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Buying a property in Italy

Buying Property in Italy as a Foreigner: Costs, Taxes and How the Purchase Works

By Avv. Michele Capecchi, LL.M., Studio Legale Capecchi, Florence  ·  Last reviewed:

Buying property in Italy as a foreigner runs in three stages: a signed purchase offer, a preliminary contract (compromesso) with a deposit, and the final deed (rogito) signed before a notary. US citizens and EU citizens can buy on the same terms as Italians.

From accepted offer to keys, a standard purchase takes two to four months. A second home bought from a private seller carries 9 percent registration tax, calculated on the cadastral value rather than the price. The offer itself can already bind you.

1

Purchase offer

proposta d'acquisto

Once the seller accepts it in writing, it can bind you.

2 to 6 weeks
2

Preliminary contract

compromesso

Fixes price and deed date. Deposit commonly 10 to 30 percent.

1 to 3 months
3

Final deed

rogito

Signed before a notary. Keys are handed over on the day.

What are the key facts about buying property in Italy?

Who can buy

EU citizens and non-EU citizens lawfully resident in Italy can buy freely. Other foreign buyers rely on the reciprocity rule in article 16 of the preleggi (the preliminary provisions of the Civil Code), which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs checks country by country. US citizens meet it.

Purchase taxes

From a private seller, registration tax (imposta di registro) is 9 percent for a second home and 2 percent for a qualifying first home (prima casa), with a €1,000 minimum, plus €50 mortgage tax and €50 cadastral tax (DPR 131/1986). From a builder, VAT applies instead: 10 percent, or 4 percent for a prima casa, plus three fixed taxes of €200.

Other costs

Agency commission (provvigione) usually runs between 2 and 4 percent of the price plus 22 percent VAT, charged to the buyer as well as the seller. The notary's fee for a standard residential deed is usually €1,500 to €3,500 plus VAT.

Timeline

Two to six weeks from offer to preliminary contract, then one to three months to the deed. The preliminary contract must be registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate within 30 days of signing.

The catch

Owning a home in Italy gives no right to live in it. A non-EU owner without a visa can stay 90 days in any 180-day period, and Italy has no visa based on property ownership.

Who is this page for?

Registration tax 9%

Second-home buyers from the US and the UK

A couple buying an apartment in Florence or a farmhouse in the Chianti hills, planning to spend a few months a year in it. They pay the 9 percent rate, need an Italian tax code (codice fiscale) before the preliminary contract, and often sign the final deed through a power of attorney.

Registration tax 2% (prima casa)

Families relocating on a long-stay visa

Buyers moving on an elective residency or another national visa who want the 2 percent prima casa rate. The rate is available to foreigners, but only if they register residence in the town within 18 months of the deed, which ties the tax plan to the visa timeline.

Check local rental rules first

Investors buying to rent

Buyers who expect rental income need to check local rules before they make an offer. In Florence, new short-term rental activity is blocked in the UNESCO historic center, a rule the TAR Toscana upheld in May 2026, and the city has since voted further limits outside that area.

Closing cost estimator

What will the purchase cost on top of the price?

A quick estimate of taxes, agency commission and notary fees, based on the rates on this page.

Buying from
The home will be
Purchase price
Cadastral income (rendita catastale) Shown on the property's visura catastale. Ask the agency if you don't have it.
Agency commission
3%
Usually 2 to 4 percent, plus 22 percent VAT. Set to 0 for a private sale with no agency.
Registration tax (9% of cadastral value)€0
Mortgage and cadastral taxes€0
Agency commissionincluding 22% VAT€0
Notary€1,500 to €3,500 plus 22% VAT€0
Estimated costs on top of the price €0

This is an estimate for guidance only, not legal or tax advice. It assumes an individual buyer and, for a private seller, tax on the cadastral value. It excludes surveyor, legal and mortgage costs. The first-home rate needs residence in the town within 18 months and does not apply to luxury categories A/1, A/8 and A/9. Your figures are not stored or sent anywhere.

How does the purchase process work, step by step?

Before the offerSteps 1 to 2
  1. 1
    Before viewings

    Get a codice fiscale and set the budget

    Every buyer needs a codice fiscale. In our current experience, the Agenzia delle Entrate issues it to non-residents only when the applicant appears in person in Italy, even as a tourist. An Italian consulate can issue it for buyers who cannot travel.

  2. 2
    1 to 2 weeks

    Run the checks before the offer

    We search title and mortgages at the land registry (Conservatoria dei Registri Immobiliari), and a surveyor (geometra) compares the property with the approved plans and the cadastral map. We also ask the building manager for a statement of unpaid condominium charges.

Offer to preliminary contractSteps 3 to 5
  1. 3
    Valid for 7 to 15 days

    Sign the offer

    The purchase offer (proposta d'acquisto) is usually delivered with a deposit check. Once the seller accepts it in writing, it can operate as a binding contract.

  2. 4
    2 to 6 weeks after the offer

    Sign the preliminary contract

    The compromesso fixes the price, the deed date, and the deposit (caparra confirmatoria, article 1385 of the Civil Code), commonly 10 to 30 percent of the price.

    If the buyer walks awayThe deposit is lost.
    If the seller walks awayThe seller repays double.

    Registration costs €200 plus 0.5 percent of the deposit, credited against the tax on the deed. For large deposits or long gaps, the contract can be recorded in the property registers under article 2645-bis of the Civil Code, which protects the buyer against later mortgages or sales.

  3. 5
    During the same period

    Arrange the signature

    A buyer who will not be in Italy signs a notarial power of attorney (procura) abroad, apostilled and translated, or at an Italian consulate. Funds must arrive by traceable bank transfer, because the deed records how the price was paid.

Deed and afterSteps 6 to 7
  1. 6
    1 to 3 months after the preliminary

    Sign the final deed

    The notary reads the rogito aloud, collects the purchase taxes, and registers the transfer. A buyer who does not understand Italian must have an interpreter at the signing, under article 55 of the notarial law (Law 89/1913). Keys are handed over on the day.

  2. 7
    First 30 to 60 days

    Complete the post-closing steps

    Utilities move to the buyer's name, the waste tax (TARI) is registered with the town, and second homes start paying the municipal property tax (IMU), due on June 16 and December 16 each year at a rate set by each town.

Where does buying property in Italy go wrong?

Treating the offer as a reservation

Buyers from the US and the UK often read the proposta d'acquisto as a non-binding expression of interest. Under Italian law, an offer accepted by the seller can bind both parties, and agency commission usually becomes payable at that moment. We review the offer before it is signed, not after.

Planning and cadastral irregularities

A closed-in balcony, an attic turned into a bedroom, or a moved internal wall that does not match the approved plans is the most frequent problem we find. Under article 29, paragraph 1-bis of Law 52/1985, the deed must state that the cadastral plan matches the property, and serious building irregularities under DPR 380/2001 can block the sale. The 2024 Salva Casa decree (Law 105/2024) widened the tolerances, but a regularization (sanatoria) can still take months and cost thousands of euros.

Claiming the first-home rate without a visa plan

A buyer who takes the 2 percent prima casa rate and does not register residence in the town within 18 months loses the benefit. The Agenzia delle Entrate then recovers the difference up to 9 percent, a 30 percent penalty and interest. For a non-EU buyer, the long-stay visa has to arrive in time for that residence registration.

Unpaid condominium charges

Under article 63 of the implementing provisions of the Civil Code, a buyer is jointly liable with the seller for condominium charges of the current and the previous year. A written statement from the building manager before the preliminary contract settles the point.

How does Studio Legale Capecchi help with buying property in Italy?

We act for the buyer from the first viewing to the post-closing steps. Before you sign anything, we review the agency's commission agreement and the offer, run the title and mortgage searches, and coordinate the surveyor's check on planning and cadastral conformity.

We draft or negotiate the preliminary contract in English and Italian, handle its registration, and work with the notary on the deed, the purchase taxes, and the prima casa conditions. When you cannot travel, we prepare the power of attorney and represent you at the signing.

You no longer have to read Italian contracts on your own, chase documents from the town hall, or work out on the day of the deed whether the property matches its plans.

We also check how the purchase fits your visa, so the house and your right to live in it are planned together. Assisting foreign buyers in Florence and across Tuscany for more than fifteen years

Frequently asked questions

Can an American buy a house in Italy?

Yes. US citizens can buy residential property in Italy on the same terms as Italian citizens, because the reciprocity condition in article 16 of the preleggi is met for the United States. You need an Italian tax code, a traceable way to pay the price, and either your presence at the notary's office or a power of attorney signed abroad or at an Italian consulate.

Does buying a house in Italy give me residency or a visa?

No. Italy has no visa based on owning property, so buying property in Italy does not change your immigration position. A non-EU owner without a visa can stay 90 days in any 180-day period. Owners who want to live here apply for a national visa, such as the elective residency visa, at the Italian consulate covering their home address.

How much are closing costs on an Italian property?

For a second home bought from a private seller, registration tax is 9 percent of the cadastral value. A property with a cadastral income (rendita catastale) of €1,000 has a cadastral value of €126,000, which gives €11,340 in registration tax, plus €100 in fixed taxes. Notary fees and agency commission are charged on top.

Do I have to be in Italy to sign the deed?

No. You can sign a notarial power of attorney before a notary in your country, with an apostille and a certified translation, or at an Italian consulate. Your representative then signs the rogito for you. Many of our clients complete the purchase this way and visit only for the viewings and for the codice fiscale appointment.

Can a foreigner get the first-home tax rate in Italy?

Yes, if you register residence in the town where the property is within 18 months of the deed, own no other home in that town, and have not used the benefit on another property you still own. Luxury categories A/1, A/8 and A/9 are excluded. Missing the 18-month deadline costs the tax difference plus a 30 percent penalty.

Isn't the notary enough to protect me?

The Italian notary is a public official who must stay neutral between buyer and seller. The notary checks title and registrations before the deed, but does not negotiate for you, review the agency agreement or the offer, or advise on visas and tax planning. By the time the notary is involved, the offer and the preliminary contract have usually been signed.

Where can I read more?

Knowledge HubBuying a €1 House in Italy: The Costs No One Mentions Knowledge HubGuide to Buying Your Dream House in Italy If you plan to live hereElective Residency Visa Agenzia delle EntrateGuidance on the preliminary contract and purchase taxes

Studio Legale Capecchi advises international clients on buying property in Italy from our office at Via Cavour 39, Florence. To discuss your purchase, book a consultation. If nothing fits your schedule, let us know, and we will find a time.

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