Vatican City
Southern Europe
EuropeNon-EU
Vatican citizenship is generally tied to office or service rather than ordinary residence, so it is not a conventional relocation or naturalisation destination.
–
Overall score
Insufficient data · 20% data coverage
Language
Italian, LatinCurrency
EURCitizenship
No ordinary residence-based routePersonal tax
Special sovereign and employment arrangementsCost of living
Not a general relocation marketRules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
–
Access
17%–Residence12%
22Citizenship and passport5%
–
Earning power
25%–Salary and work12%
–Buying power13%
50
Business and wealth
20%50Taxes7%
–Business8%
50Investment5%
–
Daily life
25%–Quality of life18%
–Education7%
–
Rights and institutions
13%–Freedom6%
–Rule of law7%
Pros
- Country-wide comparison coverage
- Local residence and work pathways available
Cons
- Legal and tax outcomes are case-specific
- Costs vary materially by city and lifestyle
Best for
Users comparing regional optionsPeople prepared to verify a specific pathway
Score profile
Access
Residence–
Citizenship
12
Passport
86
Earning power
Salary & work–
Buying power–
Cost of living
55
Economy–
Business and wealth
Taxes
50
Personal tax
50
Corporate tax
50
Business–
Investment
50
Wealth building–
Daily life
Safety–
Healthcare–
Environment–
Infrastructure–
Education–
HDI–
Rights and institutions
Freedom–
Rule of law–
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
–Data not available
Main pathways
EmploymentStudyFamily reunificationBusiness or investment where eligible
| Student | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
|---|---|
| Work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Self-employed | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Permanent | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
12Low
| Years required | No ordinary residence-based route |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | Check the current naturalisation rules for the selected route |
| Residence | Typical headline route: No ordinary residence-based route; qualifying residence and absence rules apply |
| Notes | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Passport
Passport power
86Excellent
171 / 198
Mobility
#21
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free124
- On arrival43
- eTA4
- Visa required27
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
–Data not available
| Tech salary (estimate) | Varies substantially by city, seniority, and employer |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Market access depends on language, sector, and work authorisation |
| Job market | Use current local vacancy and salary data for role-specific decisions. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
–Data not available
Cost of living
Affordability
55Moderate
| Rent | Varies substantially by city and neighbourhood |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Not a general relocation market |
| Cities | Vatican City |
Economy
Economic strength
–Data not available
Main industries
Tourism & museumsReligious administrationPublishingPhilately & numismatics
| Type | Non-commercial sovereign micro-economy |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Tourism & cultural heritage, Church administration |
| Summary | A unique non-commercial economy funded by tourism, donations, museum receipts and the Holy See's administration. |
| Currency | Euro (used by agreement with the EU) |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
50Moderate
| Personal | Special sovereign and employment arrangements |
|---|---|
| Corporate | Not comparable to a general commercial tax system |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Personal tax
Personal tax
50Moderate
| Personal | Special sovereign and employment arrangements |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
50Moderate
| Corporate | Not comparable to a general commercial tax system |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Business
Business friendliness
–Data not available
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Generally possible, subject to sector, registration, tax, and substance rules |
|---|---|
| Local company | Available company forms and capital requirements vary |
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
Investment
Investing environment
50Moderate
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, residence, holding period, and treaty position |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Check current national and subnational rules |
| Brokers | Local and international availability varies by residency and compliance checks |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
–Data not available
Salary & work
–Data not available
Business
–Data not available
Investment
50Moderate
Tax friendliness
50Moderate
Cost of living
55Moderate
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
–Data not available
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
–Data not available
System & costs
| System | Public/private mix varies by eligibility and residence status |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Check residence-permit and local coverage requirements |
| Average cost | Depends on eligibility, income, insurer, and chosen coverage |
Environment
Environment score
–Data not available
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
–Data not available
Education
Education score
–Data not available
| Tuition | Not applicable as a general study destination |
|---|---|
| Public university | Varies by institution, programme, and student nationality |
| Languages | Italian, Latin |
| Student work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
HDI
Human development score
–Data not available
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
–Data not available
Rule of law
Rule of law score
–Data not available
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgPwC: Worldwide Tax Summariestaxsummaries.pwc.com
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.