention to month-over-month consistency.

Copy of your most recent tax return as filed in your country of residence, with sworn Italian translation.

Police clearance certificate from your country of citizenship and from every country where you've resided more than 6 months in the past 5 years. Apostilled per Hague Convention (or legalized via the Italian consulate if from a non-Hague country). Sworn Italian translation required.

Either a 12-month Italian lease (contratto di locazione registrato — registered with Agenzia delle Entrate) or a property deed (atto di proprietà). Italian leases must be registered; a handshake or Airbnb confirmation is not accepted.

Private health insurance valid in Italy for the visa period, Schengen-compliant (≥€30,000 medical coverage) with no copay or waiting period. Many consulates expect coverage for the full first year of intended residence. Sworn Italian translation if not natively in Italian.

A notarized statement that you will not engage in any employment, freelance, or remote-work activity in Italy. ERV explicitly prohibits work.

Pay the consular visa fee. Amount is generally €116 but varies by reciprocity treaty and consular post.

Book and attend the in-person appointment at the Italian consulate covering your country of legal residence. Italy uniquely requires in-person filing for ERV (no postal or representative). NYC, Miami, London, and Paris are routinely the slowest posts.

Once approved, the consulate stamps a type-D long-stay visa in your passport valid for 12 months from issuance with 1 entry. Book your flight to Italy.

Get your codice fiscale — the Italian tax identification number. Required for the lease registration, bank account opening, SSN registration, and most Italian administrative interactions. Some consulates issue it before arrival.

CRITICAL: within 8 working days of arrival in Italy, submit the Kit Giallo (Modulo 1 + Modulo 2) at any Poste Italiane Sportello Amico window. The post office assigns a Questura appointment and gives you a receipt with the appointment date. Missing this deadline voids the visa.

Pay the Kit Giallo fee at the post office: ~€30 form + €70.46 stamp duty + €30.46 postal handling = ~€131 total.

Attend the Questura appointment assigned by the Kit Giallo receipt. Bring originals of every consular document plus a copy of the Kit Giallo receipt. Provide fingerprints.

Register your residence at the comune (local town hall) where you live. The anagrafe certificate is required to register with SSN, open most bank accounts, and become an Italian tax resident.

Register with SSN at your local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) to access Italian public healthcare. ERV holders typically pay a voluntary contribution (~€2,000–€2,500/yr per adult) unless they convert to a working status.

Pick up your physical permesso di soggiorno card from the Questura 30–90 days after the biometrics appointment. You're a legal Italian resident.