Geri A. Says:
We are U.S. citizens who own a home in Italy and currently split our time between there and Montenegro, doing the “Schengen Shuffle” to extend our tourist visas. We want to get an easy and fast EU residency visa, but don’t want to have to leave and go back to the U.S. while we file the paperwork. What is the best country to do this in?
Global Diversification Expert Ted Baumann Says:
Hi Geri,
Given that you already have a home in Italy, why don’t you apply for an independent means residency permit there? That would certainly be faster than anything else, given that you would need to go through the whole process in another country, whereas you already have confirmed ties to Italy.
The residenza elettiva visa is available to anyone with sufficient passive income to live in Italy without being a burden on the state—currently a minimum of €38,000 per year.
The Italians seem to be flexible about these things. My suggestion would be that the next time you come back from Montenegro, go to an Italian immigration service office and apply for a permesso di soggiorno, a temporary visa issued for one or two years. This will allow you to remain in Italy while you apply for a residenza elettiva.
The big question is whether you would need to leave Italy while your application is being considered. That isn’t 100% clear, but again, from what expats there tell me, it should be possible to do this at a local immigration office rather than going to an Italian embassy or consulate somewhere else.
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