Immigration. Travel. Living.

Immigration to Italy

Flag of Italy

Italy is also the eighth largest economy in the world, with millions of thriving industries, companies, and businesses hiring both citizens and expats. In essence, relocating to Italy is an excellent idea, if you are looking for a new career.

The quality of life, health care system, cost of living, and taxes are just fair enough for any person or family to manage. This is a step-by-step relocation guide for expats planning on moving to Italy. In this article, you’ll get all the tips and updates on relocation cost, visa, education, and employment you need to get started.

Visa

Before you can start relocating to Italy, you must be qualified to apply for an Italian visa if you want to enter the country legally. For EU nationals, the whole process is simpler and can take less than 2 days to complete. EU citizens can easily move to Italy without any form of visa or permit.

EU nationals are only required to register their presence in the country at any police station or town hall in their residing city. Once the beneficiary has registered his/her identity with the state, he/she will be issued a residence permit [Permesso Di Soggiorno]. Once he has this document, he can easily complete his relocation at any time.

For non-EU nationals, there are categories of visas/permits the whole process can take 2 months to complete. You’ll have to apply for a travel visa and permit depending on your needs. You may apply for:

  • Temporary residence permit – This allows you to stay in the country for up to 2 years.
  • Employment visa- This type of permit allows you to work as an employee in the Italian Republic.
  • Entrepreneurial permit – This is a permit obtained by non-EU nationals to set up a small business or company in Italia.
  • Student visa – This is a limited visa granted to students who want to study in Italy.

There are also limited visas issued to asylum seekers, IDPs, family reunification, and stateless person visas. These types of visas are not so popular in the country. The government of the Italian Republic also made provisions for golden visas. A golden visa is a special visa that allows non-EU nationals to obtain residence permits and even citizenship rights based on a substantial investment made.

Most individuals planning on moving to Italy usually plan to obtain an Italian passport. Foreign citizens become legal citizens of Italy after residing in the country for 10 years. After their application has been accepted, they can proceed to obtain Italian IDs and passports.

This timeframe can be shortened if the individual is Italian citizenship by descent, a refugee, stateless persons, or an EU citizen.

classic white and red coupe parked near brown house

Accommodation

Another thing you have to consider before you relocate to Italy is the accommodation fee, Most of the houses in Italy are apartments. This makes detached housing hard to find. You can also get a nice place in the countryside close to a ranch, villa, or farm.

The cost of apartment buildings in the country varies depending on the location and apartment size. In the capital or popular cities such as Milan, Rome, or Florence, the prices are higher. While areas like Perugia and Bologna have slightly lower costs on apartments and accommodation. 

A one-bedroom apartment in Rome costs about €900, and a three-bedroom apartment is rented for €1,600 per month. In Milan, a one-bedroom apartment can be acquired for as low as €800/month, while a three-bedroom apartment can go for €2,000/month.

If you are going to reside in Naples, you can find a good-sized one-bedroom apartment for €850/ month or €1,500 for a three-bedroom apartment close to the city center.

Education

Italy also offers some of the finest education in Europe. The school system applied in this country is largely public, with compulsory education for children between the ages of 6 and 16. 

Italian is the main language used in the country, while the English language is taught in state schools as a second language. There are also private & international schools available throughout the nation for international students who want to continue their education using their home country curriculum.

As a foreigner with kids living in Italy, you have free access to public schools even if you are not a formal resident. Even foreign students can enjoy free education up to the university level. Free university education sometimes comes with enrollment taxes.

The cost of living in Italy

If you are relocating to Italy from the UK, United States Of America, Germany, or France, you’ll enjoy your stay in Italy. The cost of living in this country is over 30% lower than what you’ll find in your home country. You can save money on rents, utilities, groceries, and entertainment by simply relocating to Italy.

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