Italia Startup Visa – summary of the application process

19/03/2018

Italia Startup Visa
Summary of the application process
Case A – DIRECT APPLICATIONSTAGE 1: A non-EU citizen interested in obtaining an Italia Startup Visa to set up an innovative
startup in Italy submits his/her application as follows:a. downloads the application form for a “Certificate of No Impediment” from the Italia
Startup Visa website (italiastartupvisa.mise.gov.it). The applicant then completes theform, indicating, among others:o his or her educational and employment history;o detailed information regarding his or her business idea and model;
o the type of product or service he or she plans to develop, elaborating on its
character of innovativeness;o his or her target markets;o his or her previous contacts with the Italian innovation and entrepreneurial
ecosystem
The applicant then sends the completed form via email to the Italia Startup Visa TechnicalCommittee at the following address: italiastartupvisa@mise.gov.it, together with:b. documentary evidence, from personal funds or from a third-party funding body, showingthat he or she possesses proven financial resources of at least 50,000 euros to develop theinnovative startup.
c. a “presentation deck”, the short presentation (preferably in a .ppt format) typically usedby startups to describe the main features of their proposed business model, theirinnovativeness, and to convince investors of their growth potential.
d. a “business plan” including detailed estimates of costs and revenues foreseen for theentrepreneurial project, with a focus on research and development activities.
The applicant must store the original version of the documentation stated above, as he/she willbe asked to show it in its original version at a later stage (see Stage 3 and Stage 4).

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Italia Startup Visa – summary of the application process

19/03/2018

STAGE 2: The Italia Startup Visa Committee:
a. carries out a detailed assessment of the application, and checks the documentation
demonstrating that the applicant has sufficient financial resources (see ISV Guidelines,section “Step 2: evaluation”);
b. obtains, on the applicant’s behalf, a provisional Certificate of No Impediment for entry toItaly, issued by the local police headquarters (Questura) responsible for the area where theapplicant intends to settle;
c. as soon as point b. has been completed, issues a Certificate of No Impediment (which alsostates that the Questura has issued a provisional Certificate of No Impediment for entry
purposes) to the applicant, the “Nulla Osta ISV”. The Committee notifies the applicant via
email and also informs the Italia Startup Visa contact points in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and in the Ministry of Interior.

STAGE 3: After obtaining the Nulla Osta ISV, the applicant visits the Italian Embassy or Consulate
responsible for his or her area of
The documentation to show always includes:

residence,andapplies

foravisa.

a. the Certificate of No Impediment (Nulla Osta) granted by the ISV Committee, together
with the complete original documentation submitted for evaluation;b. proof of suitable accommodation in Italy, e.g. through hotel reservations or a declarationof hospitality, in accordance with Article 26 of Legislative Decree 286/1998;
c. demonstration of an income, obtained in the previous financial year in the country ofresidence, amounting to a higher sum than the legal minimum for exemption fromcontributions to the National Health Service (about 8,500 euros). The applicant may also
provide an equivalent guarantee by governmental agencies (Italian or non-Italian), from
Italian citizens or from foreigners legally residing in Italy;d. hard copy of submitted Application form for ISV, in its original version;e. hard copy of submitted Cover letter for proof of financial resources and attached files, intheir original version;
f. four passport-size photographs;
g. a valid passport;
h. proof of residence in the local consular district.
Please refer to vistoperitalia.esteri.it for detailed info (fill in the form at the bottom of the page)2

Italia Startup Visa – summary of the application process

19/03/2018

STAGE 4: The Italian Embassy or Consulate:a. receives the visa application from the candidate, complete with the required documents,
and carries out the checks for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Consular offices
abroad are responsible;
b. if all requirements are met, issues a 1-year “startup self-employment visa”, the Italia
Startup Visa.

STAGE 5: No more than 8 days after his or her entry in Italy, the applicant visits the Questura of
his or her chosen area of residence and applies for a 1-year self-employment permit. The
applicant follows the steps stated below:
a. Informs, well in advance, the Secretariat of the Italia Startup Visa committee on the date
and the place on which he or she intends to apply for a residence permit, by writing anemail to italiastartupvisa@mise.gov.it. The Secretariat informs the responsible Questura,b. Visits the local post office, and pays two postal bulletins, of €30.46 and €50.00 each, as acontribution to print and issue the residence permit,c. Buys a €16.00 revenue stamp (“marca da bollo”),
d. Visits the local Questura on the agreed date, bringing:o Receipts for the postal bulletinso The €16.00 revenue stampo Photocopy of his/her passport (all internal pages included)o 2 passport-size photographs
o Certificate of suitable accommodation in Italye. The Questura will collect the fingerprints of the applicant and carry out the checks
required by law. If passed successfully, it will trigger as a matter of urgency the procedure
to print the residence permit, and will contact the applicant in the next weeks to collectthe document when ready.
It is also possible to apply according to the standard procedure provided for self-employment
residence permits: that is, by filing a special set of forms available at most local post offices (a“postal kit”). However, unlike those made at Questura, applications submitted by postal kit
will be given lower priority.

STAGE 6: After one year, no later than 60 days before the expiry date of the residence permit,
the applicant submits a formal application for the renewal of the residence permit to theQuestura. The application must include:3

Italia Startup Visa – summary of the application process

19/03/2018

a. a certificate of incorporation and articles of association of the innovative startup;b. evidence that the applicant has an adequate annual income from lawful sources.

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Italia Startup Visa – summary of the application process

19/03/2018

CASE B: APPLICATION THROUGH CERTIFIED INCUBATOR

STAGE 1: The applicant interested in obtaining an Italia Startup Visa to set up an innovative
startup in Italy:
a. obtains an agreement from a certified incubator (list), in which it declares to host theapplicant in its premises or structures so that he or she can start up an innovative
enterprise. The applicant then downloads the “Undertaking to host” form from the Italia
Startup Visa Technical Committee’s website (italiastartupvisa.mise.gov.it) and sends it tothe incubator for completion. After obtaining the incubator’s “undertaking to host”
completed form, the applicant sends it via email to the Italia Startup Visa TechnicalCommittee at the following address: italiastartupvisa@mise.gov.it, together with:b. documentary evidence from his or her funding body (business angel, venture capital, bank,certified incubator etc.) showing that he or she possesses proven financial resources of atleast 50,000 euros to develop the innovative startup. In the case of funding from certified
incubators, the value of any services in kind that the certified incubator intends to provide
for the innovative startup may be included in the total amount.
c. a “presentation deck”, the short presentation (preferably in a .ppt format) typically usedby startups to describe the main features of their proposed business model, theirinnovativeness, and to convince investors of their growth potential.
d. a CV, for statistical profiling purposes.
The applicant must store the original version of the documentation stated above, as he/she will
be asked to show it in its original version at a later stage (see Stage 3 and Stage 4).

STAGE 2: The Italia Startup Visa Committee:
a. receives, electronically, the undertaking from the certified incubator, and checks the restof supporting documentation, in particular that demonstrating sufficient financialresources (see ISV Guidelines, section “Step 2: evaluation”);
b. obtains, on the applicant’s behalf, a provisional Certificate of No Impediment for entry toItaly, issued by the local police headquarters (Questura) responsible for the area where theapplicant intends to settle;
c. as soon as point b. has been completed, issues a Certificate of No Impediment (which alsostates that the Questura has issued a provisional Certificate of No Impediment for entry
purposes) to the applicant, the “Nulla Osta ISV”. The Committee notifies the applicant via
email and also informs the Italia Startup Visa contact points in the Ministry of ForeignAffairs and in the Ministry of Interior.
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Italia Startup Visa – summary of the application process

19/03/2018

STAGE 3: After obtaining the Nulla Osta ISV, the applicant visits the Italian Embassy or Consulate
responsible for his or her area ofThe documentation to show always includes:

residence,andapplies

foravisa.

a. the Certificate of No Impediment (Nulla Osta) granted by the ISV Committee, togetherwith the complete original documentation submitted for evaluation;b. proof of suitable accommodation in Italy, e.g. through hotel reservations or a declarationof hospitality, in accordance with Article 26 of Legislative Decree 286/1998;
c. demonstration of an income, obtained in the previous financial year in the country ofresidence, amounting to a higher sum than the legal minimum for exemption fromcontributions to the National Health Service (about 8,500 euros). The applicant may also
provide an equivalent guarantee by governmental agencies (Italian or non-Italian), from
Italian citizens or from foreigners legally residing in Italy;d. hard copy of submitted Application form for ISV, in its original version;e. hard copy of submitted Cover letter for proof of financial resources and attached files, intheir original version;
f. four passport-size photographs;
g. a valid passport;
h. proof of residence in the local consular district.
Please refer to vistoperitalia.esteri.it for detailed info (fill in the form at the bottom of the page)

STAGE 4: The Italian Embassy or Consulate:a. receives the visa application from the candidate, complete with the required documents,
and carries out the checks for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Consular offices
abroad are responsible;
b. if all requirements are met, issues a 1-year “startup self-employment visa”, the Italia
Startup Visa.

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Italia Startup Visa – summary of the application process

19/03/2018

STAGE 5: No more than 8 days after his or her entry in Italy, the applicant visits the Questura of
his or her chosen area of residence and applies for a 1-year self-employment permit. The
applicant follows the steps stated below:
a. Informs, well in advance, the Secretariat of the Italia Startup Visa committee on the date
and the place on which he or she intends to apply for a residence permit, by writing anemail to italiastartupvisa@mise.gov.it. The Secretariat informs the responsible Questura,b. Visits the local post office, and pays two postal bulletins, of €30.46 and €50.00 each, as acontribution to print and issue the residence permit,c. Buys a €16.00 revenue stamp (“marca da bollo”),
d. Visits the local Questura on the agreed date, bringing:o Receipts for the postal bulletinso The €16.00 revenue stampo Photocopy of his/her passport (all internal pages included)o 2 passport-size photographs
o Certificate of suitable accommodation in Italye. The Questura will collect the fingerprints of the applicant and carry out the checks
required by law. If passed successfully, it will trigger as a matter of urgency the procedure
to print the residence permit, and will contact the applicant in the next weeks to collectthe document when ready.
It is also possible to apply according to the standard procedure provided for self-employment
residence permits: that is, by filing a special set of forms available at most local post offices (a“postal kit”). However, unlike those made at Questura, applications submitted by postal kit
will be given lower priority.

STAGE 6: After one year, no later than 60 days before the expiry date of the residence permit,
the applicant submits a formal application for the renewal of the residence permit to theQuestura. The application must include:
a. a certificate of incorporation and articles of association of the innovative startup;b. evidence that the applicant has an adequate annual income from lawful sources.

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