r/ItalyExpat • u/ItalyExpat • Aug 28 '26
I'm exhausted. If you don't like immigrants, what the fuck are you doing in a sub about immigrants in Italy?
If immigrants scare you, here's how to protect yourself:
Step 1: Unsubscribe from r/ItalyExpat
Step 2: Click on the three dots at the top right
Step 3: Click on "Mute r/ItalyExpat"
If you see xenophobic or racist comments, report them. Let's clean this sub up.
This post has an 82.9% upvote ratio, meaning there's 17.1% of you who need to follow steps 1 to 3 above.
r/ItalyExpat • u/Ok_Lingonberry_1257 • Oct 08 '25
I recently helped some distant Argentinian cousins of mine to relocate to Italy, so I thought it could be of help sharing some practical guide with some additional info coming from this experience and my knowledge of Italy, for anyone considering a long-term move here.
Permanent Residency vs Citizenship
To live in Italy for good, you need either Permanent Residency or a Citizenship. Both allow you to live and work in the country, give you social benefits (healthcare, education, etc) and mobility freedom in the EU/Schenghen area. The difference is:
Citizenship: it gives you voting rights, a EU passport, benefits across the EU.
PR: no voting rights nor Passport
Platforms like this can help narrow down a the right path.
Path to Permanent Residency: If you are non-EU, you get PR after 5 years of continuous legal residence under a valid visa, with conditions (such as minimum income, knowledge of Italian, and proof of accommodation). Some permits (like study and research) are not directly eligible for permanent residence, though the time counts once you switch to a qualifying permit. If you change permit types (e.g., study to EU family), the 5-year permanent residency clock starts from the first eligible permit, not from the total time on all permits.
If you have or manage to get another EU passport, you are automatically a permanent resident.
Paths to citizenship. There are 3 ways:
- Citizenship-by-Descent (Jure Sanguinis). Applicable if one of your parents or grandparents is/was Italian and lived in Italy before you were born. If you apply, you can claim citizenship automatically without residency. The whole application process might take some time (2-3 years or more) and you don't get any temporary residence permit while the process is ongoing. So if you aim at moving soon, you better look at your visa options.
- Citizenship-via-Marriage (Jure Matrimonii). If your spouse is italian and your wedding is registered in Italy, you can get your italian citizenship after 2 years of marriage if living in Italy, or 3 years if living abroad (reduced by 50% if the couple has children), but you can get temporary residence permit to live in Italy while the process is ongoing. You also must demonstrate basic Italian language proficiency (B1) and your partner needs to demonstrate financial means to support both of you. Since 2016, same-sex marriage counts for citizenship by marriage.
- Citizenship-by-Naturalisation / Long-term Residence. You get this after 10 years of legal residency, provided you prove to have stable income, no serious criminal record, and Italian language skills (B1). The 10 years timespan includes years spent on any Visa (excluding the Tourist Visa). Those of Italian descent with a broken citizenship line (and thus don’t qualify for jure sanguinis) can still naturalise after 3 years of residency in Italy instead of 10
So if you have an extra-EU passport, the steps involved to move to Italy for good are:
- Obtain a valid Visa, then arrive in Italy and apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno (residence permit). Permits are temporarily granted for 1-2 years but can be renewed.
- After 5 years (and some permit renewals later), you can upgrade to permanent residency, provided you show adequate income and basic Italian (A2)
- After 10 years, you can apply for citizenship by naturalization
Visa Options:
1. Digital Nomad Visa (for Remote Workers and Freelancers with foreign Income)
2. Elective Residency Visa (for Retirees)
3. Startup Visa (For startup founders)
4. Self-employed Visa (for freelancers and Business Owners with Italian income)
5. Student Visa (for Students)
6. Golden Visa (for Investors)
7. Researcher Visa (for Researchers)
8. Work Visa (for Employed Workers)
9. Highly-skilled Visa (for highly skilled workers, i.e. IT and Healthcare)
10. Family Reunification Visa (for family members of someone with a valid permit/passport)
Typical Visa Requirements:
Every consulate has different requirements and can request slightly different documentation, so check official consulate websites.
The hardest of these requirements is the proof of accommodation because many landlords often prefer locals, there is a lot of paperwork involved and sometimes a guarantor is needed (or, in absence of it, a 6-month rent deposit is needed). Plus, you need to have an accommodation secured for more than a year in order to apply, so often you will have to do this blindly. Here some house hunting portals:
As reported by a Redditor, sometimes it is easier to work with local real estate agents rather than these portals as very few requests are responded to.
Bureaucratic Steps
This is the most common process but some visas require slightly different procedures. For instance, for some Visa (like Golden Visa, Work Visa) it is necessary to apply for a Nulla Osta (Certificate of No Impediment) before the consulate submission, some visa require ad-hoc steps (i.e. business plan submission for Startup Visa, Investment for Golden Visa etc), etc.. so make your own research.
Taxes
There are some tax incentives that also expats can get:
- Impatriate Regime
- €200k Flat Tax for High Net Worth Individuals
- 7% Flat Tax for Retirees that move to small Southern Italian towns
- Regime Forfettario: 15% flat tax for small freelancers (<€85k/year)
EDITS: I would like to thank anyone who commented this post and added additional information useful to the community! I am integrating some comments in the post. Latest edits:
- Addition to the Citizenship-by-Naturalization part: Those of Italian descent with a broken citizenship line (and thus don’t qualify for jure sanguinis) can still naturalise after 3 years of residency in Italy instead of 10
- Addition to the Residenza part in the Bureaucratic Step section: The registration of the residenza is the moment when the clock for naturalisation starts
- Addition to the Permanent Residence part: Some permits (like study and research) are not directly eligible for permanent residence, though the time counts once you switch to a qualifying permit. If you change permit types (e.g., study → EU family), the 5-year permanent residency clock starts from the first eligible permit, not from the total time on all permits.
- Clarification on the duration of the health insurance, in Visa requirements: it has to have at least a 1 year duration
- Addition to the house-hunting part: as reported by a Redditor, sometimes it is easier to work with local real estate agents rather than these portals as very few requests are responded to. Also, a 6-month rental deposit is often needed if there is no guarantor.
- Clarified in the Visa Option section that it is not the Visa to be renewed but the Permit associated to it. The Visa is just the entry ticket, once you are in Italy you get a Permesso di Soggiorno which is what you renew every 1 or 2 years
r/ItalyExpat • u/Sweet-Bee-9162 • 5h ago
Does anyone have any recommendations for studying for B1 language exam. Any book, website, online course etc. I'm based in Rome and work and study and it's just hanging over my head that I need to get this sorted to start my czn app, but I need to do it productively with a plan instead of wasting a bunch of time like I usually do 😂
r/ItalyExpat • u/Maleficent_Bed_4271 • 14h ago
Hello guys. I am an international student in university of catania and looking for the part time jobs so that i can cover my expenses so if anyone have any references please do let me know it would be great help for me.
Thank you so much for advance
r/ItalyExpat • u/Both-Kitchen-1571 • 21h ago
I've been thinking about starting an English-language improv and acting group in Rome and wanted to see if anyone would be interested in participating or collaborating with me.
I'm an English teacher with an advanced acting certificate, and some comedy-writing experience.
I've recently become particularly interested in improv (I love groups like Shoot From The Hip!) and really miss the acting exercises we used to do in acting classes.
The idea is to meet once a week for a couple of hours to play improv games, improvise or recreate scenes and practise acting together, all in English.
It could be a fun way to meet other internationals, practice English, rediscover a passion for acting, try improv for the first time or simply have fun with like-minded people without committing to formal acting classes.
Eventually, I'd love to build a regular improv or theatre group with people who want to take things further!
I'm also considering inviting an experienced improv coach so if you're an improv performer or coach interested in collaborating, let me know!
There would be a small participation fee to cover expenses.
For now, I'm just trying to see if there's enough interest to get started. I'd love to hear your thoughts! 😊
r/ItalyExpat • u/trekwithme • 1d ago
Hello all from the Salento
Had some friends visiting last week and made the trip up to Matera for the first time. There have been enough Matera posts so I’ll focus my comments on Altamura.
Altamura has been in my short list to visit mostly because of Antico Forno Santa Catarina, which has been around since the 1300s. I knew very little about the city and its history and came away quite impressed.
It’s much larger and more vibrant than I expected, with a lovely historical centre, and impressive architectural gems and cathedrals. Well worth a visit and quite easy to get to - 30 min from Matera or autostrada directly from Bari.
As for the bakery, I was a bit skeptical going in because of all the hype on social media, which often leads to disappointment. In this case, quite the opposite. We were simply blown away by the quality and the experience. I always hate saying something is best ever, but I’d be hard pressed to say I’ve been to a better bakery anywhere.
I’ll leave everyone with some photos and a recommendation to visit the city and the bakery. Struck me as a very livable city as well for anyone searching, but can’t comment properly as I don’t live there. Just really an enjoyable day trip though.
r/ItalyExpat • u/bb489 • 1d ago
How often do you need to present the actual codice fiscale card rather than just providing the number?
r/ItalyExpat • u/6gv5 • 1d ago
(My bad about the previous post, for some reason I wrote west instead of east twice, corrected previous post follows)
Not sure if this is the right sub, apologies in advance if it's not, in that case please feel free to point me to the right one and delete this post.
I have a very small apartment in a beautiful small town at the mountains EAST of Rome (2-2.5 hours by car, ~3 by bus, no train) and would be considering long term rent or sale to anyone really interested. Gorgeous and peaceful place in a protected regional park, plenty of hiking opportunities, delicious food and highly diuretic natural water from the local source (never had to bring there my blood pressure medicines). Mobile Internet service works. The downsides are that as in many small towns almost nobody speaks English and there's no night life except a couple pubs at a bigger town ~1 hour away. More details plus photos if confirmed this is the right place for rent/sales posts.
PM me if interested.
r/ItalyExpat • u/Solarissima82 • 2d ago
Anyone interested in an international aperitivo in Monferrato?
Hi everyone! My partner and I live in Monferrato, Piedmont, and we’re thinking of organising a regular, relaxed aperitivo for internationals and local Italians to meet, chat and make friends.
We’re just checking interest before choosing a venue or date. If you live nearby or visit regularly, would you join us? Which town would work best for you?
All nationalities welcome, whether you come alone or with friends!
r/ItalyExpat • u/poosygou • 2d ago
I am looking for some advice on short term renting in Rome. My partner is going to be in Rome for 6 months next year as part of his studies and is looking for a flat. We thought that an airbnb might be easier (all bills included, no contracts, etc.). However, he was quoted €1,800 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Monteverde. This sounds very expensive in comparison to normal rental flats there. But do people think it might be worth considering as it is hassle free? Is it challenging to find a flat in Rome at the moment?
r/ItalyExpat • u/nicyvetan • 2d ago
I am looking for leads or tips to find amateur music gatherings. I'm opening the request to all of Italy in case it's something I would be able to get to by train.
I currently live in a US city which has many amateur orchestras, chamber groups, choirs, open jams, and gatherings for musicians. Sadly, many of them aren't searchable online and you more or less have to know the groups exist to find them.
We have our shortlist of Italian cities; knowing that there are existing musical communities on the other side matters to me.
I found a few chamber groups in Milan, Rome, and Bologna online. I also found some vacation/destination groups, but not local or recurring. No results for jams or orchestras, yet. Are there any weekly community orchestras or some other regularly gathering where non-professionals can get together and make music outside of Sunday church services? I read a bit about Banda Communale, but it doesn't look like a stringed instrument situation from what I've seen so far.
r/ItalyExpat • u/Real_Definition_6012 • 2d ago
I am guessing this question might have been asked many times, but wanted to see if I could get a link or an answer that is better suited for my situation
Situation:
- In my mid 30s with a stable job making six figures (but i hate my job and want to leave)
- Have a house with mortgage, 401K, Roth IRA, Taxable Brokerage, Health Savings Account
- Married to an Italian, no kids yet but we want to have in the near future
- Marriage is already documented with the local comune (and I do have my codice fiscale, which i had to provide when I was getting married in Italy)
Question(s):
- What preparations have you done on your 401K, Roth IRA, and HSA? I did hear Charles Schwab International is one of the recommended brokerage for American Expats, so i plan on moving my taxable investment account there, but any thoughts on the 401k, Roth IRA, and HSA?
- Heard that many italian banks do not want to open up an account for Americans before of all the paperwork. So is it pretty much impossible for me to open up an account, so if i find a job i can't deposit my paycheck? I saw somewhere (maybe Quora) that Unicredit may be the best shot for an American opening up an account, but any other recommendations?
- do you guys have any accountant/lawyer that specializes in America/Italy moving situations, particulary around prepping up my investment accounts, and retirement accounts?
r/ItalyExpat • u/Aparnaa_sv • 2d ago
Hi everyone!
I'm from India and currently pursuing my bachelor's degree in Psychology. I'm considering pursuing my Master's in Psychology in Italy, preferably in an English-taught programme.
Before making this decision, I want to understand the actual situation for international students, especially regarding language barriers, part-time jobs, and career opportunities after graduation.
I'd really appreciate honest advice from Indian students, international students, graduates, or anyone currently living and working in Italy.
- If I study at an English-taught university, can I manage my daily life in Italy using English alone?
- Can I find part-time jobs using only English, or is knowing Italian almost essential?
- For jobs in cafés, restaurants, supermarkets, retail stores, and other student-friendly sectors, do employers generally require Italian?
- If I start learning Italian before moving, what level should I aim for to improve my chances of finding a job?
- Is it possible to learn Italian while completing a demanding Master's degree?
- How difficult is it for an international student who doesn't speak Italian to find a part-time job?
- How long might it take to find a job after arriving in Italy?
- Can students realistically cover their rent, food, transportation, and other monthly living expenses entirely through part-time work?
- What are the typical monthly earnings from student jobs, and how much can students realistically save after expenses?
- Is finding work easier in cities such as Milan or Bologna, or are living costs too high there?
- What are the realistic job opportunities for international graduates with a Master's in Psychology?
- Are jobs in research, HR, mental health support, or other psychology-related fields accessible to graduates who are not fluent in Italian?
- Is Italian essential for most Psychology-related jobs?
- How difficult is it to find full-time employment and remain in Italy after graduation?
- Are salaries sufficient to cover living expenses and repay an education loan?
I'm planning to finance my tuition fees through an education loan, but I hope to manage my living expenses through part-time work rather than borrowing additional money for them.
Would you consider Italy a realistic option for someone in my situation, particularly if I don't know Italian when I arrive?
I'd genuinely appreciate hearing about the challenges, disadvantages, and realities that education consultants might not mention.
Thank you so much for your help!
r/ItalyExpat • u/Any_Beginning4280 • 2d ago
I’m an American filing my 2025 US taxes. I had a partita IVA that year and have been paying INPS contributions in Italy since July. Now I’ve been told I’m also subject to US self-employment tax. Has anyone been in this situation? Is there a way to pay only INPS and report it differently on the US side? I’m pretty worried. My income is modest and INPS already takes a big share, so paying both would be really tough. Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks!
r/ItalyExpat • u/SkyOk1181 • 2d ago
Hi everyone!
I'm trying to get the Ordinary ISEE, but I have a question about my living situation.
I still have my residence registered in Turin at my old apartment, where the lease has already ended. I'm currently living temporarily in another house as a guest, without a contract, and the owner isn't willing to let me register my residence there.
I checked, and my old address is still officially registered with both ANPR and the Revenue Agency.
**Can I still complete the DSU and obtain the Ordinary ISEE with my residence currently registered, even though I don't live there anymore?** How should I fill out the section related to housing?
Has anyone had a similar experience?
Thanks a lot!
r/ItalyExpat • u/Forward-Pack-8178 • 2d ago
Hi, i am a student in their final year of school and I'm planning to apply to a medical university in italy, specifically in bologna and milan. And I just wanted to know if brown individuals from etc sri lanka and India face a lot of racism.
It really is my dream to study in italy and I have no problem with learning Italian, I am just worried if I would face any discrimination. Additionaly it would be helpful if anyone could mention which cities in particular have a bad racism situation.
Thank you so mych
r/ItalyExpat • u/Wendygottschalck • 4d ago
I moved to the province of Frosinone (not Frosinone city). I know each commune probably has slightly different rules for rubbish disposal, but hoping for some overall advice.
My husband and I bought a large old house in the countryside/mountains. It belonged to some old people who passed away and we bought it from the son who inherited it. It is full of furniture and outside a lot of rubbish, mainly metal scraps, have been dumped. We have no idea how or where to get rid of it.
We asked the guy we bought it from and he was useless. He said just to take anything that burns and bring it out to the field and burn it and anything that doesn't burn, you just dump somewhere on the land. I could burn the burnable stuff, but there is A LOT and it would take a while, if I wanna keep the fire small and manageable. But dumping stuff is not an option. Some of the stuff I wanna get rid off are already something that was dumped on the land.
I've emailed the municipality for advice as well some time ago, but never heard back. I can't really call anyone, as no one seem to speak English and I don't speak Italian yet. So I'm coming to Reddit for help.
Can anyone tell me if there are recycling centres or something here? I have a van and can easily drive the stuff somewhere. It is things like sofas and other furniture, metals scraps, appliances and things like that.
Any advice would be very appreciated!
We are on a tight budget, so any free or cheaper options would be good 😊
r/ItalyExpat • u/Various-Top-5178 • 3d ago
Hello. Which mobile operator doesn’t require codice fiscale for prepaid SIMs? I need eSIM and plan that I don’t need to pay every month.
r/ItalyExpat • u/KungFuBarbie15 • 3d ago
hey guys. I have 5 books that i want to ship to another city in italy. I have poste italiane open currently and opting for the home pick up option but i have a couple of questions:
How do i ensure that i get paid? Should i ask the person to pay before i ship it or after?
Should i tick the "insurance" box or not worth it?
There's an option to tick "cash on delivery". Does that mean the person that receives the package will have to pay and then i receive the money or is it something else?
Can i use a bag to ship them or do they have to be cardboard boxes, if boxes are needed where do i get one?