Direct answer: You can get Italy's investor permit by donating at least €1,000,000 to a project of public interest in culture, education, immigration management, scientific research, or the recovery of cultural and landscape heritage. You must show €1,000,000 of your own funds, available and transferable to Italy. The money does not come back.

Unlike the other Italy routes, the qualifying amount is a gift rather than an asset you keep. For some readers it is the point: a permit tied to a cause in Italy they already care about.

Who can receive the donation

An organisation running a public interest project in one of the five sectors the law lists. You name it in the application, and its legal representative signs a consent declaration.

The 2021 guide groups the sectors as cultural and landscape heritage, education and research, and immigration management. You give the recipient's tax code (or each recipient's, if the project involves more than one, with the amount for each) and a statement of how the donation will be used, what it is for and the social impact you expect.

What you apply with

  • Proof that you own at least €1,000,000, available and transferable to Italy, and a certificate that the funds have a lawful origin (Article 26-bis).
  • The recipient's details, the project statement and the recipient's consent declaration.
  • A written commitment to make the donation within three months of entering Italy, signed digitally on the platform.
  • A passport copy, a short CV and proof of no final criminal convictions or pending charges.

After you arrive: making the donation

Within three months of entry, the donation is made by public deed (atto pubblico di donazione). The guide asks for a copy of the deed, a bank statement covering at least the last three months showing the transfer, a validation letter from the bank, and a receipt signed by the recipient's legal representative.

Keeping it

The law's two year holding rule is written for the bond and company routes. For donations, the 2021 guide asks at renewal for a declaration from the recipient that the donation has not been revoked.

Holding it from abroad

For five years from the first permit, investor permit holders are exempt from Italy's residence continuity obligations (Article 26-bis, paragraph 5-bis). The permit lasts two years and renews for three years at a time. Renewal starts with a new clearance from the Committee, which checks the investment is still in place, and the 2021 guide says the renewal application at the Questura is due at least 60 days before the permit expires. More in renewals and minimum stay.

About the sources: the procedure here comes from the Ministry's applicant guide dated 19 July 2021, hosted on an Italian embassy site. It names the application platform as investorvisa.mise.gov.it. The Ministry has since been renamed (Enterprises and Made in Italy), and the platform did not load when we checked, so details may have changed.

Other Italy routes

See the €250,000 startup route, the €500,000 company or venture capital fund route and the €2 million bond route, or go back to the Italy golden visa guide.

Questions we hear most

Which causes can the donation support?
A project of public interest in culture, education, immigration management, scientific research, or the recovery of cultural and landscape heritage (Article 26-bis).
Can I split the donation between several organisations?
The 2021 guide allows a project involving more than one recipient, with the amount for each stated in the application.
Is the donation tax deductible?
The sources we read do not say.
Do I get the money back?
No. Unlike the bond and company routes, a donation is not an investment you can later sell.

Sources

  1. Decreto Legislativo 286/1998, Article 26-bis (entry and residence for investors), text in force, Normattiva, Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
  2. Investor Visa for Italy, applicant guide (2021 edition, Ministry of Economic Development), hosted by the Embassy of Italy in Abuja, Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.

This page is general information, not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice. Rules and fees change, so check the sources above and the date we last checked them. No approval, permit or timeline is guaranteed. We are paid for introductions; here is how.