Why Your Relocation to Italy May Take Time
Every year, I receive thousands of inquiries from people who would like to make Italy their home. These inquiries range from individuals who would like to retire in Italy to tech-savvy digital nomads who would like to spend some time working remotely in Italy. While some of these people may be able to make the move in a short period of time, others may have to wait a while if they really want to have a successful relocation to Italy. Let’s look at why a relocation to Italy may take a while, and why it’s important to give each of these points the attention they deserve if you want to thrive long-term in Italy.
Immigration: EU citizens have it much easier when it comes to relocating to Italy from an immigration point of view in comparison to non-EU citizens. One of the effects of Brexit is that UK nationals are now third-country nationals and therefore require a visa if they would like to live and work legally in Italy. This has significantly complicated matters for individuals from the United Kingdom who, for instance, purchased a property in Italy several years ago with the intention of retiring there, and now they find that they need to apply for a visa for which they may not be eligible. This is essentially the crux of the immigration matter: you either qualify for a visa or you do not. Contrary to what you can read sometimes on expat forums online, there are no visa “workarounds” that replace having to submit a visa application for approval. In some cases, this does not pose a problem if the applicant effortlessly fulfills the requirements for a particular visa, but regrettably, in other scenarios, it could stifle an individual’s aspiration to relocate to Italy due to the absence of a specific visa option. In this case, you have two choices: you can either give up on your dream or you can do as one of my clients did, which was to put herself in a position where she would qualify for an intra-company transfer, and she invested five years in making this happen. There is no fast track regarding visas if you must put yourself in a position where you qualify, so the question is: how much effort, time, and energy are you willing to invest in making your Italian dream come true?
Language: Relocating to Italy with little or no Italian can be challenging, as I have personally experienced. One of the things I disliked the most at the beginning, when my Italian was nonexistent, was that I felt I was not in charge of my life. Very often, I had to rely on someone to explain things to me, order for me in a restaurant, and essentially act as an interpreter for me in many other situations. This drove me crazy, as I felt I was not guiding my own life and was super dependent on others. If I had known I was going to be making my home in Italy, I would most definitely have studied the language before setting foot in it. Unless you are a gifted polyglot, learning Italian takes time, with each level taking roughly ninety hours to complete. Many of the inquiries that I receive are from people who would like to work in Italy, but to be completely honest, if you want to find meaningful full-time work in Italy, it will require an advanced level of Italian most of the time, unless it’s a specific situation where English is the common language. Being underemployed in Italy because you can’t progress because of your lack of Italian can get old very quickly, so again, if you need to learn the language well, this will contribute to your move to Italy taking longer than you expected. Besides employment opportunities, being fluent in Italian is also important if you are renovating a property, need to speak with healthcare professionals, or really want to get to know Italians.
Job Market: I was really surprised to discover recently that schools where they teach English now, in some cases, pay less than they did back in the 90s. Of course, this doesn’t come as a surprise, given that the internet has significantly disrupted this sector. Today, an Italian wishing to learn English can study with a teacher in Australia, for example, which was not possible pre-internet. The important lesson to take away from this is that what was possibly a real moneymaker at one time may not be any more in today’s Italy. Therefore, if you really want to live and work in Italy, you may find that you need to reskill or upskill, which again could add time to how long it will take you to relocate there. Disruption is global, and Italy is no exception, so it would behoove anyone wishing to relocate to Italy to do their homework regarding the in-demand skills in Italy that command top salaries.
Emergency Fund: Relocating to Italy with little or no money could really put you in a precarious situation, especially if you do not hit the road running with a job once you get here. For example, renting a property in Italy requires the first month’s rent, a two- or three-month’s deposit, and if you rent it through a realtor, that could be an additional one to two months’ rent depending on where you are in Italy. If you move to Italy and do not have a job, it is really advisable to have at least a six-month emergency fund, so at least you have a financial cushion that will give you some breathing space. Similarly, if you need to renovate a property, keep in mind that the quoted amount is typically not the final figure, as unanticipated or undiscovered expenses can lead to additional costs. There is a myriad of reasons why you need an emergency fund when you move to Italy, and once again, this could take a while to accumulate, which can delay your move there.
Scouting Trips: Before moving to Italy permanently, I think it’s a really good idea to come on scouting trips where you explore where you would like to live and try to live as much as a local to see if it’s a good fit for you. My first two years in Italy were unbelievably hard and challenging, and if I had known I was moving to Italy, I would most definitely have come on a scouting trip to get a feel for Rome. Again, if you go on a look and discover trip a few times, this may delay when you make the permanent move, and while this may not be ideal for some people, it really does allow someone who is thinking of relocating to Italy to gather a lot of valuable information.
Essentially, everyone is free to move to Italy when they want. I have spoken to non-EU citizens who have opted to be undocumented in Italy, but this eventually turns into a road fraught with problems and challenges. Others have come with little or no money and only end up having to leave when the funds run out. Those who speak little or no Italian become frustrated to the point of giving up and moving away.
The point that I am hoping to make is that, based on my thirty plus years of experience and the thousands of relocations that I have assisted with, I have discovered that it is better to wait even a few years and move to Italy when you are completely prepared and ready. Of course, there are going to be exceptions and they include those who came on a wing and prayer, and everything worked out, as well as also those who planned everything to the letter, and it all went wrong. However, in my experience, the people who end up becoming what I call ‘lifers’ either had a plan before they came or enacted one very shortly after arriving.
If Italy is truly calling you, then you owe it to yourself to make it the best life experience possible, and that will generally happen through determination, focus, and a rock-solid plan.
As a Global Mobility Expert and Expat Coach with over thirty years of experience in Italy, I specialize in facilitating smooth transitions for individual and corporate clients adapting to Italian life. My services include immigration & relocation assistance, advanced spousal support, personalized coaching, as well as entrepreneur mentoring, ensuring successful and fulfilling expatriate experiences in Italy.
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