Real estate investment in Italy

Frequently asked questions

• Can a foreigner buy a house in Italy?

  

  Yes. All foreigners are allowed to buy real estate in Italy. There are also no restrictions on the sale and rental of real estate, either.

• Is Italy a good place to buy real estate?

  

  Yes. Real estate properties in Italy are liquid assets. the price of residential real estate is growing every quarter by an average of 1%. Five years ago, an apartment of 100 m² was worth an average of €290,000, and today it can be sold for €309,000.

  Foreigners in Italy can also freely buy, sell, and rent out real estate.

• How much is real estate tax in Italy?

  

  Buyers of real estate in Italy pay value-added tax for new buildings or registration tax for secondary real estate and additional fees. The associated costs will be from 9% to 33% of the contract’s value.

  Property owners pay an annual ownership tax — from 0,4% to 0,76% of the cadastral value.

  Sellers of real estate pay capital gains tax on a progressive scale from 0 to 43%.

• Do you get citizenship if you buy a house in Italy?

  

  No. Italian citizenship cannot be obtained by investment. But foreigners can partake in the Italy residence permit program first. After 10 years of permanent residence in the country, they can get Italian citizenship by naturalization on a general basis.

  To get a residence permit in Italy, investors can choose one of four options:

  • from €250,000 — investments in innovative startups;

  • from €500,000 — investments in the authorized capital of Italian companies;

  • from €1,000,000 — investments in socially significant projects;

  • from €2,000,000 — purchase of government bonds.