My husband and I moved to Italy in the summer of 2023. We've been living all around the world for over a decade and were most recently enjoying the digital nomad lifestyle in the Balkans when a job opportunity presented itself.
Although the job didn't excite my husband, the chance to move to Italy intrigued us both.
So, he went through the interview process and landed the gig fairly quickly. What we didn't realize at the time was that this would be the only part of our move to Italy that would go quickly. It wouldn't be until a year from then that he'd have his work visa in his passport and we could officially make the move.
It'd take months more for our residence permits (permesso di soggiorno) to come through and a full year for us to jump through all the hurdles and bureaucratic appointments no one told us we needed to do.
Moving to Italy isn't for the impatient. You're going to need a lot more stamina than just the dream of la dolce vita to drive you through. Because the thing is, once you can finally breathe and realize you finished up the year of paperwork and queuing at the immigration office (la questura), it'll be time to do it all over again.
Now, that said, we absolutely love living in Italy and for us the hurdles have been far worth it. We've lived in a lot of different countries so are used to the fact that a legal move is never easy and while Italy does like to make it extra long between mandatory appointments, we're still here applying for yet another residence permit to stay even longer.
For those that still love the idea, here's how to move to Italy and some things you'll want to keep in mind throughout the process.
Short on time? Here's the cheat sheet
💭Moving to Italy has been well worth it for us but do know it comes with some hurdles.
⚠️Your expectations needs to be realistic. Living in Italy is different than just a trip here and you'll have to deal with all the normal day-to-day stuff life brings with it.
☝️The 1st thing you'll need to figure out are your options to live here long-term. Do you need a visa? Which ones do you qualify for?
🍝To enjoy endless plates of pasta, you'll need to deal with endless queues in different offices. Have patience? You can make it.
Why Give Living in Italy a Try
Italy didn't become one of the most famous countries in the world by chance. Not by a long shot.
The food, the history, the culture, the architecture, and the diverse landscapes all combine to make this a really magical country.
The thing you really need to know though is that living in Italy is very different from just visiting Italy.
When you live here, you'll need to worry about work, taxes, and day-to-day stuff that life brings with it. Things that typically get avoided when you're on a week-long trip.
Going forward in this article I'm going to assume you understand that and you know that, unless you're filthy rich, your days won't be spent lounging on a boat off the Amalfi Coast or shopping all you can in major cities.
Sure, those might be your weekends but Mondays will likely still be Mondays...just with better coffee to perk you up.
Things You'll Love About Living in Italy
Now, other than the typical touristy things you probably already know about Italy (like having gelato whenever you want), here are some other things you'll likely love:
- A lower cost of living compared to the quality of life
- A better work/life balance
- Ease of travel within the country (unless you move to a small town)
- Fresh, seasonal, higher quality ingredients
- Diverse landscapes from beaches to mountains and large cities
- Friendly locals
- International communities (in cities)
- How pet-friendly it is
Things You Might Not Love
Of course, nowhere is perfect so some things you might not love about living in Italy are:
- The bureaucratic hurdles
- Slow pace to get things done
- The language barrier and regional dialects
- The tough job market
I'm honestly having a hard time thinking of more. Can you tell I really like it here?
Just know that these pros and cons are based on my personal experience and might vary from your own.
Best Places to Live in Italy
Italy is a really big country. Far bigger than just the major cities that most people know about or consider adding to their travel list.
Before you decide on one single place to live in, I suggest you first focus on your visa options and how you'll be able to move to Italy. If you're moving here for a job, you'll need to be open-minded about where you end up. The job market is really tough here so you'll need to be flexible and go where the job is, instead of only applying to positions in one place.
How tough it was for my husband to get his second job here sparked me to write a full article about how to apply to jobs abroad. If you want to move here for work but don't yet have the job lined up, I recommend taking that article super seriously.
Anyways, back to where to live. If you're able to live here on a different type of visa that gives you more freedom and flexibility to choose where to live, here's a few places I would consider. Just keep in mind these aren't the only good places, just places I know and love.
Trieste
Trieste is a small coastal city right on the border with Slovenia. It's about 1.5 hours east of Venice and another 1.5 hours south of the Dolomites.
This is the city we call home.
Trieste was never on our radar and the only reason we moved here was because of my husband's job. Although it felt really small when we first arrived, we now love living here.
For people who prefer the sea and the hills and are happy with a small city rather than a massive one, it's a great choice. The unique history has it feeling a little bit less "Italian" than what you might be dreaming up but it's worth a peek if you have the flexibility in where you live.
Read more about living in Trieste.
Rome
Personally, I adore Rome. Compared to all the big cities in Italy, Rome is my favorite.
But know it is a big, chaotic city that welcomes hordes and hordes of tourists each year. It's certainly not for everyone.
The real reason I have it on this list is because of the job opportunities the city offers. If you need a job to sponsor your work visa in order to move to Italy, I'd start off by looking in the major cities like Rome and Milan and take it from there.
Verona
Verona has my heart. I'd move to Verona in a heartbeat if we could. Since we're tethered to my husband's job, that's not in the cards for us but if you're able to land a job there or have the flexibility to move anywhere in Italy, I'd recommend looking into Verona.
The city center is fantastic but what really draws me in is that Lake Garda and the Dolomites aren't too far away for weekend jaunts in nature. It's central location in Northern Italy also opens up a lot of possibility for domestic travel.
Puglia
For those craving the laid-back lifestyle of Southern Italy, look into Puglia. Puglia isn't a specific town but a region in Italy.
You know how Italy looks like a boot? Puglia is the heel.
Bari is the biggest city and capital of Puglia but there are numerous small towns on the coast or in the hills to consider.
Read our full guide on living in Puglia to learn more.
Florence
Alright, Florence is personally not one of my favorite places in Italy but I know I'm the odd ball in that.
Don't get me wrong, Florence is stunning and is a mecca of history, especially in the arts. But would I choose to live here over other places in Italy? Not likely.
That said, I know it's a popular choice. It's especially a good one for those that are moving to Italy to learn Italian. They say the Italian language comes from the Florence dialect so if you want to learn "pure" Italian, this is the city for you.
Read more on what it's like living in Florence.
Visa Options in Italy
Unless you're an EU citizen and are able to move to Italy without needing a specific visa, this is the most important part of your moving process and one you absolutely cannot overlook.
Regardless of the visa you choose, you'll need to start your visa application at your Italian embassy or Italian consulate in your country of residence before you can move here.
I'm not a visa expert so I won't act like one. Instead, I'm going to share a few that I know exist and are the most common options.
- Work Visa: This is the visa my husband is on since his move was sponsored by an Italian company who offered him a job. He had to work with his employer and the Italian embassy in Colombia (where he's from) in order to secure this visa. You'll need an employment contract and proof you're qualified for the job offer in order to apply for this.
- Family Visa: This is the visa I'm on. I have the legal right to work in Italy but was brought here essentially as my husband's "plus one" so my status is tied to his. If we had children, this is the visa they would also be on. I didn't actually have to do anything to get this except show our marriage license. I also never received an official visa in my passport. For those married to Italian citizens, this is the visa you'd use to move here.
- Student Visa: This visa is for those that are accepted to a university in Italy. This gives the student the right to live here while they study.
- Digital Nomad Visa: This is a relatively new visa and is for remote workers who want to work online while living in Italy. A key for this is that you can't work with Italian clients or businesses in order to qualify. You can learn more here about the digital nomad visa.
- Golden Visa/Investor Visa: This visa is only for those that are able to make a significant financial investment to the Italian economy.
That said, if you're interested in learning more about different visa options in Italy and even get some help with your application process, we've worked briefly with Lexia (a law firm here) and found them helpful. They didn't help us with any specific processes but we used them to answer our questions when my husband was changing jobs.
Non-Valid Visa Option
I'm sure you've seen a lot about the €1 housing in Italy and other schemes to attract people to buy homes in Italy.
This is really important to know before you get too excited about these opportunities: buying a home in Italy does NOT give you the legal right to live in Italy.
Even if you own property here, unless you're from a European Union country, you can only stay here for 90-days every 180-days. Note this is the Schengen zone rule for many nationalities but does have exceptions.
3 months every 6 months might sound like plenty of time in Italy for you and if that's the case, you might be happy to buy a summer house and use it sparingly but if you planned to buy a home as your way to live full-time in Italy, you'll need to think again.
The Residency Process
Know that when you first move to Italy you'll be given a temporary residence permit. This is in addition to your visa. It will take months to get this permit.
Sometimes you might not even get a visa but will go directly to the permit. For example, my husband had a 1-year work visa in his passport. I was never given a visa in my passport or any sort of special stamp in there. We both have our residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) and now that's all we need to live here, renewing only that when the time comes.
After 5 years with temporary residency you can then apply for permanent residency. Another 5 years later, you can apply for Italian citizenship.
The Bureaucratic Nightmare
I've mentioned it a few times but want to take a little bit more time here to explain the bureaucratic nightmare that awaits you in Italy.
We think of it as the price we have to pay to live here. It's one we're willing and ready to pay but that doesn't mean it comes without some occasional cursing and huffs of frustration.
Remember how I said we first moved here due to a job that didn't really excite my husband? His gut feeling ended up being spot on with them. Not only was the job itself not great but the company did the absolute bare minimum towards our residency process, even though it was included in his deal.
They dropped the ball multiple times and even 2 years later we're still ironing out some mistakes they made or things they forgot to tell us.
Hopefully you won't be in the same situation and if moving for work, your job will actually help you through. If not, here are a few things I wish we understood better when we first moved here.
The Process Is Slow
Even if the company did its part, the visa and residency process is very slow in Italy.
Let me give you our timeline for reference:
- Sept 2022: Officially offered the job in Italy
- Aug 2023: Visa ready to be picked up
- Aug 2023: Move to Italy and submit our documents at the post office to apply for residence permit
- Feb 2024: First appointment at immigration office for our permits
- March 2024: My husband's residence permit ready to be picked up
- April 2024: My residence permit ready to be picked up
- May 2025: Start application for our permit renewal (expiration end of July 2025)
- Jan 2025: Appointment given to start renewal process
- TBD
We were lucky enough to be given 2-year residence permits since my husband's job contract was "indefinito," meaning it wasn't just for a year or so but indefinitely. Most people only get 1-year permits, meaning you'd essentially have to restart the process the moment you get your card.
Unless you have a visa in your passport, you won't be able to travel to other EU countries while you wait for your residence permit after your first 90-days have passed.
For example, since I didn't get a visa, from November 2023-April 2024 I had to stay in Italy or fly directly to a non-EU country if I wanted to travel. This year, we'll both be in that same position once our current permits expire in July until we get our new ones, which won't happen until at least January.
You're perfectly legal in Italy during the waiting times (so long as you've submitted your documents to the post office and have your appointment dates) but since the EU is borderless, other countries don't quite understand the system in Italy and you'll look as though you overstayed.
Your Tax ID Number (Codice Fiscale)
Your Italian tax ID number is the most important piece of identification you'll have in Italy. You'll be asked for your "codice fiscale" for practically everything.
Since my husband moved here for work, he immediately needed his number for payroll and was given one the moment he registered when we arrived here. Mine took until my residence permit came through.
There may have been ways to speed the process up with mine but we honestly didn't try.
Luckily we were able to put our apartment in his name and just prove I live with him...which brings me to...
Registering Your Address
You'll likely arrive in Italy and stay in a hotel, vacation home, or with family. Whatever address you're staying at the day you submit your paperwork and officially announce your arrival (done at the post office), that's the address they'll put on file.
But, the moment you get a lease, you'll need to go to the comune (the city council) and register your real address. They'll ask for your lease and likely a few other random documents, like your apartment blueprint.
It's really helpful if you speak Italian or bring an Italian-speaking friend along for the ride.
At some point, they'll send a police officer to your home for them to check that you indeed live where you say you live and that the home is suitable for the number of people you say live there. This step is key to getting your spouse or children registered to the address, especially if their name isn't on the lease.
You'll need this done in time for your first appointment at the immigration office (la questura) and to get your Italian ID card.
Getting Your Health Insurance Card (Tessera Sanitaria)
Last but certainly not least in the long list of important documents you'll need to settle into your life in Italy is your health insurance card, or tessera sanitaria.
This card is how you'll be able to take advantage of the universal healthcare system in Italy.
You'll need your codice fiscale and to be registered in order to get this card. It's another errand you'll need to run by going to the office and answering a few basic questions about yourself.
They'll give you a temporary card and later mail you the real deal. This card will be used for a lot in Italy as it also has your codice fiscale on it and a barcode for scanning. You'll want to carry it around with you.
One thing we weren't expecting was for them to ask us if we had a preferred doctor to be matched with. In Italy's public healthcare system, you go through your general doctor for everything. Appointments with them are free and they'll then refer you to specialists as needed.
We didn't have a clue about who we wanted as our doctor so we just asked for someone near our home. We got lucky that our general doctor speaks great English but if that's important for you, I recommend you do some research before your appointment.
Settling into Life in Italy
Still with me? I know this article has been a lot more about paperwork and processes than I usually write about but honestly it was because we were so caught off guard by all the things we needed to do that I don't want you to feel the same.
We're almost done, I promise!
North vs. South
When choosing where to live there's something really important you need to know: there's a big difference between Northern Italy and Southern Italy.
The Italy that's often shown in media and in stereotypes is based more on the south. Northern Italy has closer ties to Austria, Switzerland, and France and it shows. While Southern Italy is more relaxed, boisterous, and chaotic.
I love the entire country and the fact that it's far more diverse than I initially realized.
Language
In my opinion, you need to learn Italian to successfully live here. I'm sure in big cities or by staying in the tourist/expat bubble you can get by with just English but your life here will be much richer if you speak Italian.
I'm not suggesting you're fluent on day 1 but I am suggesting you put in a real effort to learn the language. Chat with your neighbors, order your meals in Italian, and force yourself to get off the beaten path.
The beauty of living here is being able to visit places and have experiences that most tourists never will but in order to really open yourself up to those things, Italian will be the gateway.
Plus, at least in Trieste, so many people don't speak English that it'd just be really, really hard if I couldn't communicate even on a basic level.
Driver's License
Did you know you can only drive in Italy on a foreign driver's license for one year? After that year has passed, it will no longer be valid, even if your home country lets you renew your international permit.
You'll have to get an Italian driver's license in order to continue driving here. Luckily, public transportation is really great but if you want to explore the mountains or small towns, especially in the south of the country, you'll want the ability to at least rent a car.
How difficult this is will depend on where your original driver's license is from. If you're from the US or Colombia (where my husband and I are from), you're out of luck. Our countries don't have an agreement with Italy, which means you'll have to start from scratch.
Yes, that means passing the theory test in Italian.
Since my husband speaks better Italian and drives a manual with more confidence, he's currently going through the process to get an Italian driver's license. As you might guess by now, the process is lengthy and really tough. He started December 2024 and has his final test schedule for the end of June 2025. It also costs about €2,000.
Some countries are able to simply translate your current license to an Italian one. Lucky you!
Will You Move to Italy?
While my goal here was certainly not to discourage you, it was to show you what it really takes to move to Italy.
We joke that as soon as we feel like we've jumped through all the legal hoops, another one has to be around the corner. We're no longer surprised when we're told about some other office that we were meant to go to for some specific document no one needed until now.
It's part of the process and something we're happy to do in order to stay in Italy.
It's just not for the impatient or the people that aren't even convinced they want to be here in the first place.
The laid-back lifestyle is something I love about living here so when that attitude spreads over to the bureaucratic pace, I can't complain but instead have to accept it in its entirety.
If you want to learn more about Italy, check out my other website, Mamma Mia Indeed, dedicated to traveling this country thoroughly.
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