Buying property in Italy from abroad Invest in Italy

The process is the same for Italians and foreigners. What changes is the distance, the language and a few documents: that is where you need someone on the ground.

1. The tax code

   It is the first document you need, and you cannot buy without it. If you live abroad, you request it from the Italian Revenue Agency, through a delegate in Italy if needed, or from the Italian consulate.

2. Areas and viewings

   You choose where and what kind of home, view the properties and compare the real costs, works included.

3. The checks

   Before committing, the property's condition, systems, planning and land-registry compliance and condominium charges are checked. Mortgages and title are also checked by the notary.

4. The purchase offer

   It is a written offer that binds only the person who signs it. Once the seller accepts it, it becomes a preliminary contract.

5. The preliminary contract

   It sets the price, the deposit and the date of the deed, and must be registered with the Revenue Agency within 30 days of signing.

6. The deed

   It is signed before the notary, who receives and registers it. The price is paid by bank transfer or cheque, and the deed states how. If you can't be there that day, the notary will tell you how to sign through a power of attorney.

7. After

   Utilities, renovation and, if you wish, letting: from here on, we take care of it.

Citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area buy just like Italians. For others the reciprocity condition applies, which the notary checks case by case; it does not apply to people living in Italy with a residence permit for work, family or study.

Every buyer needs one, resident or not. You request it from the Revenue Agency, through a delegate if needed, or from the Italian consulate in your country.

A public official who checks mortgages and land-registry data and receives the deed. If you don't speak Italian, the deed is signed with an interpreter or in a language the notary and witnesses know, with the translation alongside.

From a private seller: registration tax of 9%, or 2% if it is your first home, with a minimum of €1,000, plus €50 mortgage tax and €50 land-registry tax; for individuals it can be based on the cadastral value. From a company: VAT at 10%, or 4% for a first home, plus €200 for each of the three fixed taxes.

On a home that is not your main residence you pay IMU, the municipal property tax: in Milan the standard rate for 2026 is 1.14%. Rent from a property in Italy is declared in Italy even if you live abroad.

Buying a home does not give you a visa or a residence permit. Italy's investor visa covers government bonds, holdings in Italian companies and philanthropic donations, not property.

Yes. Citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area buy just like Italians. For others the reciprocity condition applies, which the notary checks case by case; it does not apply to people living in Italy with a residence permit for work, family or study.

From a private seller, registration tax is 9%, or 2% if it is your first home, plus €100 in fixed taxes; for individuals it can be based on the cadastral value. From a company you pay VAT at 10%, or 4% for a first home, plus €600 in fixed taxes. First-home relief applies if you move your residence to the municipality within 18 months or work there.

Not necessarily. If you can't be there, you can be represented through a power of attorney; if you are there and don't speak Italian, the deed is signed with an interpreter. The notary will explain how to proceed in your case, and we coordinate everything.

No. Italy's investor visa covers government bonds, holdings in Italian companies and philanthropic donations, not property. If you buy without moving to Italy, you stay under the normal entry rules for your country.

Yes, it is our everyday work in Milan: design, works, furnishing, listings, guests, cleaning and a monthly report. Short-term lets follow precise rules, which we explain before you buy.