Over the past few years, as more American citizens have purchased houses in Italy, the demand for more information on how to buy property here has increased. Many American clients write to us asking whether special documents are necessary to go through with the purchase of property in Italy and if they have to pay higher taxes compared to EU citizens.

In response we decided to write this article to answer to the most frequently asked questions American citizens may have.

FAQ about buying property in Italy as an American

Table of contents

1. I am an american citizen: Can I purchase a house in italy?
2. What are mutual agreements?
3. Do americans pay higher taxes to purchase a house in Italy?
4. I am an american citizen who would like to purchase a holiday home in Italy: Which documents do I need to have?
5. I am an american citizen who wishes to become a resident in Italy: Which documents are required?
6. How long does the elective visa last?
7. How to register as a local resident?

I am an american citizen: Can I purchase a house in italy?

The answer is yes! American citizens can buy houses in Italy without needing to have any special documents and do not have to pay higher taxes compared to EU citizens. This is because Italy has mutual agreements which enable the buying and selling of real estates in Italy by foreign citizens.

What are mutual agreements?

Basically, the current regulations allow the purchasing of property by foreigners as follows:

1. A foreigner without a regular residence permit: may purchase only if an international agreement gives its consent or if a mutual agreement exists between Italy and their country of origin which, in turn permits an Italian to buy a house there.
2. A foreigner with a regular residence permit or their family member, in possession of a regular permit, who is living in Italy and has been stateless for at least three years: may buy property without having to present an existing agreement, if they possess a residence permit for self employed or employed work, to start up a business, for family, humanitarian and study reasons or with an extended EC residence permit (residence card).
3. EU and EEA citizens (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), asylum seekers or political refugees resident here for more than three years: are not required to present any particular documents to proceed with a purchase.

 According to Wikipedia, Abruzzo is considered the greenest region in Europe as almost half of its territory, the largest in Europe, is set aside as national parks and protected nature reserves. There are three national parks, one regional park, and 38 protected nature reserves.

The three national park are: The Gran Sasso and Laga Mountains National Park located mostly in northern part of Abruzzo region, bordering with Lazio and Le Marche region; The National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise in the North – West area of Abruzzo, bordering with Molise and Lazio; and the Majella National Park in the southern part of Abruzzo.

The Gran Sasso and Laga Mountains National Park includes the territory of three regions (Abruzzo, Marche and Lazio), five provinces (L’Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, Rieti and Ascoli Piceno) and forty-four communes; it cover a surface of 150,000 hectares.

The park has been established in 1995, the area holds the highest pick of the Apennine, the Gran Sasso d’Italia, 2912 m, the beautiful Campo Imperatore plateau, the largest in Italy, Lake Campotosto, the largest artificial basin of the continent and the Calderone glacier, the unique in the Apennines and the most southern in Europe. The park contains one of the most biologically diverse areas of Europe. Visiting the Gran Sasso and Laga Mountains National Park means experiencing biodiversity, culture and excellent wine-and-food tradition.

The extent and array of altitude and lithology are reflected in the diversity of landscapes in the Park. At high altitude, where the peaks reach three thousand meters, we find the kingdom of wilderness, with endemic fauna and flora and also glacial relicts.

 Can we use the emerging COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to so some good and reset daily habits to be more sustainable? In these days of worries, lockdown, economic and sanitary crises all over the world, I have started to reflect on the fact that there is something wrong in our economic models and modern lifestyle. Eventually, I was very happy to find out that my thoughts were shared by many other people from completely different backgrounds.

Here in Italy, a few weeks ago the popular newspaper La Repubblica, published an interview with the famous architect Stefano Boeri, designer of the building Bosco Verticale in Milan.

The title of the interview resumes the architect’s point of view: “Via Dalle Città, nei vecchi borghi c’è il nostro futuro” (“Away from the cities, our future lies in the old hamlets”). In this interview, Stefano Boeri shared many of his ideas of a new lifestyle and a new possible economy. He concluded, “To go back to normality in which the causes and joint causes of this tragedy are rooted would be mass suicide.”

The same vision is also shared by another famous architect, Massimiliano Fuksas, interviewed by Elle Décor Magazine in which he declared: “The countryside is not to be considered a luxury, it must become an alternative for everyone.”

Our cities, once considered places of freedom, have turned out to be big prisons. Scientists say that this virus is weaker in the country. This is in part because of reduced social contact, lesser quantities of metal and plastics, as well as iodine-rich air in seaside resorts. The Apennines with their numerous abandoned villages offer the perfect opportunity to revive them. From an architectural perspective, this is closely linked to sustainable design, with approaches that can include renewable energy, water management, waste recycling and sustainable building materials. Escaping the city could therefore give life to beautiful places which are the spirit of Italy.

 With a castle built around 1,200 ad sited directly next to the church, it is certain that settlement has been around the site of the village for many centuries. Colledimezzo literally means ‘Hill in between’, in fact the village is located on a hilltop between two higher mounts.

The hill of Colledimezzo is a solid limestone rock, so of course stone is plentiful and most of the houses have been made from this and the local surrounding stone. The houses in the village are connected by a network of streets that are all stepped to accommodate this large rock, many of the houses are not accessible by car but originally mule would have been an option of transport.

Under the village, in the rock, are a number of caves and cellars that were carved out of the hill, perfect for keeping stores of food cool in the summer.

Clearly a feudal system of some kind was in place over the centuries, with the bigger land owners co-ordinating the effort of the villagers in exchange for farming harvests of crops and olive oil supplies as well as other goods needed to maintain the village life. This was clearly exchanged with other outlying towns especially Atessa and Lanciano. To a large extent the Abruzzo area has been self sufficient for centuries.

The manor house that is most certainly known through the later generations, is the ‘Old Doctors House’ which sits just under, on a path to the side of the church and looks out towards the river. After his death in the early 1960’s the house has been lying unoccupied as he left it, it’s like an untouched time capsule. Within this building, there is an insight into how life was for the people of Colledimezzo in the past. Generations of doctors in the family treated the local villagers with their ailments, as well as dentistry and midwifery. Large storage areas under the house indicate how grain, salamis dried meats, oil and wine were stored to see them through the cold winters.