Italy's elective residence visa for Americans

If you can live off a pension, Social Security, rental income or investments, and you don't plan to work in Italy, the elective residence visa is the most straightforward way for an American to move to Rome for good.

The short version

It's for people with steady passive income. Pensions, annuities, property income and investments count. A paycheck doesn't, and you can't work in Italy on this visa [1][2].
The income floor is about EUR 31,000 a year per person (about USD 34,600 in 2026). The Houston consulate puts a married couple at EUR 62,000 (about USD 69,200) [1][2].
You need a home lined up before you apply: a lease or deed in your name, registered with Italy's tax agency [2][3].
You apply in person at the Italian consulate for your state, with fingerprints, and processing can take up to 90 days [3].
Within 8 days of landing, you apply for your permesso di soggiorno, the residence permit that actually lets you stay [3].

USD conversions in this guide use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1163).

Who this visa is for

The Italian name is visto per residenza elettiva, roughly "residence by choice." The consulates describe it as a visa for people who want to settle in Italy and can support themselves on their own private income [2]. In practice, it's the retirement visa. It also suits early retirees, people living off a rental portfolio back home, and anyone with a trust fund or large investment income.

What it's not for: remote workers. The consulates are blunt that the income can't come from employment and that you can't work in Italy, not even remotely for a US employer [1][2][3]. If you're still drawing a salary, look at the digital nomad or remote worker visa instead, which the New York consulate lists as a separate category [2].

The passive income test

This is where most applications live or die. The consulates want what Houston calls a "documented and detailed guarantee of substantial and steady economic resources" [1].

What the consulates say	Houston [1]	New York [2]	Los Angeles [3]
Minimum income	EUR 31,000 a year for one person; EUR 62,000 for a married couple	"Typically around" EUR 31,000 per person	No figure; "substantial and stable private income"
Income that counts	Pensions, annuities, property, stable business income	Pension or annuity, property, stable economic activity, in your name	Passive income only
Work allowed?	No	No	No

A few practical points:

Show recurring income, not just savings. A big brokerage balance helps, but the consulates focus on money that keeps arriving: Social Security award letters, pension statements, annuity contracts, dividend and rental income. Bring several years of statements.
Income must be in your name [2]. Money from a parent or a sponsor doesn't count; Houston says the visa doesn't allow any sponsor [1].
Family members raise the bar. A spouse, minor children and dependent adult children living with you can come along, but each person must be covered [2]. Houston's EUR 62,000 for a couple is double the single figure [1].
The figure can move. It's set by the consulates, not by a statute you can look up, and individual officers can ask for more. Check your own consulate's page the month you apply.

At the 2026 rate, EUR 31,000 is about USD 34,600 a year, or roughly USD 2,900 a month. For many retired couples, two Social Security checks plus a modest pension or IRA withdrawals will clear it.

Housing proof

You must show where you'll live before the visa is issued, which surprises Americans used to sorting out an apartment after the move.

A lease (contratto di locazione ad uso abitativo) in your name, covering the period you're asking for, with proof the landlord registered it with the Agenzia delle Entrate, or
A deed to a home you've bought in Italy, again with proof of registration [2][3].

Los Angeles says it won't accept a string of short-term bookings or a letter from a friend offering you a room [3]. That rules out the Airbnb-for-a-few-months plan. Many people sign a 12-month lease sight unseen or fly over first to find a place, then go home to apply.

Applying at your US consulate

You apply to the Italian consulate (or the embassy's consular section) whose district covers the state where you live, and you prove that with a driver's license or state ID [1]. Here's the usual order:

Find your consulate and read its own elective residence page. Requirements differ slightly between offices. Italy's official visa portal also has a questionnaire that tells you which visa fits your situation [8].
Book an appointment through the consulate's system. The New York page says you must appear in person [2].
Gather the file: the national visa application form, one passport photo, a passport valid at least three months past the visa's end with two blank pages, your driver's license, income proof, the registered lease or deed, a flight reservation, and birth and marriage certificates for family members [1].
Pay the fee. It's a national (type D) visa fee in dollars, non-refundable. Houston takes only a USPS money order; Los Angeles accepts a money order or cashier's check [1][3]. Check your consulate's current fee page, since the dollar amount moves with the exchange rate.
Give fingerprints. Since January 11, 2025, all national visa applicants are fingerprinted [3].
Wait. Los Angeles says processing can take up to 90 days, with no rush service, and suggests applying about 90 days before you leave [3].

Health insurance isn't on the three consulate pages we read, but some consulates and visa officers ask for proof of coverage. Medicare doesn't cover you in Italy, so plan for private insurance either way.

The first year in Italy

Within 8 days of arriving, you must apply for your permesso di soggiorno [3]. For most visa holders, that starts with a "kit" at a Poste Italiane post office, then a fingerprint appointment at the questura (police headquarters). Expect to pay a EUR 16 revenue stamp, a EUR 30 post office fee and EUR 30.46 for the card, plus a government contribution that depends on the permit's length [4][5]. Our permesso di soggiorno guide walks through it step by step.

After that:

Register your address at the anagrafe (Rome's residence registry).
Get your codice fiscale, the tax code you'll need for nearly everything.
Sort out health coverage, whether through private insurance or voluntary enrollment in the national health service.
Renew on time. Your first permit is usually short, and renewals ask you to show the same income and housing again.

The US side: taxes don't retire

Moving to Rome doesn't end your relationship with the IRS. Uncle Sam taxes citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, so you'll still file a US return every year. And here's the catch for elective residence visa holders: the foreign earned income exclusion doesn't help you. It covers wages and self-employment pay, and the IRS lists pensions, annuities and Social Security among the payments that aren't foreign earned income [6].

Other things to have on your radar:

Italy will likely treat you as a tax resident once you're registered there, which means Italian tax on worldwide income. The US–Italy tax treaty decides which country taxes what and how credits work. A US expat tax preparer who knows Italy can check your situation before you move.
FBAR: once your Italian accounts together top USD 10,000 at any point in the year, you file FinCEN Form 114 [7].
Social Security keeps paying US citizens living in Italy, and the US and Italy have a totalization agreement.

Want to compare notes with Americans who've already been through the consulate interview? Join our community group for Americans in Italy.

Italy's elective residence visa: retiring to Rome on passive income