Investor Visa Italy: how to invest €250,000 in an innovative startup and get a residence permit

TL;DR:
  • Minimum investment €250,000 in an innovative startup for non-EU citizens
  • Obligation to complete the investment within 3 months of entry into Italy
  • Digital procedure with preventive Nulla Osta and rigorous anti-money laundering documentation
  • Mandatory investment maintenance for the entire duration of the permit
  • 2026 tax benefits: 65% IRPEF deduction confirmed, 30% incentive expired

The Investor Visa for Italy represents one of the most structured paths for non-EU citizens who want to move to Italy through a qualified investment. The innovative startup option, with an entry threshold of €250,000, is the most accessible among the four provided for by the program, but requires rigorous documentation, precise timing and – above all – a real investment in risk capital.

Why the innovative startup option is strategic

The Investor Visa provides for four types of investment: 2 million euros in Government bonds, €500,000 in Italian joint-stock companies, €250,000 in an innovative startup, or 1 million euros in philanthropic donations. Investment in an innovative startup significantly lowers the economic threshold and allows entry into an entrepreneurship ecosystem with tax advantages, with exemptions from stamp duties, chamber of commerce rights and privileged access to the SME Guarantee Fund.

The critical point is that it is not about “buying a permit”: the investment must be real, traceable, maintained for the entire duration of the permit and demonstrable with documents. The program was created to attract capital to strategic sectors, not to create migration shortcuts.

The official procedure: phases, timing and mandatory documents

Nulla Osta and visa request

The procedure begins with the online request for the Nulla Osta on the dedicated portal investorvisa.mise.gov.it. The inter-institutional Committee evaluates the application within 30 days and, in case of a positive outcome, issues the Nulla Osta which is valid for 6 months.

With the Nulla Osta, the applicant presents themselves to the competent Italian consulate to obtain the two-year investor visa. Once in Italy, they must request the residence permit within 8 days of arrival.

Investment within 3 months: the non-negotiable deadline

The sustainability of the entire path is at stake here. The investment of €250,000 must be completed within 3 months from the date of entry into Italy. It is not a recommendation: it is a binding requirement. Failure to comply with the deadline results in revocation of the permit and inability to renew.

In practice, it means that the corporate dossier (term sheet, resolution of capital increase, governance acts, shareholder agreements) must be prepared before entry into Italy, so as to execute the transaction immediately and upload the evidentiary documentation to the portal within the deadline.

Maintenance and renewal

The investor residence permit is renewable only if the investment is maintained for the entire duration. At the time of renewal, the portal requires uploading documentation that proves maintenance: updated chamber of commerce search, financial statements, certification of participation, bank flows. The logic is clear: real investment, real stay.

What it means to invest €250,000 in an innovative startup “the right way”

Target qualification

The target company must be effectively an innovative startup according to D.L. 179/2012, with certified objective and subjective requirements. A chamber of commerce search is not enough: it’s necessary to verify the substance of the activity, consistency of the acts, registration in the special section of the Company Register, and compliance with the requirements (at least one of: R&D expenses ≥15%, qualified personnel, registered patents).

With Law 193/2024, startups have a base permanence of 3 years (extendable up to 9 for scale-up companies) and dominant consulting activities are excluded.

Operation structure

Investing means entering the share capital of the startup with an equity operation: capital increase, subscription of shares, conversion of convertible bonds. Everything must be documented with:

  • Term sheet and shareholders’ resolution for capital increase
  • Notarial acts of subscription
  • Any shareholder agreements (lock-up, information rights, exit clauses)
  • Bank transfers with reconcilable descriptions and correct timing

Any parallel agreement that makes the investment “guaranteed” or “refundable” is incompatible with the logic of the program and creates enormous compliance risks.

The critical knot: anti-money laundering and source of funds

In dealings with foreign investors, the error is almost never technical-corporate. It is anti-money laundering. A solid Investor Visa dossier must stand on a complete KYC/AML due diligence:

  • Identification of the client and the beneficial owner
  • PEP (Politically Exposed Person) checks and international sanctions
  • Source of funds (provenance of the specific funds of the operation) documented with bank statements, sale contracts, tax declarations
  • Source of wealth (overall origin of the heritage) consistent with the client’s profile

In cases where Gruppo AQ follows operations of this type, the AML phase is not “formal compliance”: it is the condition for making the operation sustainable over time, especially when entering the renewal phase and the documentation comes under scrutiny again.

Tax benefits 2026: what can be said with precision

65% IRPEF deduction confirmed (de minimis regime)

For investments in innovative startups in the first 3 years of registration, the 65% IRPEF deduction is confirmed for 2026 in the de minimis regime. Maximum limit: €100,000 annual investment, maximum deduction €65,000.

Conditions:

  • Investment maintained for at least 3 years
  • Participation not exceeding 25% of the capital or governance rights
  • Istanza preventiva online sul portale MIMIT
  • Preventive online application on the MIMIT portal
  • Rispetto del massimale de minimis di 300.000 € su 3 esercizi finanziari per la startup ricevente
  • Compliance with the de minimis ceiling of €300,000 over 3 fiscal years for the receiving startup

    • 30% IRPEF deduction (ordinary regime): uncertain situation

    The 30% ordinary deduction for investments up to €1,000,000 in startups and innovative SMEs, regulated by art. 29 of D.L. 179/2012, is expired as of December 31, 2025 according to industry sources and specialized press. At the moment (February 2026) it is awaiting a possible normative extension.

    The practical consequence for those evaluating the Investor Visa in 2026 is that the tax benefit must be verified at the time of the operation with a specific normative check. The Investor Visa path is planned on stable procedural rules (investment, timing, maintenance), while the linked tax benefit can change and is not automatic.

    The Gruppo AQ operational approach: compliance and substance

    Gruppo AQ supports investors and innovative companies with a method that prioritizes documentary solidity and economic consistency. We follow a large portfolio of innovative realities and, when it makes sense, we support:

    • Scouting of the target with corporate, tax and compliance due diligence
    • Structuring of equity entry with term sheet, shareholders’ agreements and adequate governance
    • Documentary management of the procedure Investor Visa (KYC/AML, Nulla Osta, document upload)
    • Renewal support with proof of investment maintenance and normative updates

    The point is not “doing the application”. The point is building an operation that stands up to three questions: are the funds traceable and consistent? Is the investment real and maintained? Is the target an innovative startup with adequate requirements and governance? When the answer is yes, the path becomes linear.

    What to do if you are evaluating this path

    If you are a non-EU citizen interested in the Investor Visa with investment in an innovative startup, the smartest thing to do is to set up a “three-month” schedule immediately:

    1. Build the AML file (identification, source of funds/wealth, tax declarations)
    2. Identify the target and complete the corporate due diligence
    3. Prepare in advance corporate acts, term sheet and governance
    4. Arrange bank flows with correct descriptions
    5. Arrive at entry into Italy with everything ready for immediate execution of the investment

    This avoids the pressure of the 3-month deadline and maximizes documentary solidity for renewal.

    In short

    • The Investor Visa with an investment of €250,000 in an innovative startup is a concrete path but requires rigorous compliance
    • The investment must be completed within 3 months of entry into Italy and maintained for the entire duration of the permit
    • The target startup must be effectively registered in the special section of the Company Register with verifiable requirements
    • Anti-money laundering documentation (KYC/AML, source of funds, source of wealth) is the critical point of the application
    • 2026 tax benefits are partially operational: 65% IRPEF deduction confirmed in de minimis, 30% incentive awaiting extension

    Related articles

    Did you know that

    • The Nulla Osta for the Investor Visa is issued within 30 days but is valid for only 6 months to present to the consulate
    • The renewal procedure requires a new Nulla Osta and documentary proof of investment maintenance
    • Innovative startups with Law 193/2024 have a base permanence of 3 years (no longer 5) extendable up to 9 years for scale-up companies
    • The 65% IRPEF deduction in de minimis for investments in startups requires a systematic online application on the MIMIT portal before the operation
    • Innovative startups are totally exempt from stamp duties, chamber of commerce rights and annual CCIAA fee for the first 5 years
    • The Investor Visa investment is considered made as of the date of filing of the capital increase resolution in the Company Register

    FAQ

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    Sources

  • Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy – Investor Visa for Italy

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