Milan is Italy’s deal room: a city where finance, fashion, design and technology meet. Damalion gives entrepreneurs, investors and family offices a clean path to the right structure, the right address and the right filings.
Why choose Milan to start your company in Italy?
Milan is the regional capital of Lombardy and Italy’s second most populous city by residents, with a metro exceeding three million people. The scale of the local market, the density of corporate headquarters and the international talent pool translate into faster early revenues and deeper hiring benches than most Italian cities. Milan’s economic cycle is anchored by global events (Salone del Mobile / Milano Design Week), a leading stock exchange and a diversified base from luxury retail to advanced services. Porta Nuova and CityLife have redefined the skyline and created modern office stock next to transit, hotels and executive housing—appealing for headquarters and client-facing practices. Meanwhile, MIND – Milano Innovation District on the former Expo site concentrates research, life sciences and university partnerships, and the Scali rail-yard regenerations (e.g., Farini, San Cristoforo) outline the next wave of mixed-use development.
Main business streets & districts in Milan
- Quadrilatero della Moda — Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni, Corso Venezia: hard-signal luxury and premium professional services near top clients.
- Corso Vittorio Emanuele II & Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — continuous footfall between the Duomo and San Babila; prestige retail and flagship showrooms.
- Corso Buenos Aires — Europe-scale high street for volume retail and experiential formats.
- Porta Nuova / Piazza Gae Aulenti — Grade-A offices, mixed-use, Vertical Forest, and transit access; ideal for VC-backed scale-ups and advisory firms.
- CityLife (Tre Torri) — landmark towers, shopping district and large green spaces; blue-chip corporate signaling.
- Navigli–Tortona — creative industries, F&B concepts and design-week visibility for brand launches.
Which type of companies can you set up?
| Form | Italian name (abbr.) | Minimum share capital | Who uses it & why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private limited company | Società a responsabilità limitata (S.r.l.) | €10,000 (can start from €1 with special rules until reserves reach €10,000) | Default for SMEs and venture-backed teams; flexible quotas and governance. |
| Simplified private limited company | Società a responsabilità limitata semplificata (S.r.l.s.) | €1–€9,999 (standardized by-laws; individual shareholders) | Speed and low cost when bespoke by-laws are not required. |
| Public limited company | Società per azioni (S.p.A.) | €50,000 | Institutional capital, listings, or complex cap tables; shares instead of quotas. |
| Partnership (general) | Società in nome collettivo (S.n.c.) | No statutory minimum | Partners have unlimited liability; used for small, trust-based enterprises. |
| Limited partnership | Società in accomandita semplice (S.a.s.) | No statutory minimum | At least one general partner (unlimited) and limited partners (liability capped to contribution). |
| Joint-stock limited partnership | Società in accomandita per azioni (S.a.p.A.) | €50,000 | Niche structure mixing partnerships and shares; sponsor-manager control. |
| Branch of foreign company | Sede secondaria (Branch) | N/A | Capital at parent level; local legal rep required. |
| Representative office | Ufficio di rappresentanza | N/A | Non-trading; market research and liaison only. |
| Cooperative | Società cooperativa | Variable per statute | Member-benefit model; housing, services and platforms. |
Incorporations are executed before a notary (on-site or online for S.r.l. in eligible cases). Paid-in capital and anti-money-laundering documentation are verified before filing the deed to the Italian Business Register.
Real-estate opportunities
For offices, focus on Porta Nuova (Piazza Gae Aulenti, Bosco Verticale axis) and CityLife (Tre Torri). Developers and value-add funds track Scali Milano rail-yard schemes including Farini and San Cristoforo for park-led regeneration with residential, offices and community uses. Innovation-driven occupiers can anchor at MIND alongside research and health institutions. Luxury retail remains concentrated in the Quadrilatero, where Via Montenapoleone leads global rents; high-street rollouts scale on Corso Buenos Aires.
Submit your business permit application
Italy does not have a single licence to trade. Many activities begin by filing a Segnalazione Certificata di Inizio Attività (SCIA) with the municipality’s one-stop desk (SUAP). In Milan, filings route digitally via the national impresainungiorno.gov.it portal or through ComUnica at the Business Register when the SCIA is concurrent with company registration. Typical attachments include identity/KYC for directors and UBOs, corporate documents, technical clearances for regulated trades (e.g., food safety for HORECA), and lease or title for the registered office.
Trendy launches in the city include concept retail in the Quadrilatero and along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, experiential high-street formats on Corso Buenos Aires, advisory and fintech near Porta Nuova/CityLife, and creative concepts in Navigli–Tortona. Sequence your steps: (1) name check and draft by-laws; (2) notary deed and capital deposit; (3) Registro delle Imprese registration and VAT (Partita IVA); (4) SCIA via SUAP with sector add-ons; (5) social security/insurance (INPS/INAIL); (6) bank onboarding with UBO chart and source-of-funds note. Our team coordinates notary, registry, tax and banking so reviewers can decide without unnecessary rounds of questions.
Create your company in Milan with Damalion
Damalion supports entrepreneurs and international investors to start their company in Milan. From articles of association, bank account opening, registered offices, to accounting and tax services, our accredited experts contribute your success in the state of the art. Please contact your Damalion expert now.
This communication is informational and not a substitute for tailored legal or tax advice under Italian law.
10 best things to do in Milan during a 24-hour business trip
- Duomo di Milano (Cathedral) — dawn terrace walk and nave visit.
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — coffee under the glass vault before a client meeting.
- Quadrilatero della Moda — Via Montenapoleone window-walk.
- Castello Sforzesco — fast loop through the courtyards and museum highlights.
- Pinacoteca di Brera — 60 minutes with Mantegna, Raphael and Caravaggio.
- Leonardo’s Last Supper (Cenacolo) — time-slotted; book well in advance.
- Porta Nuova / Gae Aulenti — skyline stroll by Bosco Verticale.
- Fondazione Prada — contemporary art at Largo Isarco or the Galleria “Osservatorio”.
- Navigli — aperitivo around the Darsena between meetings.
- Teatro alla Scala — evening performance or theatre tour.
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