Profile

Elective Residence Visa

Route status

Active as of 2026-08-04[2][3]

Open to new applications under the rules recorded below.

Residency route facts

Identity

Identity
Official name (local)Visto per residenza elettiva / Permesso di soggiorno per residenza elettiva as of 2026-08-04[2][3]
Official name (English)Elective Residence Visa as of 2026-08-04[1][2]
Legal basisNational (type D) visa 'residenza elettiva' per DM 11 maggio 2011, n. 850; income floor per Direttiva del Ministero dell'Interno 1.3.2000, Tabella A as of 2026-08-04[2]

Who can apply

Who can apply
Nationals not served by this routeNot established from a qualifying source
National visa route for third-country nationals; EU/EEA/Swiss free-movement beneficiaries do not need it. Not stated in bloc terms on the cited pages.

Permit terms

Permit terms
Initial duration1 year as of 2026-08-04[1]
RenewableYes as of 2026-08-04[5][6]
Renewal at the Questura on proof of continuing ample passive resources received in Italy, housing and health insurance.
Renewal durationNot established from a qualifying source
Work rightsnone as of 2026-08-04[2][3]
The visa/permit does not allow any working activity, employed or self-employed (consulates); Tier-2 guidance extends this to remote work for foreign employers.

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence and citizenship
Counts toward permanent residenceYes as of 2026-08-04[7][8]
Elective residence is a 5-year-eligible permit for the EU long-term residence permit under art. 9 (not among the art. 9(3) exclusions); income, language and continuity conditions apply.

Requirements

Requirements
Minimum incomeEUR 31,000 per year as of 2026-08-04[1][2][5]
Administrative floor ('approximately 31,000 euros', Table A of the Interior Ministry directive of 1.3.2000); consulates treat it as a starting point only and commonly expect substantially higher, documented, stable passive income.
Qualifying income typespension, annuity, rental, dividends, interest as of 2026-08-04[2][3]
Consular wording: pensions, annuities (vitalizi), real-estate income, revenues from securities, or stable economic-commercial activities – the last category (business income from stable activities) has no vocabulary value; income from employment or self-employment is expressly excluded.
Work prohibitedYes as of 2026-08-04[2][3]

Process

Process
Where to apply fromfrom abroad only as of 2026-08-04[3][5]
Visa applied for at the consulate of residence; residence permit requested at the Questura within 8 days of arrival. Consular processing can take up to 90 days (Paris consulate).
Fees
    • Kind: application
    • Amount: EUR 116 as of 2026-08-04[2]
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Kind: issuance
    • Amount: EUR 70.46 as of 2026-08-04[6]
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Kind: renewal
    • Amount: EUR 80.46 as of 2026-08-04[6]
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Kind: other
    • Amount: EUR 16 as of 2026-08-04[6]
    • Charged per: application
Quota
  • Quota exists: No as of 2026-08-04[2][3]
    Not part of the decreto flussi quota system (quotas cover work entries under TU art. 3(4)); no quota mentioned in consular conditions.

Physical presence

Physical presence
maximum consecutive absence6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-08-04[4][5]
DPR 394/1999 art. 13(4): permit not renewed after continuous absence over 6 months (over half the validity for 2-year permits), save serious proven reasons.

Family inclusion

Family inclusion
Family members may be includedYes as of 2026-08-04[1][5]
Family members may apply for elective residence visas together with the principal, with increased income thresholds.
Eligible relationsspouse, minor child as of 2026-08-04[1][5]
Consular guidance quantifies increases for spouse and children; other dependent relatives not addressed on the cited pages.
Family may apply at the same timeYes as of 2026-08-04[1][5]
Family members' work rightsnone as of 2026-08-04[1][2]
Family members hold the same elective-residence status, which does not permit work.
Additional means per family member
    • Relation: spouse
    • Amount: 20% of this route's own threshold as of 2026-08-04[1][5]
      Consular guidance: +20% of the principal's income floor for a spouse.
    • Relation: minor child
    • Amount: 5% of this route's own threshold as of 2026-08-04[1][5]
      Consular guidance: +5% of the principal's income floor per child.

Your next step

Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.

The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.

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Verification

Verification
Sources cited8
of which official (tier 1)7
Oldest as-of date2026-08-04
Newest as-of date2026-08-04
Reviewed on2026-08-11
Schema version1.1

Sources

  1. [1] Information on issuance of elective residence visas (consulate information sheet)
    Consulate General of Italy in Guangzhou (distributed via VFS Global) · official guidance · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04
  2. [2] Residenza elettiva – Elective residency
    Consulate General of Italy in Paris (MAECI) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  3. [3] Visto per residenza elettiva
    Consulate of Italy in Recife (MAECI) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  4. [4] DPR 394/1999, art. 13 – Rinnovo del permesso di soggiorno (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  5. [5] Italy's elective residence visa. Not as easy as it sounds!
    Mazzeschi Legal Counsels · law firm · Tier 2 · Published 2023-06-30 · Accessed 2026-08-04
  6. [6] Permesso di soggiorno per residenza elettiva – rilascio/rinnovo (documenti e costi)
    Questura di Viterbo – Polizia di Stato · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  7. [7] D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 9 – Permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo (consolidated, in force)
    Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy
  8. [8] EU long-term residence permit
    Welcome Office Friuli Venezia Giulia (Regione Autonoma FVG) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-04 · Archived copy

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