Many foreigners, including Russians, dream of living and working in this sunny country. Italy is quite a convenient and promising state for starting your own business. Setting up a company in Italy is an absolutely realistic task. The legislation of this state is transparent, which has a positive effect on the process of state registration of companies and the subsequent implementation of commercial activities. In addition, the Italian economy is quite stable, which is also a big plus.
Legislation, both Italian and Russian, allows Russian entrepreneurs to create companies in Italy.
Russian citizens have the right to buy ready-made Italian companies, register new enterprises and own them as an investor, and also obtain the status of an Italian entrepreneur.
Forms of enterprise organization
In this state, there is a large selection of organizational forms of doing business: individual entrepreneurship, simple and limited partnerships, LLC, and CJSC.
The most popular form of organizing and conducting commercial activities in this state is an LLC, with a minimum authorized capital of 10 thousand euros. An enterprise can be managed by either an individual or a legal entity.
How to open a business in Italy?
For Russian citizens there are two ways to become the owner of an Italian company:
- acquisition of a shelf company;
- registration of a new company (residence permit for entrepreneurs will be required).
As mentioned above, most often foreigners open an LLC. With this organizational and legal form, business owners are liable for their obligations only with funds within the capital of the enterprise. A significant condition for opening an LLC is the presence of a real legal address in Italy.
You can register as a private entrepreneur. It costs less, but in this case you will be liable for your obligations with all your property.
If you are the sole owner of the company, then the amount of the authorized capital must be paid immediately and in full. If there are several founders, payment can be made in installments.
After completing the registration procedure, the company is entered into the register of enterprises. It is necessary to submit monthly and quarterly reports on the activities of the enterprise; a balance sheet is submitted once a year.
Business immigration to Italy, personal experience.
December 27, 2019
Dream of Italy.
It all started when I met a great guy, Sergei, who later became my husband and the father of my child. We dreamed of Italy together, my husband had his own online business, and I was a freelance designer. In general, our family could live in any country and work remotely in Russia. Nothing and no one could stop us from going somewhere for a long time.
We liked Rome because it was beautiful there. We managed to go there for reconnaissance, to see the city and the people. By the way, the climate there is very good and quite suitable for us. I don’t really like Russian winters and all these cold temperatures of minus 30 degrees, so something warmer suited me very well.
We were many places before the birth of the child, in 10 countries exactly, now I can’t remember more precisely. In Europe and the USA, Canada and Asia, we were like tourists.
But it is necessary to separate tourism and long-term stays, Rome in terms of prices is almost the same as Moscow - and we are from the capital. We started with the fact that we had to get visas.
Most often, foreigners in Italy follow one of two paths. The first is the registration of a residence permit on the basis of “chosen place of residence” (Residenza elettiva). The second is through company registration (Lavoro autonomo). You can also obtain a residence permit through family reunification or studying at a university, but these opportunities are not suitable for everyone.
Residenza Elettiva is issued to wealthy foreigners who declare that they want to spend more time in Italy than their visas allow and have enough money to support themselves. The downside of this residence permit is that you will not have the right to work in Italy.
The second path, a residence permit through business, suited our goals better.
It’s not so simple here; there are restrictions on the choice of activities. In Italy, most areas of business are licensed. It is not difficult to obtain a patent to conduct an activity - you need to take courses, pass exams, and you can work. But this only applies to local residents or foreigners with a residence permit. Without a residence permit, you cannot undergo training for a patent.
As a result, in Italy there are only two permitted types of activities for foreigners without a residence permit.
The first is non-patent intermediary activity (procacciatore d'affari). In other words, you are stating that the company will provide intermediary services, connect some people with others and take a commission for this.
The second is creative activity (libero professionista). This also includes people of liberal professions - artists, writers, and specialists in general - foreign language teachers, lawyers, accountants and others. But in this case, in addition to the basic requirements, it will be necessary to confirm qualifications. Ultimately, most foreigners first announce the opening of an intermediary company. Then, having issued a residence permit, they take courses and receive a license to conduct the activity they want to engage in, or hire an employee with a patent.
The main condition is that you must have a place of permanent residence in Italy. Hence the first stage – purchase or long-term rental of real estate. If you choose to rent, the agreement must be registered.
Next, you will need to consult with a tax specialist. He will help you choose the right form of business registration that will suit you according to various criteria.
Then you need to obtain two papers from Italian government agencies. The first is about the absence of obstacles to opening a company (NULLa Osta). The second is a certificate describing the parameters of the economic resources necessary to carry out the specified activity, issued by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Attestazione parametri economici). Based on your application, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry will calculate the minimum amount you will need to run your business in Italy. This is the conclusion you need to get.
When you get the papers, you can go to your home country and submit an application for a type D work visa to the Italian consulate at your place of registration.
When you receive your D visa, return to Italy and apply for a residence permit (Permesso di soggiorno) - a permit for permanent residence in Italy, which replaces a visa. And when you already become a residence permit holder, you can open a company.
What is it in real time and in terms of money? It took us half a year and 5,000 euros for all the paperwork and travel. Of course, we hired help in Rome, or we could do it ourselves, but it seemed easier to us. As a result, we opened a business and received a residence permit.
Why we like Italy.
She just can't help but like her! My family and I love everything historical, and here every stone has a story! All these bridges of love, delicious wine and local spaghetti, friendly people, good climate - all this is very pleasing. The markets have cheap fruits and vegetables all year round! Italy is a free European country, the rights of all people are respected here, we don’t yet know how things will work out with citizenship, that’s still a long way off, but we will try to get it in the future.
My advice.
Take money with reserve, for future use, it is better to take about 2000 euros for a family of 3 people.
Make insurance and you will sleep peacefully. If something happens, you will know that you are insured.
Don’t waste money left and right - this is the main rule of life. After all, today it may be very dense, but tomorrow you simply will have nothing to live on.
Take plenty of medicines with you, for all occasions, they will be useful to you, all serious medicines here are by prescription only.
First of all, arrange your home, and only then think about which museum you want to go to.
Do not carry all your money with you - it is, at a minimum, unsafe. Taking into account that Italy is famous for thieves, you need to make sure that all your finances are either in bank accounts, or at home, or on visa and mastercard cards.
Remember that Italy is a country of delicious wine. Even if you can’t stand it, it’s worth trying the local wine varieties, and don’t forget to try the local cheeses. Their taste is simply unforgettable!
And so, I want to tell you - don’t be afraid of anything! Search for your dream!
Do you want to buy a business in Italy?
In Italy you can buy a ready-made business. Experts believe that buying an existing business rather than opening a new one in Italy makes sense only if:
- a large foreign company wants to expand its business into Italian territory, and subsequently it will be handled by highly professional specialists of the purchasing company;
- The company being acquired in Italy is an enterprise engaged in the type of activity in which the buyer of the company works, and, accordingly, has excellent knowledge of it.
When purchasing a ready-made company in Italy, it is recommended to carefully study the acquired enterprise, read all its reports, realistically assess the prospects and monitor the company’s activities for some time.
The main advantages of an existing business are that an already operating enterprise has its own base of clients, suppliers, as well as equipment, premises, a certain reputation, etc.
Business registration
To register a business in Italy, you need to know some nuances:
Where to contact? First of all, you need to obtain a residence permit, for which an application is sent in a certain form through a specialized website. Then you need to take the following steps:
- open a bank account by depositing the required amount of money (in Italy);
- go to a notary to certify statutory documents;
- in the licensing department, draw up documentation for conducting a certain type of activity;
- conclude an agreement with the tax office of the country on any form of ownership.
Timing and cost. Registration costs 220-250 euros. Additional costs for all services are added to this amount. Therefore, on average you will have to pay from 3,500 euros (this is only for individual entrepreneurs, for LLCs and CJSCs it is much more). But in general, the cost depends on the type of business chosen. Approximate period – 1 month.
Required documents:
- charter;
- fee payment receipt;
- bank certificate confirming the existence of an account;
- notification from the Labor Bureau about the hiring of employees.
Business immigration to Italy: how to get a business visa
Do you dream of a European residence permit, optimizing the taxation of your company and obtaining broad business opportunities? Business immigration to Italy is a completely suitable option.
Business immigration to this country is very popular among foreign citizens, in particular Russians, as it gives greater freedom of action with few requirements for a potential immigrant.
To obtain a business visa, it is best to seek help from a law firm that specializes in resolving such issues. Lawyers will help you:
- prepare a package of documentation for obtaining a type “D” visa;
- submit documents to the consulate;
- obtain a visa and enter the country;
- apply for residency status and receive Italian documents
Applying for a business visa to Italy
To travel to Italy for business purposes, a Russian must open a business visa. It can be open for a short period of time, covering only the stated time of the visit, or it can be valid for 5 years. Such an entry permit is issued on the basis of an invitation from the Italian side. Without this document, obtaining a business visa is impossible.
The invitation must be submitted to the consular department in its original form, so you should take care of receiving it in advance by choosing a time-appropriate method for delivering the letter from Italy.
A business visa allows a Russian citizen to stay in the country for a long time. He will be able to stay in Italy for at least 3 months out of every 6. It should be remembered that after the six months are over, all unused days for the visit will disappear. They do not carry over to the next 6 months.
Consideration of an application from a foreigner for a business visa takes 4-10 days. The time it takes to make a decision largely depends on the stated purpose of the trip and the completeness of the documents provided.
The set of documentation that must be submitted to the visa center or consular department must include the following papers:
- A foreign passport, the validity of which will not expire within 3 months after the owner returns from the trip.
- Old canceled passports, if they had Schengen visas attached to them.
- Internal Russian passport in original and copies of pages with personal data and registration.
- The photograph measures 3.5 by 4.5 cm.
- Application form filled out in English or Italian.
- Certificate of income received from the employer.
- A bank statement confirming the availability of funds sufficient to cover expenses during the trip.
- The original invitation from the Italian side, which indicates the personal details of the guest, the period of his stay in the country, and the purpose of the visit.
- Confirmation from the inviting party about the financial support of the guest during the trip, if she has such intentions.
- A photocopy of the passport of the representative of the Italian side who signed the invitation letter.
- Copies of registration documents for the company on whose behalf the invitation is issued.
- Hotel reservation covering the period of a foreigner’s stay in the country, unless the invitation specifies a different place of residence.
- A certificate received by the employer from the Chamber of Commerce no earlier than 3 months before issuing the invitation.
The applicant must submit documents in person. But if, during the 5 years preceding the trip, he has already submitted biometric data at any of the embassies of the European Union countries, documents can be submitted for him by a representative acting on the basis and within the framework of a power of attorney.
Small business in Italy: popular destinations
Before opening your own business in Italy, it is necessary to conduct a thorough analysis of the economic characteristics of this country, study the market, supply and demand for certain goods/services. For foreigners, and not only others, in Italy there are several most profitable areas in which it is worth trying to open your own business.
- travel business;
- restaurant and hotel business;
- agricultural;
In addition, in Italy, retail trade, the real estate and rental market, and clothing manufacturing enterprises are quite profitable.
Legal nuances
An entrepreneur can prepare documents for business registration himself or contact a lawyer. In the second case, the procedure will be faster, without possible risks. But you will have to pay about 15,000–20,000 € for services.
The final cost depends on the law firm and the scope of work. If you go through the authorities with a representative, it will be cheaper.
Stages of business registration
The entrepreneur and his lawyers need to prepare documentation for registration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The package of documents in 2021 includes:
- Charter of the enterprise. ()
Example of an enterprise charter
- Bank statement confirming account opening.
- Receipt for payment of state duty.
- Notice to the Bureau of Labor regarding the hiring of employees.
The cost of the state registration fee will be from 220 to 300 €. The amount depends on the form of registration of the legal entity. You can issue:
- General partnership (Società in nome collettivo, SNC). It implies the participation in the business of several shareholders with shares established in the charter.
- Limited partnership (Società in accomandita semplice, SAS). Shareholders and investors can be registered in this organization.
- Limited liability company (Societa a responsabilita limitata, SAP). Can be founded by one person with an authorized capital of 10,000 €.
- Individual entrepreneur (II). You can work independently or for hire.
*The first form, SNC partnership, is suitable for moving the whole family at the same time. Otherwise, reuniting with loved ones is allowed after a year of independent work and a turnover satisfactory for Italy.
Taxation
According to reviews of business immigrants from the Russian Federation, taxation in Italy remains quite complex compared to other EU countries. In addition, the state has a progressive scale. You will have to pay the following percentage:
- 22% - VAT, IVA (imposta sul valore aggiunto); food - 10.5%, printing - 4%.
- 24% - federal income tax, IRPEF (imposta sul reddito delle persone fisiche).
- 4.25% - regional income tax, IRAP (imposta regionale sulle attività produttive).
- 30% — advance payment for municipal tax, IMU (imposta municipale unica); calculated from the amount of annual income for the previous year.
Tax distribution schedule (%)
Progressive tax scale in Italy
| Taxable base (€) | Personal income tax rates (%) |
| 0 – 15 000 | 23 |
| 15 001–28 000 | 27 |
| 28 001–55 000 | 38 |
| 55 001–75 000 | 41 |
| 75 001– | 43 |
At the regional level, a progressive tax is also levied at a rate of 0.7–3.33%. The size is set by the local authority.
Connections and bureaucracy
Italians are not known for their punctuality. Being 1.5–2 hours late for a business meeting is normal for them. When meeting, local entrepreneurs evaluate the taste of the newcomer: how he is dressed, what he is wearing and how well-groomed he is. All this will be noted and a conclusion will be drawn.
Bureaucratic delays are the same as in the Russian Federation, and there is corruption. Bribes are taken in a veiled form and only through trusted intermediaries. Almost everything is decided by connections at the family or friendship level.
