Residence Permit in Italy for Entrepreneurs
Permesso di Soggiorno per Lavoro Autonomo
Business immigration is one of the ways to move to Italy and stay there for a long period time. Many foreigners are accepted into the program for entrepreneurs and those who would like to engage in self-employment. The criteria are the ability to organize your business or work in Italy, a sufficient level of income. This is a convenient program, thanks to which you can move to Fellini's homeland with the whole family with the prospect of obtaining local citizenship.
Program's details
- No entry limit investments are determind by the business plan
- The right to work and keep business activities
- Real estate in Italy either bought or rented
- For the whole family including a spouse, parents and children over 18
- Living in Italy from 183 to 365 days a year
- Visa-free travelling withing the Schengen area up to 90 days per half a year
- Permanent residence in Italy aftre 5 years
- Citizenship of Italy naturalization after 10 years
The official website of the program
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About the Program
Getting an Italian residence permit under the program for entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals is not as hard as it seems. The main thing is to defend the business plan, as well as to prove your solvency and financial ability to support yourself and dependents (if family members move with the main applicant).
The provisions governing business immigration to Italy are spelled out in the Decree D. Lgs. 286/98. But there is a disadvantage: the issuance of cards (with the exception of some categories listed in the Article 27 of the Decree D. Lgs. n. 286/98) is carried out in accordance with quotas that the Italian authorities annually prescribe in a special decree (decreto flussi). In 2020, the document was not released due to the pandemic, and in 2019, for example, the quota for the foundation of lavoro autonomo was 2,400 people.
For most applicants, local laws do not specify a threshold for entry into the program. But those who open a company in Italy need to confirm a significant personal capital. According to the Decree (D.P.C.M.) of 12/14/2015, Article 2, paragraph 2 (a), the founder of the company (imprenditore category) must have at least €500,000 as well as create at least three job positions. At the same time, no one takes away the freedom to dispose of capital from a businessman: if the company does not need large investments, then absolutely any amount can be spent on organizing commercial activities. There are no such requirements for individual entrepreneurs, free professionals and other categories of applicants for lavoro autonomo.
A residence permit is issued for two years with unlimited renewal possibilities. A foreigner gets the right to engage in entrepreneurial activity, to study, and also to look for a job for hire, if something goes wrong with the business. It is an unusual option for a business immigrant, but there is such an option. The fact is that lavoro autonomo is a convertible basis, that is, it is allowed to change the field of activity and become an employee, but with the extension of the residence permit, the basis will be different - lavoro subordinato.
An entrepreneur with sufficient income and savings can move the whole family to Italy. There is an option to apply for permanent residence (PDS CE – permesso di soggiorno CE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo) after five years of legal residence. In another five years you can to get a second citizenship, if there is no criminal record and a source of income has been preserved. And Italian citizenship from the point of view of open borders is even more powerful than British or American. According to the Passport Index 2020, Italians have the right to travel to 188 countries of the world without a visa or with a visa upon arrival.
Grounds for Obtaining a Residence Permit
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Business
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- Registered as a company (SRL, SAS, SNC, etc.) or an individual entrepreneurial activity (ditta individuale)
- Detailed business plan
- Legal address and a license (if the activity is subject to licensing)
- Attractive economic potential for Italy
- Legal activity
- Creating at least three job positions (applies only to applicants of the imprenditore category)
- If the annual income of a firm or sole proprietor is below €30,000, then you can request a reduced taxation regime
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Capital
- The amount of savings corresponds to the business plan; the amount is also affected by the scope of activity, type of organization and the region of business
- The capital of the organizer of the company is €500,000 (applies only to applicants of the imprenditore category)
- The funds remain at the disposal of the applicant, it is enough to confirm their presence on the account
- The annual income of a foreigner exceeds €8,900 when applying for a visa
- Each dependent raises the budget bar by €3,000 per year
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Living
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- The applicant can, but is not obliged to purchase real estate, a long-term lease agreement is sufficient
- There are no requirements for the size, location and value of the property
- The only requirement is that the living space must be suitable for long-term stay and meet the purposes of use
In addition to entrepreneurs (ditta individuale, imprenditore) and independent professionals (libero professionista), startups, managers/auditors in Italian business, heads of an Italian representative office or a branch of a foreign company, invited professional athletes, artists, musicians, professors, etc., apply for an Italian residence permit on the basis of lavoro autonomo. The requirements are different for each type of applicant.
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Requirements for Applicants
- Over 18 years of age
- No bans on engaging in the chosen type of activity
- No unspent offence
- A permanent place of residence in Italy (contract of sale or rental of housing)
- Sufficient investment resources for entrepreneurial activity
- Work experience and qualifications corresponding to the planned activity
- Business ties with Italy (for example, cooperate with an Italian company)
- Knowledge of the language is welcome, but there are no requirements for proficiency in Italian
Please note!Lavoro autonomo's residence permit may be revoked for committing a crime or copyright infringement (forgery of trademarks, use of patented technologies in production in secret from the patent holder, etc.).
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Residence Permit for Family Members
Family members are given a residence permit for family reasons (permesso di soggiorno per ricongiungimento familiare). At the same time, family members can enter the territory of Italy on any visa (even tourist) and issue a residence permit on the spot. As soon as the investor has a residence permit, family members can be legalized. The main condition is sufficient family income and savings for the maintenance of all members.
Together with the main applicant, a residence permit can be obtained by
A spouse
In a legal marriage, over 18 years of age
Children
Minors or unmarried adults, dependent on their parents; children with disabilities
Parents
Financially dependent
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Documents
Depending on the category of the applicant, the list of documents may vary. The official list has a mandatory minimum for all; information about additional documents must be clarified at the consulate.
- A declaration
- Copies of passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate
- Receipts for payment of fees for issuing a Type D Visa and a residence permit
- A copy of the consulate's certificate of the existence of grounds for issuing a residence permit
- A confirmation of savings sufficient to start a business in Italy
- A certificate of enrollment in the register (professional or commercial, if required)
- A certificate of the relevant authority confirming the absence of obstacles to the issuance of a license and the implementation of planned activities in Italy
- Availability of housing in Italy (rented or owned property)
- Documents confirming an annual income exceeding the subsistence minimum in Italy
- Health insurance for the whole family
- A CV
- A business plan (if the reason for moving is entrepreneurial activity)
- A certificate of compliance with financial indicators and absence of obstacles (nulla osta) for the implementation of the selected activity in Italy
Additional Ex
- Administrative fees
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€16,00 – duties and charges in the form of a stamp (marca da bollо)
€30,00 must be paid to the post office employee for submitting a completed application
- Processing
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€80,46 when requesting a residence permit for a period of one to two years
€130,46 when requesting an EU residence permit for a long stay for managers and specialized workers
- Legal expenses
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€4,000-15,000, depending on the list of services and whether it is necessary to develop a business plan (in the case of entrepreneurial activity or business)
From €5,000 – business registration in Italy
If the applicant buys real estate, then there is an opportunity to reduce additional costs. Foreigners with a residence permit can receive a benefit for the purchase of their first home (prima casa), thanks to which tax expenses will be reduced by 2-4 times.
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Rights and Obligations
The rights of a resident in Italy are almost identical to the rights of citizens. The only exceptions are the privileges offered by the passport, as well as the exercise of the right to vote.
The ights of the holder of a residence permit in Italy
- The owner of lavoro autonomo can stay in Italy 365 days a year
- In the countries of the Schengen area, you can travel without a visa for up to 90 days in half a year
- Is it legal to work or do business in Italy
- A residence permit allows you to get a benefit for the purchase of the first real estate, simplifies access to credit, allows you to buy and issue a car
- It is possible to convert a residence permit to another type (lavoro subordinato, residenza elettiva, motivi familiari)
- After ten years of residence in the country, the right to apply for Italian citizenship appears
Obligations
- To regularly extend the residence permit while maintaining the foundation
- To spend more than 6 months (183 days) in Italy in order to avoid refusal on prolongation
- To become a tax resident of Italy
- To comply with local laws and pay taxes
The procedure for obtaining
