A feature published on 30 December 2025 by the Economic Times highlights renewed interest in Italy’s Investor Visa—colloquially the Golden Visa—as global mobility planners seek strategic footholds inside the Schengen Area. The programme, launched in 2017, grants an initial two-year residence permit to non-EU nationals who invest at least €250 000 in an innovative Italian start-up, €500 000 in an existing company, €2 million in government bonds or donate €1 million to a public-interest project. Successful applicants may renew for three years, apply for long-term EU residence after five, and ultimately for Italian citizenship.
According to the report, filings jumped 22 % in the second half of 2025 as geopolitical uncertainty made southern Europe’s relatively low entry threshold and flexible stay requirements more attractive than rival schemes in Spain and Portugal. Immigration lawyers note that processing times now average three to four months thanks to Italy’s fully digital “Nulla Osta” clearance system introduced earlier this year. That acceleration is helping corporates relocate senior executives, founders and high-net-worth employees before EU Entry/Exit System (EES) controls go live in 2026.
![Italy’s Investor ‘Golden Visa’ Under the Spotlight as Applications Surge Ahead of 2026]()
For investors looking to navigate these accelerated timelines without missteps, VisaHQ can handle everything from document authentication to booking biometric appointments. The firm’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date checklists and concierge services that simplify the Investor Visa process for both individuals and HR departments orchestrating group moves.
Tax is another driver. Italy’s €100 000 flat-tax regime for new residents on non-Italian income, recently extended to 15 years in the 2026 Budget, pairs neatly with the Golden Visa, making Milan and Florence serious contenders to London and Paris for asset-holding families. Employers, however, should remember that holders must spend at least 183 days a year in Italy to access most double-taxation reliefs, a nuance sometimes glossed over in marketing brochures.
Talent strategists should build in compliance guardrails: investments must be executed within three months of visa issuance; failure triggers revocation. Companies moving founders on this route should also budget for the new compulsory biometric enrolment for D-visas, in force since January 2025, and factor in regional police-headquarters appointments to convert the visa into a residence card (permesso di soggiorno).
According to the report, filings jumped 22 % in the second half of 2025 as geopolitical uncertainty made southern Europe’s relatively low entry threshold and flexible stay requirements more attractive than rival schemes in Spain and Portugal. Immigration lawyers note that processing times now average three to four months thanks to Italy’s fully digital “Nulla Osta” clearance system introduced earlier this year. That acceleration is helping corporates relocate senior executives, founders and high-net-worth employees before EU Entry/Exit System (EES) controls go live in 2026.
For investors looking to navigate these accelerated timelines without missteps, VisaHQ can handle everything from document authentication to booking biometric appointments. The firm’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date checklists and concierge services that simplify the Investor Visa process for both individuals and HR departments orchestrating group moves.
Tax is another driver. Italy’s €100 000 flat-tax regime for new residents on non-Italian income, recently extended to 15 years in the 2026 Budget, pairs neatly with the Golden Visa, making Milan and Florence serious contenders to London and Paris for asset-holding families. Employers, however, should remember that holders must spend at least 183 days a year in Italy to access most double-taxation reliefs, a nuance sometimes glossed over in marketing brochures.
Talent strategists should build in compliance guardrails: investments must be executed within three months of visa issuance; failure triggers revocation. Companies moving founders on this route should also budget for the new compulsory biometric enrolment for D-visas, in force since January 2025, and factor in regional police-headquarters appointments to convert the visa into a residence card (permesso di soggiorno).
