The visa for elective residence allows access to Italy, with an aim to reside, for foreigners intending to settle in our country and who are able to autonomously subsidise themselves, without carrying out any work activity (Article 13 of Attachment A of the interministerial Decree MAE n°850 from 2011, regarding the definition of the typologies of entrance visas and the necessary requirements in order to obtain them).
To such end, the foreigner will have to provide adequate and documented warranties about the availability of a dwelling to be elected as his/her own place of residence, as well as vast financial resources. Such resources, which should not be inferior to 31,000 euros a year (i.e. triple yearly amount as opposed to the amount estimated in chart A attached to the directive issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on March 1st 2000, reporting the means of sustenance needed for the access and the residence of foreigners in the State’s territory), will have to derive from the entitlement to substantial incomes (i.e. pensions, life annuities), from the possession of real estate properties, from the entitlement to stable economic-commercial activities or from other sources which are different from subordinate employment.
The same visa will be issued to the cohabiting spouse, as well as to cohabiting underage and adult dependent children, providing that the aforementioned financial resources are deemed as adequate for them too. Furthermore, if the visa is requred for the spouse as well, the total amount of the monthly incomes will have to increase by 20%. Such increase will be of at least 5% for every child that the visa was requested for.
The Embassy and the Consulates, providing that a dwelling property is purchased in Italy, will proceed by applying the “minimal financial requirement” as provided by the italian regulation (about 31,000 euros a year). In other cases, in compliance with such regulation, the assessment on the effectiveness of these requirements is entirely left to the discretion of the Embassy.
The duration of the issued visa for Elective Residence will be of 1 year and the visa will be renewable at the competent police headquarters providing that the original requirements are still valid. The entrance visa will have to be converted into a residency permit within 8 days from the arrival to Italy, as for all other typologies of long-lasting visas. Such residency permit cannot be renewed or postponed if the foreigner turns out to have interrupted his/her stay in Italy for a period lasting longer than six months, except if such interrubtion was due to the necessity of abiding by military duties or other significant and substantiated motivations.
With this typology of visa it will never be possible to carry out any work activity in Italy.
It is necessary to inform that, after 5 years, it is possible to request an EC permit of residency for long-term stayers which has permanent validity and allows its holder to benefit from a treatment which is subtantially equal to the one granted to the citizens of the EU member countries.