13 advantages of Italy citizenship: how to obtain it and enjoy Dolce Vita till the end of the life

Many people would imagine living on the seaside and enjoying fine food on a warm summer night when they try to imagine living in Italy. While this could be true, there are some more practical benefits to becoming a citizen of the country.

How to get an Italy Golden Visa

1. Ability to live, work, and study in 27 countries. Among the benefits of an Italian passport is that the citizens can move without restrictions to all EU member states. They also have an advantage when it comes to employment, as hiring an Italian citizen requires a lot less paperwork for a local company.

2. One of the strongest passports. Italian citizens only need visas to enter 27 countries worldwide, such as China, Cuba and Nigeria, while travelling visa-free to 172 states. 45 countries allow entry with a valid Italian ID card, a number that includes all the European Union and Schengen Area. The list of visa-free destinations also consists of most countries in other regions.

3. Italian passport for the younger generations of the family. If a new Italian citizen has children under the age of 18, they are automatically eligible for the Italian passport as well — and so will their children and grandchildren, too.

4. Easier property purchase. Buying a house in Italy is likely to be a lot cheaper and more straightforward for the citizens of the country. Besides, there’s a tax discount on the individual’s first home in Italy.

5. Healthcare benefits. Italian citizens residing in the country can apply for the Tessera Sanitaria (Italian National Healthcare Card) to receive healthcare in Italy and the EU. The Italian healthcare system is both high-quality and affordable, with plenty of services provided for free or at a low cost.

6. More affordable tertiary education. Children of Italian citizens and residents can enrol in Italian universities and colleges easier than other overseas students. They will also face lower tuition fees and other associated costs.

7. No compulsory military service. In 2005, Italy stopped the military draft. As a result, the country’s armed forces are now formed solely from professional volunteer troops.

8. Voting opportunities. Depending on the place of residence, an Italian citizen over the age of 18 can participate in local, national and EU elections. Moreover, Italian citizens living away from the country have a chance to elect representatives for “overseas constituencies”, i.e. MPs and senators who would represent the interests of Italians abroad.

9. Social benefits. Italian citizens easily access various social welfare benefits, including pensions, unemployment benefits, and other social security bonuses.

10. Business opportunities. An Italian passport allows its holder to start a business in both Italy and other EU countries and benefit from a large, unified market. The process requires less paperwork than the one for foreigners and residents.

11. Tax incentives. There are several opportunities to reduce the tax burden in Italy. For example, new Italian tax residents are offered a special regime and can pay a flat tax of €200,000 a year on their foreign-sourced income for 15 years. Employed by local companies and the self-employed can pay only 30% of the income tax, and retirees can enjoy a flat 7% tax on their passive income outside Italy.

12. No need to renounce first citizenship. Italy recognises dual citizenship. It means that if a person obtains an Italian passport, they can keep the citizenship of the first country if the local laws allow it as well.

13. Comfortable place to live. Marvellous weather, world-famous cuisine, rich cultural heritage, spectacular scenery, and most of the major European cities just a couple hours away by plane — living in Italy could be the dream.

While the benefits of Italy citizenship probably outweigh the disadvantages, you should be aware of a couple of drawbacks.

Lengthy acquisition process. Depending on the way of getting Italian citizenship, a person can become eligible for the passport in between 12 months and 10 years. It’s not the end of the road, though: the application could be processed for between 3 months and 3 years even if the applicant collects and presents all the required documents orderly.

Taxation aspects. An Italian citizen may not be required to pay taxes in the country if they don’t have any income or own property there. However, it only applies to individuals living for less than 183 days per year in Italy.

Most holders of Italian passports obtain it by birthright as children of Italian citizens. For foreigners, the most common ways to acquire citizenship are by naturalisation, by descent and by marriage.

1. By naturalisation. A non-Italian citizen who obtains a resident permit card can be eligible for citizenship in 10 years. An EU citizen can apply for Italian citizenship after living in the country for 4 years.

Before applying, the individual needs to permanently reside in Italy, receive income, and pay taxes. The applicant won’t receive citizenship if they have spent more than 10 months abroad in the five years before the application. A successful B1 Italian language test is also a requirement.

One of the ways to obtain a residence permit is through the Italy Golden Visa program, which allows investors to live in the country for two years. The permit can then be renewed for another three years. After that, the applicant becomes eligible for permanent residence and, five years later, citizenship.

2. By descent. According to the ‘jus sanguinis’ principle, if a parent, a grandparent, or a great-grandparent of a person was an Italian citizen or had the right to claim citizenship at birth, that person has this right as well.

The applicant must prove their eligibility with certified copies of official documents in the hometown of the Italian ancestor. They also have to prove that the said ancestor did not renounce Italian citizenship at any point.

3. By marriage. A non-Italian citizen marrying an Italian person does not automatically receive an Italian passport. However, marriage does make the process of obtaining Italian citizenship easier and faster.

The spouse of the Italian citizen becomes eligible for Italian citizenship after two years of being married if they live in Italy and after three years if they live elsewhere. If the couple has a child, the term is reduced to 12 and 18 months, respectively. The applicant must also pass a B1 Italian language test.

4. By birthright. A child of Italian citizens automatically obtains citizenship regardless of the birthplace. Children born in Italy also become citizens if their parents are unknown.

5. By adoption. A child adopted by Italian parents becomes a citizen at the moment of adoption.

6. By working for the Italian government. A person acquires citizenship after five years serving the government, even if they do not live in Italy.

Is the Italy Golden Visa worth it? Watch the video and find out

Italy does not have a citizenship by investment program. However, the Italy Golden Visa program offers a path towards obtaining citizenship by naturalisation within 10 years.

To participate in the program, an individual has four investment options:

• €250,000 in an innovative startup;

• €500,000 in equity instruments in an Italian limited company;

• €1,000,000 as a philanthropic donation to a socially important project;

• €2,000,000 in government bonds.

The investor is first issued a residence permit for two years. If the investment is maintained, it can be extended for three years. Investors living in Italy throughout this period can follow this up by receiving permanent residence for five years. At the end of that term, they can receive Italian citizenship by naturalisation as per the standard procedure.

Individual cost calculation for residence by investment in Italy

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1. The Italian passport is considered one of the world’s strongest, allowing its holders to travel visa-free to all but 27 countries.

2. Italian citizens can live, work and study in every European Union country without restrictions.

3. There are multiple ways to get Italy citizenship, including naturalisation, descent, and marriage.

4. The Italy Golden Visa program offers investors a path towards obtaining Italy citizenship after 10 years.