Buying a home in Italy, explained for Americans.

Can Americans buy property in Italy?

Yes. Italy lets foreign nationals buy property under the “reciprocity condition”: if your country allows Italians to buy, Italy allows you to. The United States meets that condition. Holders of a valid Italian residence permit are exempt from the check altogether.

You do not need to be resident in Italy, or to hold a visa, to buy a home here.

Step one: your codice fiscale

The codice fiscale is your Italian tax code, and you need it before signing anything binding, including the preliminary contract. It is free. You can request it from an Italian consulate in the US, or from the Agenzia delle Entrate (the tax office) in Italy using form AA4/8.

With it you can also open an Italian bank account and set up utilities once you own the house.

The purchase, step by step

• Written offer (proposta d’acquisto): a signed offer, usually with a deposit, that becomes binding once the seller accepts it.
• Preliminary contract (compromesso): sets out price, timing and conditions, with a larger deposit. It is normally registered with the tax office.
• Checks: the notary and your surveyor (geometra) verify title, mortgages, planning compliance and that the house matches its cadastral records.
• Final deed (rogito): signed in front of the notary, who collects the purchase taxes and registers the transfer. You usually receive the keys at the signing.

If you do not speak Italian, Italian law requires a translation of the deed and an interpreter at the signing. You can also sign through a power of attorney if you cannot travel.

The notary (notaio)

In Italy the notary is a public official, not a lawyer for either side. Using one is compulsory. The notary checks title, drafts and reads the deed, collects the taxes on behalf of the state and registers the sale. By custom the buyer chooses and pays the notary.

Notary fees vary with the value and complexity of the deal and are subject to 22% VAT. Ask for a written estimate early: we can arrange one before you sign the preliminary contract.

Purchase taxes and costs

An important detail: when an individual buys a home from a private seller, the registration tax is usually calculated on the cadastral value, not on the price paid. This “prezzo-valore” rule often makes the taxable base much lower than the market price. The cadastral value is the cadastral income (rendita catastale) × 1.05 × 126 for a second home, or × 115.5 for a main home.

Agency fees in Italy are typically 2–4% plus 22% VAT, charged to the buyer and, separately, to the seller. We always set out our fee in writing at the start, in a signed mandate.

Living here: the elective residence visa

Buying a house does not give you the right to live in Italy. Americans who want to stay more than 90 days in any 180 need a visa. For retirees and people living on passive income, the usual route is the elective residence visa (residenza elettiva).

• Stable passive income (pensions, investments, rental income); you may not work in Italy on this visa.
• Consulates commonly look for about €31,000 a year for one person, with more for a spouse; some ask for that amount per adult. The figure is set by consular practice, not by a fixed statute.
• Accommodation in Italy, owned or rented.
• Private health insurance for the application. Once resident, elective-residence holders can join the national health service voluntarily, for at least €2,000 per person per year.

Apply at the Italian consulate responsible for where you live in the US. Requirements differ slightly between consulates.

The €300,000 flat tax for new residents

Italy offers wealthy new residents an optional flat tax on all their foreign income (article 24-bis of the income tax code). For people who move their tax residence to Italy on or after 1 January 2026, it is €300,000 a year, plus €50,000 for each family member included. Those who moved earlier keep the previous €200,000 and €25,000. The regime is available anywhere in Italy, Piedmont included.

It only makes sense at high income levels, and it interacts with US taxation in ways that need specialist advice on both sides of the Atlantic.

The 7% pensioner regime does not apply here

You may have read about Italy’s 7% flat tax for foreign pensioners. It is NOT available in Piedmont, so it does not apply to the Langhe or the Monferrato.

The 7% regime (article 24-ter) is limited to small municipalities, now up to 30,000 residents, in Sicily, Calabria, Sardinia, Campania, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia, plus certain earthquake-affected municipalities in Lazio, Marche and Umbria.

Renovating a cascina

Many buyers here restore a cascina (farmhouse), casale or rustico. As a rough rule of thumb, renovation can cost from about €1,000 to over €2,000 per square metre depending on the roof, structure and systems; a surveyor’s report before you buy is essential.

Italy’s renovation bonuses continue in 2026: 50% for the owner’s main home and 36% for second homes, on up to €96,000 of spending per unit, recovered over ten years. They are deductions from Italian income tax, so they help only buyers who pay tax in Italy.