Big Jump in Demand for Italian Golden Visas

Italy’s Golden Visa has received 279 applications so far in 2026, more than in any full year since the program opened in 2018.

This is not surprising as Italy has become one of the most popular programs we have discussed with clients this year, particularly with American investors looking for a European base that doesn’t require them to relocate.

The latest figures from Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and the Italian Investment Alliance show how widespread that interest has become. The ministry released its data, which covers every month from February 2018 to 13 October 2026, in response to a freedom of information request.

Italy Golden Visa Applications Reach a New Record

Investors filed 279 applications between 1 January and 13 October 2026, comfortably ahead of the 229 filed across the whole of 2025. This year’s total had already overtaken 2025 by August.

The program’s recent trajectory is also promising, as applications rose from 125 in 2024 to 229 in 2025, an increase of 83%, and investors filed 340 applications in the 12 months to September 2026. That’s 2.7 times the 2024 total.

Of the 899 applications Italy has received since 2018, 508 have arrived since the start of 2025. That’s more than the 391 filed from 2018 through 2024 combined, which tells you the program has entered a different phase of demand entirely.

Impressive Growth

What stands out in the monthly data is how consistent the growth has been. Italy received an average of 30 applications a month between January and September 2026, against 19 a month in 2025 and 10 in 2024.

May 2026 set the program’s monthly record with 41 applications. Before this year, no month had passed the 28 applications filed in February 2025, and five months of 2026 have now beaten that figure.

Investors filed 272 applications from January to September 2026, 69% more than in the same nine months of 2025. Second-quarter applications more than doubled year on year, rising 104%.

From November 2024 to September 2026, every month drew more applications than the same month a year earlier, a run of 23 consecutive months.

This isn’t a one-off spike. It’s sustained, month-on-month demand that has now held for almost two years.

€250,000 Startup Route Has More Than Doubled

The biggest shift this year has come in how investors are choosing to qualify.

Applications for the €250,000 innovative startup route reached 79 by 13 October, against 32 in all of 2025 and 50 across 2018 to 2024 combined. The route’s share of applications has doubled from 14% to 28%.

Investment in an Italian company at €500,000 remains the most popular option overall, with 703 of the 899 applications since 2018. This year’s 191 company-route applications are already within three of 2025’s full-year total.

The other two routes attract far smaller numbers. Since 2018, 32 investors have chosen the €2 million government bond route and three the €1 million philanthropic donation.

La Vida has partnered with several approved innovative companies focused on areas such as hospitality, hotel redevelopment and AI and tech.

For many of our clients, it combines the lowest qualifying threshold with property exposure and a fully hands-off investment, and the rise in startup applications reflects exactly that appeal.

Why US and UK Investors Are Choosing Italy

Americans filed 160 of this year’s 279 applications, a 57% share, while British investors form the second-largest group with 172 applications since 2018, and La Vida’s latest research shows Italy ranks among the top choices in both markets.

In our 2026 US Investment Migration Survey, 27.3% of American respondents named Italy as a destination they would seriously consider, second only to Portugal, while 84.3% named a Plan B back-up option as their main goal and 47.1% cited healthcare as a concern. Italy answers both with a residence permit that carries no minimum stay and a healthcare system ranked among Europe’s most reliable.

Our 2026 UK Investment Migration Survey placed Italy second among British investors at 26.2%, with taxation the leading concern for 82.6% of respondents and Brexit a major factor for 63%, which makes Italy’s flat-tax regime and the Schengen access its residency restores a natural fit for UK clients.

Milan and Tuscany Lead Investor Choices

The ministry’s data also records the province each applicant chose as their Italian domicile, and Milan leads by a wide margin. The city has drawn 41% of all applications since 2018, and its share has climbed from 36% in 2025 to 51% in 2026, with 143 applications.

Florence follows with 95 applications. Five Tuscan provinces, Florence, Lucca, Siena, Arezzo and Pisa, together account for 175 applications, or 19% of the total. Counting Milan and Como, Lombardy has drawn at least 394. The ministry lists only the 15 most popular provinces, so Lombardy and Tuscany’s combined share of at least 63% is a minimum.

Investors give biometric data at the police headquarters, or questura, of the province they choose, so the choice of province is a practical decision as well as a lifestyle one. Our processing team helps clients plan this step as part of the application.

High Approval Rates and a Straightforward Process

Italy’s program committee has issued 782 certificates of no impediment, known as nulla osta, since 2018. That’s equal to 87% of all applications filed.

The process is designed to be largely remote. Here’s how it works:

• Applicants choose one of four qualifying routes, starting from €250,000 in an innovative startup
• A nulla osta allows the applicant to request an investor visa at an Italian consulate
• Residence permits are typically approved within 60 to 90 days of a completed application, subject to government processing times
• Investors make one trip to Italy to give biometric data
• The initial two-year residence permit renews in three-year periods for as long as the investor maintains the investment
• There’s no minimum stay requirement
• The main applicant can include a spouse, dependent children and dependent parents

After five years of residency, investors can apply for permanent residency. It’s possible to apply for Italian citizenship after ten years of residency, and the Italian passport ranks 13th of 199 in the La Vida Passport Value Index, with access to 214 of the world’s 227 destinations. Those destinations represent 99.4% of global GDP and 99.6% of the worldwide visitor market.

What Italy’s Record Year Means for Investors

Italy’s Golden Visa is now attracting more interest than at any point in its history, from a wider range of nationalities and across more routes than before. The surge in startup applications shows investors are finding efficient ways into the program, while the steady flow of US and UK applicants points to lasting demand rather than a short-term trend.

Programs evolve over time, and investors who plan early give themselves the widest range of options. La Vida has guided investors from more than 160 countries through residency and citizenship programs for over a decade, including Italy, the Portugal Golden Visa and the Greece Golden Visa.

If you’re considering Italian residency, our expert advisers can help you choose the right route and manage your application from start to finish.

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