Canadian Citizens Buying Property in Italy Guide

Canadian citizens can buy property in Italy, but not always on the same terms as American or British buyers. Since 2023, Canada’s own ban on foreign buyers of Canadian homes has affected how Italy applies reciprocity to Canadians. For many residential purchases, your eligibility now has to be confirmed before you sign anything.

Govoni Law is an independent Italian law firm that acts only for buyers. We first check whether you can buy the specific property. Then we review the property, the documents and the contract before you sign or wire money. All advice is in clear written English, and the process is built for buyers who live in Canada.

Canadians buy all over Italy: farmhouses in Tuscany, Umbria and Abruzzo, villas on Lake Como, masserie in Puglia, family homes in Sicily and Calabria, apartments in Rome. The location changes the property risks. It does not change the need to confirm eligibility first.

For a Canadian buyer, the first question is not “Is this the right house?” It is “Can I legally buy this house?”

Send us the listing, your citizenship and residence details and the draft offer before you commit.

Short answer: can a Canadian citizen buy property in Italy?

Sometimes. It is no longer automatic.

Under Article 16 of the preliminary provisions to the Italian Civil Code, Italy applies the principle of reciprocity to non-EU citizens. A foreign national can buy in Italy only to the extent that an Italian citizen could do the same in that person’s country.

Since 1 January 2023, Canada’s Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act has barred most non-Canadians, Italians included, from buying residential property in large parts of Canada. The ban has been extended to 1 January 2027. As a result, many Italian notaries consider that reciprocity is generally not met for a residential purchase by a Canadian citizen who has no other qualifying status. Each case turns on its facts, and the notary makes the final decision at the deed.

A Canadian buyer may still be able to buy, for example:

As a dual citizen holding Italian or another EU/EEA citizenship.
As a holder of a qualifying Italian residence permit.
When the property or right being acquired falls outside the scope of the restriction, which must be checked case by case.
Through inheritance or other routes that are treated differently.

You may hear that buying jointly with an EU spouse, buying through a company or buying in a small municipality solves the problem. Do not rely on any of these without a written analysis and the notary’s agreement.

Important: the Canadian ban is currently due to expire on 1 January 2027, and Canada has not yet confirmed whether it will extend, replace or end it. If your purchase falls around that date, check the position again at the moment of signing, not only when you first make contact.

Why eligibility must be checked before the offer

In Italy, an accepted offer or a preliminary contract can already bind you and put your deposit at risk. If you only learn at the notary’s office that you cannot buy, the money is already committed, the dates are already agreed and the seller has taken the property off the market.

A Canadian buyer’s offer should therefore normally include:

A condition making the purchase subject to the notary confirming the buyer’s eligibility.
Clear rules for returning the deposit if eligibility is not confirmed.
The correct identity of the buyer, especially where a dual citizen, an EU spouse or a residence permit holder will appear in the deed.
A timeline that leaves enough time for any residence permit or document still needed.Eligibility is a condition you write into the offer. It is not something you discover at the deed.

How buying in Italy differs from buying in Canada

Many problems Canadian buyers face come from assuming that the Italian process works like a purchase in Ontario, British Columbia or Quebec. It does not.

In Canada	In Italy	What it means for you
Offers are commonly conditional on financing and inspection	Conditions exist only if written into the offer	Protective conditions must be negotiated before you sign
The deposit is usually held in trust by a brokerage or lawyer	The deposit may be paid directly to the seller	Its wording and destination decide whether you can recover it
Your real estate lawyer, or notary in Quebec, handles title and closing for you	The Italian notary is neutral and acts for the transaction	You need a lawyer acting only for you
Title insurance is common	Title insurance is uncommon	Title, burdens and planning must be checked before you commit
A home inspection is a standard step	Planning and cadastral compliance are not checked by default	Legal and technical checks must be commissioned early
A Canadian buyer’s eligibility is not in question	A Canadian buyer’s eligibility must be confirmed	The offer should be conditional on eligibility

In Canada, a conditional offer protects you by default. In Italy, you have to build that protection into the offer yourself.

Before you sign: when you should not proceed yet

Situation	Why it matters before signing
You hold only Canadian citizenship and do not live in Italy	Reciprocity may not be met for a residential purchase
The agent says “Canadians buy here all the time”	The agent does not decide eligibility; the notary does
You plan to buy jointly with an EU spouse or partner	The effect on ownership, shares and eligibility must be checked
You are applying for an Italian residence permit	The type and timing of the permit can decide whether you can buy
You are asked to sign an offer or pay a deposit within days	An accepted offer can bind you before eligibility is confirmed
The property has a pool, annex, veranda or extension	These features are the most often affected by planning issues
The property is rural, coastal, historic or on a lake	Landscape, heritage and land-use rules may apply
The seller inherited the property with other family members	Every owner must be identified and able to sign

Eligibility routes that may apply

Dual citizenship. Many Canadians have Italian ancestry. If you already hold Italian or another EU/EEA citizenship, you can generally buy on that basis. Use that passport consistently in the offer, the tax code and the deed. If your Italian citizenship is still being recognised, do not assume it will be finalised before the purchase deadline.

Italian residence permit. A non-EU citizen legally resident in Italy with a qualifying permit is generally not subject to the reciprocity test. The type of permit matters, and not every permit, or every stage of an application, will qualify. Govoni Law does not handle visa or residence applications. We check whether the status you have, or expect to have, supports the purchase.

Buying with an EU spouse or partner. This can change who owns the property, in what shares, and what happens on death or separation. Treat it as a decision about the ownership structure, not as a shortcut.

Company structures. Buying through a company raises separate reciprocity, governance and tax questions. It should never be used only to get around eligibility.

For the general rules for every nationality, read Can Foreigners Buy Property in Italy and Sardinia?

What documents and steps does a Canadian buyer need?

The Italian process usually runs through three stages: a purchase offer or reservation, a preliminary contract with a deposit, and the final deed before the notary. Around those stages, a Canadian buyer will typically need:

A valid Canadian passport, plus any EU passport you intend to rely on.
Evidence of Italian residence status, where relevant.
An Italian tax code, the codice fiscale, usually obtained through the Italian consular network in Canada or from the Revenue Agency in Italy. See Getting an Italian Tax Code Before Buying Property.
Documents showing the source of the purchase funds.
Information on your marital status, which can affect how the property is owned.
A power of attorney if you will not attend the deed, usually signed before a notary in Canada and apostilled for use in Italy. The Italian notary should approve the draft before you sign it.

The property documents matter just as much. Request them from the seller before any binding step.

Transferring money from Canada

Most Canadian buyers convert Canadian dollars into euros before the deposit and the balance. Legally, three things matter: each payment goes to the correct party at the right moment, its references match the contract, and there is a clear record of where the money came from. Italian banks and notaries must verify the source of funds, and delays can collide with contractual deadlines.

Exchange rates and timing are matters for your bank or a regulated currency provider.

Where Canadian buyers purchase in Italy

We assist Canadian buyers throughout Italy. Each area brings its own typical risks:

Area	Typical purchase	Main legal focus
Lake Como	Hillside and historic villas	Access, retaining walls, landscape rules, waterfront features
Rome	Historic apartments and penthouses	Condominium rules, terraces, historic-centre constraints
Milan	Apartments and new builds	Developer documents and guarantees
Tuscany and Umbria	Farmhouses with land and pools	Pools, annexes, agricultural land, private roads
Puglia	Masserie, trulli and coastal homes	What was authorised in the restoration
Sicily and Calabria	Family homes, palazzi, coastal houses	Heirs, title defects, occupation
Sardinia	Coastal villas and second homes	Coastal restrictions, guest annexes, unauthorised works

For all areas, see Italian Real Estate Lawyers for Foreign Buyers.

Time in Italy and residency

Buying property in Italy does not give you residency or a visa. As a Canadian visitor, you can generally stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Once ETIAS launches, currently expected in the last part of 2026, you will also need an online travel authorisation before visiting.

If you plan to live in Italy for longer, you will need a separate long-stay visa and residence permit. For Canadians this matters twice: it decides how long you can stay, and it may also decide whether you can buy at all. Plan it with an immigration professional before you sign an offer. Govoni Law does not handle visa or residence applications.

Canadian tax: coordinate early

If you remain resident in Canada, rental income from the Italian property, and any gain when you sell it, may be taxable in both countries. Under the Canada–Italy tax convention, Italy can tax income from property located in Italy, and Canada gives relief for the Italian tax paid. Canadian residents may also have to report foreign property, for example on Form T1135 above certain thresholds.

These are questions for a Canadian tax adviser with cross-border experience, ideally before you buy. Govoni Law does not provide tax advice, but we can provide the transaction documents your adviser will need.

Brief, Light Due Diligence or Full Legal Due Diligence: which level do you need?

Level	Best for	What you receive
Before You Sign Brief	You have a listing, a draft offer, a deposit request or partial documents	A written first assessment of your eligibility, visible risks, missing documents and next steps
Light Due Diligence	One defined issue needs a substantive answer, such as eligibility, the contract or a title point	A focused written review of that issue and the protections required
Full Legal Due Diligence	You are committed to a property of significant value or complexity	A structured investigation of title, burdens, planning position, restrictions and contract terms

For Canadian buyers, the Before You Sign Brief is usually the right first step: until eligibility is confirmed, nothing else is worth paying for.

Can you buy property in Italy without leaving Canada?

Yes, provided you are eligible. Our method is written first. You send the listing, the documents and the draft contract. You receive structured legal advice in English that you can share with your family, your bank or your accountant. Where appropriate, a power of attorney signed in Canada lets a representative sign the final deed in Italy.

For the full structure, see Remote Legal Assistance for Property Buyers.

A practical example: a couple from Toronto buying in Umbria

A couple from Toronto finds a restored farmhouse near Todi. He holds only Canadian citizenship. She has Italian ancestry, but the recognition of her citizenship is still pending. The agent tells them “foreigners buy here all the time” and asks them to sign a proposal with a 30,000 euro deposit within a week.

A Before You Sign Brief finds three problems:

On his Canadian passport alone, the residential purchase may not pass the reciprocity test.
Her Italian citizenship cannot be relied on until it is formally recognised.
The proposal has no eligibility condition, calls the deposit a caparra and does not mention the pool or the converted barn.

The proposal is rewritten. The purchase becomes conditional on the notary confirming eligibility, the deed date is set after the expected recognition of her citizenship, and conditions are added on title, the pool and the barn. Full Legal Due Diligence later shows that the barn was never authorised as living space, and the price is renegotiated before the preliminary contract.

The couple still buys in Umbria. They simply avoid finding out at the notary’s desk that they could not.

What Govoni Law does and does not do

We provide buyer-side legal review, eligibility and reciprocity analysis for the specific purchase, legal due diligence, title and document checks, analysis of registered rights and restrictions, review and negotiation of offers and preliminary contracts, and coordination with the notary and technical professionals where needed.

We do not sell property, act as a buyer’s agent or property finder, arrange mortgages or currency exchange, provide Canadian or Italian tax advice, obtain visas, residence permits or citizenship recognition, or guarantee planning outcomes. Where those matters arise, we tell you which qualified professional you need.

Buyers by nationality

For the full purchase process, read Buying Property in Italy: Legal Guide for Foreign Buyers.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Canadian citizen buy a house in Italy?
Sometimes. Because of Canada’s foreign buyer ban, currently in force until 1 January 2027, reciprocity is often considered not to be met for residential purchases by Canadians with no other qualifying status. Dual citizenship, a qualifying Italian residence permit and certain types of property can change the position. Confirm your eligibility before you sign.

I have Italian ancestry. Can I buy as an Italian?
Only once your Italian citizenship has been formally recognised. Until then, you are treated as a Canadian citizen for the purchase.

Who decides whether I can buy?
The Italian notary, who checks that the deed is lawful. Neither the agent nor the seller can confirm your eligibility.

Will the rules change after 2027?
They may. If Canada ends or relaxes its ban, the reciprocity position may change. Until Canada confirms what happens next, check the position at the moment you sign.

Is my deposit refundable if I turn out not to be eligible?
Not automatically. The offer should include an eligibility condition and clear rules for returning the deposit.

Does buying property in Italy give me residency?
No. Owning property does not grant a visa or residence permit. A long-stay visa must be obtained separately.

Can I buy from Canada without travelling?
Yes, if you are eligible. The purchase can be handled through written legal review, coordination with the notary and, where appropriate, a power of attorney signed in Canada and apostilled.

If you are a Canadian buyer considering a property in Italy, contact Govoni Law before signing an offer or wiring a deposit. Send the listing, your citizenship and residence details, the documents received and the draft offer. We will tell you in writing whether you can buy and which level of review your purchase needs.

For Canadian buyers, the safest Italian purchase starts with one question answered in writing: can I buy it?

Legal Assistance for Canadian Citizens Buying Property in Italy