Italy or Spain: where is better to live and which to choose for a move in 2026

For a remote worker or entrepreneur with a Russian passport, Spain is the more practical choice in 2026: its digital nomad permit is issued from inside the country for up to three years, and the Beckham regime cuts tax to 24%. Italy is stronger for very wealthy investors: a flat €300,000 a year on all foreign income, and dual citizenship without giving up the Russian one.

Italy and Spain are more alike than any other pair of EU countries: a Mediterranean climate, the sea, a Catholic culture, similar prices, and both offer visas for remote workers. That is why the question “Italy or Spain, which is better to live in” comes from people who have already decided to move to southern Europe. Below is a comparison of what actually decides a move: the basis for residence, the path to permanent residence and a passport, taxes, property and red tape. The data is as of October 2026, from the laws and consular websites of both countries.

Italy or Spain: a comparison for moving

Digital nomad visa: Italy and Spain

Italy’s visa for nomadi digitali has been in force since April 2024 (Article 27 of the Immigration Act, D.Lgs. 286/1998, and the Interior Ministry decree of 29 February 2024). It is not designed for any remote worker but for a highly qualified one: you need a university degree from a programme of at least three years or a qualification proven by experience, plus at least six months of experience in the work you will do from Italy.

The income threshold is set by formula: three times the amount below which you are exempt from health charges. That is about €24,800 a year, but consulates round it their own way: the consulate in Moscow says “about 27 thousand”, the embassy in Tbilisi “at least €25,500”. Only income from work counts: pensions, rent and dividends do not count for this visa. You also need health insurance with cover of at least €30,000 and housing in Italy.

The main difference from Spain is where you apply. A Russian citizen gets the Italian visa at the consulate covering their place of residence: with a Moscow registration through the visa centre in Moscow, from the regions through another visa centre, from the North-West at the consulate in St Petersburg. You can apply in Georgia or Armenia only with a local residence permit. Within eight days of arrival you file the residence application through the post office and the questura; the first permit is for one year and renewed every year.

In Spain a nomad applies from inside the country after entering on any Schengen visa and receives a permit for up to three years straight away, then a two-year renewal. The threshold is from €2,849 a month, higher than Italy’s, but there is no requirement for six months in a specific job. In both countries the spouse and children get permits for the same term as the applicant; how this works in Spain is explained in our guide to the digital nomad’s family.

Residence on passive income: residenza elettiva and the non-lucrative permit

Both countries have a permit for people who live on their own money and do not work. In Italy it is residenza elettiva. The law sets no figure, and consulates name their own: the embassy in Minsk states €31,000 a year per adult in 2026, while the consulate in Moscow only mentions “ample resources”. Income is proven with bank statements for 12 months and tax returns; consulates usually do not accept savings without regular income.

The trap of residenza elettiva is housing. A lease registered in Italy or a title deed is required at the time of application, so you pay rent before you get the visa. Working is not allowed, including remotely for a foreign client.

The Spanish equivalent is the non-lucrative permit: from €2,400 a month for the applicant plus €600 for each family member, and savings for a year can be shown instead of income. For a family of two adults and two children Spain requires €50,400 a year, while Italy requires at least €62,000 of income a year for the two adults alone. Working is not allowed on the non-lucrative permit either; the first permit is for one year, renewals are for two years each.

Italian residence for Russians: what changed in 2025–2026

• National D visas are filed only according to the registration in the internal passport, and the consulate in Moscow warns that processing may take longer than usual.
• Multiple-entry Schengen visas: since 7 November 2025, under a European Commission decision, Russians applying in Russia receive them only in narrow groups; everyone else gets single-entry visas. This also affects trips to “look at the country” before moving.
• Banks: under EU sanctions a Russian citizen cannot hold more than €100,000 in deposits at one bank. The limit is lifted once you hold an EU residence permit, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry. The same threshold applies in Spain.
• Waiting for the residence card: by law 60 days, but in large cities the questure issue cards after months. You can live in Italy on the filing receipt, but travel within Schengen is restricted.

Italy has few other permits for Russians with capital. The investor visa requires €250,000 in an innovative startup, €500,000 in an Italian company or €2 million in government bonds. There is no golden visa for buying property in Italy, and none in Spain since April 2025.

Permanent residence and citizenship

Both countries grant permanent residence after five years of legal residence. Italy adds an A2 Italian exam and income no lower than the social allowance — €7,101 a year in 2026. The permanent residence card is issued for 10 years. Spain grants permanent residence without a language exam, and years on the nomad permit count towards it.

Citizenship by naturalisation comes after 10 years in both countries. Italy requires Italian at B1, income of at least €8,263 a year for the three years before applying, and processing takes 24 to 36 months, so the real timeline is 12–13 years. In return, Italy allows dual citizenship: the Russian passport stays. Spain requires a declaration renouncing the previous citizenship; how it works in practice is covered in our guide to dual citizenship in Spain for Russians.

There is no fast track to an Italian passport in 2026. The 2025 referendum on cutting the residence requirement to five years failed to reach a quorum, and Law 74/2025 all but closed citizenship by descent for grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Italians; the Constitutional Court did not strike it down in 2026.

Taxes: Italy’s flat tax versus the Beckham regime

Italy’s general income tax scale from 2026 is 23% up to €28,000, 33% up to €50,000 and 43% above that, plus a regional surcharge of up to 3.33% and a municipal one. Spain’s scale is similar, with a top rate of 45–54% depending on the region. The difference lies in the special regimes for people who move.

Italy: two regimes. Highly qualified employees and entrepreneurs can use the impatriati regime: for five years only half of employment income is taxed, up to €600,000 a year. The conditions are three years of non-residence before the move and a commitment to remain an Italian tax resident for at least four years. For large wealth there is the flat tax under Article 24-bis: instead of tax on all foreign income you pay a single sum — €300,000 a year for those who moved from 1 January 2026, plus €50,000 for each family member, for up to 15 years. Italian-source income is taxed on the general scale.

Spain: the Beckham regime. For six years employment income is taxed at 24% up to €600,000 a year, and foreign dividends and interest are not taxed in Spain. The regime is open to employees, digital nomads and startup founders, but not to people who simply live off capital.

What this means in figures. A family of two adults with €2 million of foreign income a year pays a flat €350,000 in Italy — about 17.5%. With €500,000 of income the same sum is 70%, and the flat tax no longer makes sense. A remote worker earning €120,000 pays about €28,800 under the Beckham regime in Spain; in Italy under the impatriati regime the scale applies to €60,000, roughly €18,000 plus surcharges, but only with a high qualification and a commitment to stay in Italy for four years.

Separately, there are taxes on assets abroad. An Italian resident outside the flat-tax regime pays 1.06% a year on the value of foreign property and 0.2% on the value of foreign accounts and portfolios: €4,000 a year on a €2 million portfolio, even with no income. In Spain wealth tax depends on the region: Madrid and Andalusia reduce it to zero with a regional relief, but above €3 million the national solidarity tax applies. Details are in our overview of taxes in Spain. Italian inheritance tax for a spouse and children is 4% above €1 million per heir; in Spain the rates and reliefs depend on the region.

Property

A Russian citizen can buy a home in both countries. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirms reciprocity for Russians, but the bank and the notary screen every deal for EU sanctions. When buying from a private seller in Italy you pay 9% registration tax. The reduced 2% applies only to a “first home”, and only if you move your registered residence to that municipality within 18 months; you cannot use the relief to buy “for later”. The annual IMU tax is not charged on a main home except luxury categories; on other property it is 0.86% to 1.06% of the cadastral value.

In Spain the tax on buying a resale home is ITP, from 4% to 13% depending on the region; on a new build it is 10% VAT. IBI is paid every year. Details are in our guide to property taxes in Spain.

Where life is better: rent, prices and red tape

Rents in Italy’s large cities have reached record levels: according to the Idealista portal for summer 2026, Milan is about €23 per square metre a month, so an 80 m² flat costs around €1,850; Rome is about €20/m², around €1,580 for 80 m²; Palermo is about €10/m². Inflation in Italy in September 2026 was 4.2% year on year, driven mostly by energy.

For a move with family and capital, red tape matters more than prices. In Italy permits are filed through the post office and the questura, cards take months, and the nomad permit is renewed every year. In Spain the first nomad permit is issued for up to three years, and by law the decision is due within 20 working days. Prices and neighbourhoods in Spain are covered in our guides moving to Madrid, moving to Valencia and moving to Malaga.

What to choose

• Italy suits you if your family’s foreign income is a million euros a year or more and the flat €300,000 beats the scale; if keeping Russian citizenship alongside an EU passport matters; if you receive a foreign pension and are ready to live in a small southern town, where a 7% tax applies to pensioners.
• Spain suits remote workers and entrepreneurs: the nomad permit is filed from inside the country and issued for up to three years at once, the Beckham regime gives 24% for six years, and permanent residence comes after five years with no language exam. For investors with income below a million a year, the non-lucrative permit is usually cheaper than residenza elettiva.

If you are comparing countries for a move with your whole family and capital, plan the order of steps in advance — before selling assets and changing tax residence. Where to start in Spain is covered in our overview of all ways to get a Spanish residence permit. We can look at your situation in a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better to live in: Italy or Spain?

For a remote worker, an entrepreneur or a family with income below a million euros a year, Spain is usually more practical: the nomad permit is filed from inside the country for up to three years at once, the Beckham regime gives 24%, and permanent residence comes after five years with no language exam. Italy is better for very large wealth and for those who want to keep Russian citizenship.

Where is it easier for a Russian to get residence: Italy or Spain?

In Spain. A Russian citizen applies for the Italian nomad visa at the consulate covering their home address, a high qualification is required, and the permit is for one year. The Spanish nomad permit is filed from inside Spain after entering on a Schengen visa and is issued for up to three years.

What income do you need for Italy’s digital nomad visa?

Three times the threshold for exemption from health charges — about €24,800 a year, but consulates round it their own way: the consulate in Moscow states about €27,000, the embassy in Tbilisi €25,500. Only income from work counts; pensions and dividends do not.

Can you get Italian residence by buying property?

No. Italy has no residence permit for buying a home. Owning a home helps when applying for residenza elettiva, but the basis for it is passive income. The investor visa requires at least €250,000 in an innovative startup or €500,000 in an Italian company.

What taxes do new residents pay in Italy?

The general scale from 2026 is 23%, 33% and 43%, plus regional and municipal surcharges. Highly qualified workers are taxed on half of their employment income for five years, up to €600,000 a year. Wealthy newcomers can pay a flat €300,000 a year on all foreign income plus €50,000 for each family member.

Can you keep Russian citizenship after becoming Italian?

Yes. Italy allows dual citizenship, and you do not have to give up the Russian one. Naturalisation comes after 10 years of residence with Italian at B1, and processing takes two to three years.

Key points on moving to Italy or Spain

• Italy’s nomad visa is filed at the consulate covering your home address and gives a one-year permit; Spain’s is filed from inside the country and gives up to three years.
• Italy’s nomad visa is for highly qualified applicants only, with a threshold of about €25,000–27,000 a year; Spain’s threshold is higher — from €2,849 a month.
• Residence on passive income: in Italy from €31,000 per adult with housing before applying, in Spain from €2,400 a month, and savings are accepted.
• Permanent residence comes after five years in both countries, but Italy requires an A2 exam. Citizenship comes after 10 years, and in Italy Russian citizenship is kept.
• Taxes: Italy has a flat €300,000 a year for large wealth and half-taxed salaries for employees; Spain has the Beckham regime at 24% for six years.

Sources

• Italian Consulate in Moscow: digital nomad visa, July 2026
• Italian Embassy in Tbilisi: digital nomad visa
• Italian Embassy in Minsk: residenza elettiva
• Italian Consulate in Moscow: where to apply for a visa
• Italian Ministry of Enterprises: Investor Visa
• Italian Law 91/1992 on citizenship
• Italian Revenue Agency: IRPEF rates 2026
• Italian Revenue Agency: flat tax for new residents
• Italian Revenue Agency: relief for workers moving to Italy
• Italian Revenue Agency: tax on foreign financial assets
• Italian Revenue Agency: taxes on buying a home
• Italian Foreign Ministry: reciprocity note for Russian citizens
• European Commission: rules on multiple-entry visas for Russian nationals
• ISTAT: consumer prices, September 2026
• Spanish Law 14/2013: residence for remote workers