Many of my friends are investing in the real estate market in Italy, which has made me interested. Some say that one can even obtain an EU resident permit through such investments. Is this true? I know there are some programs that allow third-country citizens to do so. Do Britons also qualify?
Anyone can apply for an investor visa, which is however not linked to real estate investments. Investor visas can be obtained by purchasing government bonds, invest in a company or make a donation. However, Britons - until Dec. 31, 2020 - are still considered EU citizens and do not need any visa, so they can simply apply for residency.
Italian immigration law currently does not provide for a visa/stay permit based on real estate investments, notwithstanding the nationality of the applicant.
A real estate investment is not sufficient to make Britons obtain Italian resident permits. They need to obtain codice fiscale (tax code) and provide the local municipality that they have means to "survive" in Italy. Obviously, before the residency status is granted, local police will check whether or not it is true that they live in the house they declared they do. Furthermore, there are some applicable taxes and stamp duties to take into account at the moment of submitting an application.
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