10 Reasons Why Relocations to Italy Don’t Succeed

1. Unrealistic Perception: While Italy is home to some of the world’s most incredible apparel, food, wine, and art, it is also one of the world’s most bureaucratic countries, with unbelievably slow public services and utility companies — definitely not what one would expect of a major European economy. Corporate and private clients expecting only ‘La Dolce Vita’, quickly become irritated and frustrated.

2. Inadequate Housing Budget: Italy’s main cities are some of the most expensive in Europe. Therefore, if an assignee or individual has a budget that is too low for the Italian market, frustration quickly settles in. A person moving to Italy normally wants at least the same standard of living they have in their home country, if not higher.

3. Incompetent Vendors: When you put your valued talent, clients, or yourself in the hands of a relocation and/or immigration vendor, you need to make sure that they are the best on the market. Make sure that your due diligence covers all the important aspects of identifying the top players in Italy.

4. Limited Home Searches: If the Destination Service Provider (aka Relocation Company) only works with limited preferred suppliers, then the assignee or individual is not receiving an impartial home search, which means they are only seeing a part of what is actually on the market. Lack of housing choices usually creates discontentment in people.

5. High Cost of Living: Italy, for the most part, is an expensive country, which means that if a person’s salary or income is not in line with the cost of living in Italy, they will soon become frustrated, as they will have a low standard of living. Smaller cities and remote areas are naturally cheaper.

6. Lack of Work Opportunities for Spouses: The accompanying spouse or significant other who would like to work in Italy will probably be disappointed. The two main obstacles are that usually the spouse or partner does not speak Italian and that the job market in Italy is not very dynamic, though cities like Milan offer more opportunities.

7. Lifestyle Challenges: Language difficulties, byzantine bureaucracy, and the lack of international schools outside the main cities are among the main lifestyle challenges that contribute to an unsuccessful relocation in Italy.

8. Lack of High-End Temporary Accommodation: Temporary accommodation in Italy is limited, even in the main markets, and what is available is very often expensive and not in line with the expectations of an expatriate. Therefore, an assignee or individual becomes very unhappy living in a temporary accommodation that is not in line with their expectations.

9. A Landlord’s Market: Italy is generally a landlord’s market. There is normally very little room for negotiation, as many landlords own multiple properties and are not rent-dependent. This can mean that the quality-price ratio is often low and not in line with the expectations of an expatriate. Smaller cities offer more in terms of the possibility of negotiating.

10. Relocation Services Are Not Focused : A VIP assignee may not necessarily benefit from a longer program, and very often, a repatriating Italian does not need the same assistance as an expatriate. Make sure as HR that the relocation assistance really focuses on the needs of the assignee, as the one-size-fits-all approach quite often has its challenges in Italy.

If you require any case-specific assistance, please feel free to contact me www.damienofarrell.com

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