Property in Italy can be purchased both by natural persons and by companies.
Buying a house in Italy
At the time of the purchase of the property, the rights of foreigners are equal to the rights of Italian citizens but not all foreigners can buy a property in Italy. To buy a house in Italy, foreigners must meet the following conditions:
The law distinguishes between three different categories of foreigners who can buy a house without particular problems:
- in the case of aliens legally residing, together with their family members and stateless persons for less than three years, a valid residence permit or residence card is required;
- in the case of non-regularly residing foreigners, there must be an international agreement that allows such a purchase or the so-called condition of reciprocity, i.e. that in the country of origin of the foreigner the Italian citizen is also allowed to buy a house;
- if you are a Community and/or EFTA (European Free Trade Association) citizen or a stateless person who has been resident for more than three years, there are no limits.
What documents are required for foreigners to buy a house in Italy?
- Tax Code, mandatory for everyone, Italians, EU and non-EU foreigners.
- Residence permit or residence card
- Passport or equivalent document
For this reason it is of fundamental importance to rely on professionals in the sector, experts in various fields who draw up a Due Diligence of the property:
- conformity of the property for all the necessary authorisations, both from a building and cadastral point of view
- checks on any mortgages affecting the property.
- verifies, if the property is part of a condominium, the regularity of the seller’s condominium payments.
For these aspects, a valid real estate agent is essential, and we also offer the services described above on request
- assistance in opening a bank account,
- registration with the national health service with the identification of the general practitioner or paediatrician,
- issue of parking permits or Italian driving licences.
Our bilingual staff (English, Russian, Portuguese) accompanies the customer throughout the negotiation up to the final deed of sale.
If the foreign buyer does not speak Italian, the contracts (purchase proposal, preliminary sale agreement, notarial deed) must be translated into the language; moreover, during the stipulation in the presence of the notary, a bilingual interpreter and two witnesses must be present, who will be mentioned in the deed.
The sales process consists of:
- purchase proposal;
- stipulation of the preliminary sale contract;
- notarial deed of sale.
The purchase proposal formalises the intention to sell the house. At the time of signing, the buyer must pay a sum of money, almost always called a confirmatory deposit, which certifies the buyer’s commitment. The amount paid will be proportional to the sale value. The purchase proposal, until it is also signed by the seller, binds only the buyer.
Preliminary sale, it is not mandatory for the signing of the notarial deed, but it is a protection for the buyer, in fact it will be registered with the Revenue Agency. With this document, both parties are bound to conclude the sale. In this phase the buyer will pay an additional sum of money to the seller.
Deed: Notarial deed. The deed of sale is drawn up by a Notary. In this phase, the rest of the amount is paid by bank transfer or cashier’s checks issued by the Italian bank to the seller and upon final signature, the buyer becomes the legitimate owner, receiving the keys to the property. The registration of the deed will be carried out by the notary.
If you need more information or explore many other aspects, or if you are looking for professionals who can help you in choosing the purchase of your property in Italy, contact us, Bianchi & Caffagni real estate will be happy to help you.
We can assist you in all phases of the purchase of the property
Do not hesitate to contact us to make your real estate purchase in Italy the right way.
