How to move to Italy

So you recently visited Italy and like so many before you absolutely fell in love with the country. Maybe it was the wine, the cheese, the architecture, the people or the atmosphere.. but my guess is.. it was a combination of all of the above!

And now you find yourself sitting at the boarding gate.. about to leave this gorgeous country of romance and gelato, and you’re seriously considering moving here.

I get it. I’m Australian and mid-pandemic, in August 2020, I moved with my husband and two dogs to Puglia.

But before you start mentally packing your life, you need to know if it’s even possible because you must have the legal right to live in another country.

There are a few pathways that may allow you to move to Italy permanently.

1. Citizenship by decent

   Are any of your ancestors Italian (or European for that matter)? If that’s the case, it’s quite likely that Nonna Pina might be leaving you more than the world’s best lasagne recipe! The team at Italian Citizenship Assistance share all the ins and outs of Citizenship by decent on their site which you can find here.

2. Marriage
   Have you married an EU passport holder and you are both wanting to live in Italy together? You’ll likely go down the route I did of obtaining a “Permesso di Soggiorno per motivi familiari “ (Permission to stay for family reasons). This is not citizenship, but instead a permit that allows you to stay for the duration of it’s validity. You can then renew or apply for a Carta di Soggiorno (five year duration). By the way, don’t confuse this with the “Family reunification” permit (which might also be available to you). That one is similar but it’s for the spouse of a non-EU citizen who is already legally living in Italy. These permits are much quicker (in theory!) and easier to obtain than citizenship which has minimum marriage duration requirements and a language test.

3. Elective Residence permit
   If you have passive income and will not be working in Italy- this option is for you! The team at Studio Legale Metta have explained all the details on their site here.

4. Student Visa
   If you don’t have an Italian grandma or a husband to gain a permit via, and your bank account doesn’t increase by €30k per year without you lifting a finger, then perhaps studying is an option?

5. “Golden” Investor Visa

   An alternate pathway that I see left off many lists because it’s unobtainable for many, is the Investment Visa. You’ll need at least €250k to invest in an innovative Italian startup or more if you invest otherwise. If this is an option for you I highly recommend checking out this great article by Accounting Bolla.

P.S. Have you already moved? I’d love to include your story in the Calling Italy Home project. Find out more here.