Italy · Startup Visa
Entrepreneur and startup visa programs, investment thresholds, and application criteria.
AI-drafted, editorial review pending. The official links below are checked — confirm specifics with the authority.
Italy’s dedicated route for non-EU founders is the Italia Startup Visa, run by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. Invest in Italy, the government’s investment portal, describes it as a route for non-EU innovators who are setting up an innovative start-up in Italy or joining an existing one. It counts against the annual entry quotas the Government sets for non-EU workers, and it leads to a one-year residence permit for self-employment, renewable for two years if the start-up is still operating. Applications go through the programme’s own portal, either directly or with the backing of a certified incubator, before the visa is requested from the Italian consulate. Invest in Italy lists other routes that sit outside the annual quotas. The investor visa covers investments in government bonds, an innovative start-up or an Italian limited company, or donations in specific sectors; its permit lasts two years and can be renewed for further three-year periods. A separate self-employment permit covers people holding corporate positions — chairman, CEO, board member or auditor — in foreign companies with a branch in Italy. The residence permit for digital nomads covers highly qualified remote workers, employed or self-employed, for up to one year, renewable annually. Check the minimum funds and the current programme guidelines on the official Startup Visa portal before applying.
- Startup Visa: for non-EU founders setting up or joining an innovative start-up; it counts against the annual quotas.
- It leads to a one-year self-employment permit, renewable for two years if the start-up is still operating.
- Investor visa, outside the quotas: a two-year permit, renewable for three-year periods.
- Check the minimum funds and current guidelines on the official Startup Visa portal.
- Invest in Italy — Labour law and immigration
Startup Visa, investor visa, digital-nomad permit and the quota rules.
- Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy — Italia Startup Visa & Hub
Official programme portal: application routes and guidelines.
Government portals
- Italian Government — Official portal of the Italian Government
- Ministry of the Interior (residence) — Residence permits (permesso di soggiorno) and immigration
- Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) — Italian income tax, VAT, and tax code (codice fiscale)
- Visa for Italy (MAECI) — Visa requirements and applications from abroad