How do I move to Italy? Here’s how to start a life in Italy

Really there are two questions you might want to ask- How do I move to Italy? And How can I stay in Italy indefinitely? You might think they go hand in hand, but really moving to Italy is all about what is the best visa for you to get, and staying in Italy leads to a much more complex set of questions regarding what permesso di soggiorno you can get.

Every individual will have a different path to the easiest way to start a life in Italy, but there are a few starting points to explore. I’ll be honest upfront- moving to Italy gets easier depending on your financial standing. Even for the easiest way to get in, you will need a little money to help you get started. You may think your skills and work experience could easily set you up for a job in Italy- but it is less about this and more about your flexibility. If you really want to see how you can move to Italy, you will need to be open to changes, and accepting of certain situations.

Let’s get started with a few of the ways you can move to Italy

How do I move to Italy with passive income- The Elective Residency Visa

Often also called the Retirement Visa as it is usually taken advantage of by retirees. Many will mention this as “the easiest way to move to Italy” but that is not really true, as it really depends on your money in the bank. It involves 30k yearly income entirely passive income. Plus, will involve a number of taxes to be paid, and potentially buying a house in Italy. Now to be clear you don’t have to be retired for this visa, you can get it at any age, you just need to have an entirely passive income and the right amount. Find out all about the Elective Visa in this blog post here.

How do I move to Italy if I fell in love with an Italian – Get Married.

Honestly, this is the easiest way to move to Italy, as long as the other one at the party is down for it! There is a bit of paperwork to do but don’t forget! I have seen a number of couples stop at the wedding, and while Italy won’t kick you out, you aren’t going to want to let the permesso di soggiorno go. Do the paperwork to be sure you can live and work in Italy without challenges, and eventually get citizenship. For details on getting married in Italy, check out this blog.

How do I move to Italy if I have family ties – work on your citizenship through ancestry!

Once you have Italian citizenship through ancestry, moving to and living in Italy gets WAY easier. However, it is really not an easy path. You will need to prove your relationship back to your Italian ancestors, collecting all the paperwork and setting up a few meetings, and of course, a lot of waiting. It might cost a pretty penny if you need to hire help to gather documents and translate. To get started, this website is a great resource.

The easiest way you can move to Italy – Go back to School

Getting a study visa is one of the easiest ways to move to Italy. I mentioned you’d have to be flexible with how to move to Italy and this is where it is. You don’t necessarily have to go back to university, though this of course is an option. In fact, going back to university will give you the longest permesso di soggiorno to stay in Italy, and give you more options to stay indefinitely.

However, you could always use it as the perfect reason to work on our Italian. You can get a study visa to move to Italy by registering for a long-term, full-time Italian language course. It will let you get a foot in Italy and stay at least a year, during which you can feel out if Italy is right for you and decide what to do next.

This is definitely the best way to move to Italy, but you will need to think long-term if you want to stay indefinitely. To help plan your long-term stay in Italy, or learn the other visa options that might be right for you, start with a read through the Moving to Italy Guide, after which I would be happy to sit down and talk through your individual moving to Italy plan. Learn more here.

You Can Move to Italy

Moving to Italy is not a walk in the park, but neither is it a crazy dream. It is possible for everyone, there just may be more work to do depending on your situation. You are allowed to stay in Italy for 90 days on a tourist visa, so if you are not 100% in, take these three months, go and enjoy different areas of Italy and see if it can work for you. But if you have got your mind set on moving here indefinitely, just remember there is a solution

If you found this information helpful you can show your support by buying me a glass of wine 🥂. I really appreciate it and each glass inspires me to research more into life in Italy!