Buying property in Italy as a foreigner (2026): what to check before you sign

Updated October 2026

Many foreign buyers think the key moment of an Italian property purchase is the final deed before the notary. In practice, you are usually committed weeks earlier, when you sign the purchase offer or the preliminary contract. This guide explains how the process works in 2026, what it costs and what to check before that point.

Can foreigners buy property in Italy?

Yes. Citizens of the European Union and the EEA, and anyone legally resident in Italy, can buy property on the same terms as Italians. Other foreign citizens can buy if Italian citizens enjoy the same right in their country (the so-called reciprocity condition). In practice this is satisfied for buyers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the UAE and most other countries. You do not need to live in Italy, hold a visa or open a company to buy a home.

How a purchase works in Italy

A typical purchase of a home in Italy has three steps, and usually takes two to four months from offer to deed:

1. Purchase offer (proposta d’acquisto). Usually signed through the estate agent, with a small deposit. Once the seller accepts it, it can already be binding on both sides.
2. Preliminary contract (compromesso or contratto preliminare). Both parties commit to the sale and agree price, timing and conditions. A larger deposit is normally paid at this stage, often 10 to 30% of the price.
3. Final deed (rogito). Signed before an Italian notary, who registers the transfer of ownership and collects the purchase taxes.

The deposit is often a caparra confirmatoria: if the buyer walks away, the seller keeps it; if the seller walks away, the buyer can claim double. This is why the documents signed before the notary matter so much, and why conditions that let you withdraw (for example if checks fail or a mortgage is refused) must be written in at the offer stage.

What the notary checks, and what is left to you

The Italian notary is a public official who must be impartial between buyer and seller. The notary checks the seller’s title and the registered mortgages, makes sure the deed is valid, carries out anti-money-laundering checks and collects the purchase taxes.

The notary does not normally inspect the property or compare it with the approved building plans. Planning and cadastral compliance largely rests on the seller’s declarations. If the building has works that were never authorised, the problem stays with the property, and becomes yours. The 2024 “Salva-Casa” decree made it easier to regularise some minor discrepancies, but it does not cure everything, and regularisation takes time and money.

A checklist before you sign

• Title and ownership history over at least the last twenty years, including inherited properties where the inheritance may not have been formally accepted.
• Mortgages, liens and seizures registered against the property.
• Planning and cadastral compliance: the plans on file with the municipality and the land registry must match the property as it is. A surveyor (geometra) should check this before the preliminary contract.
• Condominium fees: in Italy the buyer can be jointly liable for unpaid fees of the current and the previous year. Ask the building manager for a statement.
• Tenants or occupants, and any pre-emption rights of third parties, for example on agricultural land or listed buildings.
• Energy performance certificate (APE), which must be provided by the seller.
• Short-let plans: if you intend to rent the property to tourists, check local rules and condominium regulations before you commit.
• Agency commission, which in Italy is often due as soon as the offer is accepted, usually 2 to 4% of the price plus VAT.

Purchase taxes and costs in 2026

Purchase taxes depend on who is selling and whether you qualify for first-home relief. These are the standard rates for a home:

When an individual buys a home from a private seller, the registration tax is usually calculated on the cadastral value, which is often well below the price paid, provided the full price is declared in the deed. On top of taxes, budget for the notary, the agency, a surveyor, translations and your lawyer.

First-home relief if you live abroad

First-home relief is not reserved to Italian residents. You can claim it if you move your residence to the municipality where the property is within 18 months of the purchase. Italian citizens registered abroad with AIRE can claim it on their first home in Italy wherever it is. In both cases you must not already own another home in the same municipality, or a home bought with the same relief anywhere in Italy, unless you sell it within two years. If you claim it and do not meet the conditions, the relief is revoked with penalties.

Owning and renting out

• Annual property tax (IMU) is due on homes that are not your main residence, at a rate set by each municipality.
• Short lets require a national identification code (CIN) for each property. Rental income can be taxed with a flat 21% (cedolare secca) on one property chosen by the owner and 26% on the others. From 2026, renting out three or more properties short-term is presumed to be a business activity.
• Selling within five years can trigger tax on the gain, unless the property was your main home for most of that time.

Buying without travelling to Italy

You will need an Italian tax code (codice fiscale), which can be obtained in Italy or through an Italian consulate. Payments must be traceable and are recorded in the deed, so plan the transfer of funds early with your bank. If you cannot attend the deed, you can sign a power of attorney before a notary in your country, with an apostille and translation, or at an Italian consulate. If you do not understand Italian, the deed must be read to you with the help of an interpreter and accompanied by a translation.

Common mistakes foreign buyers make

• Signing the agent’s standard offer form without conditions.
• Paying a large deposit before any check on title and planning compliance.
• Assuming the notary acts for the buyer.
• Choosing the ownership structure (personal name, spouse, company) without considering inheritance and tax in their home country.

The bottom line

Most problems in Italian property purchases can be spotted before signing, and many can be solved through the wording of the offer or the preliminary contract. Once you have signed, your options are far more limited.

Related: English-speaking Italian property lawyer · Italian inheritance when heirs live abroad

This article is general information and not legal advice, updated to October 2026. Rates and rules change; every purchase depends on its own facts.