For centuries Italy has
attracted writers, philosophers, and artists,
who came to Italy for its mild climate, but
also for inspiration from the great works
of art of the past. Lord Byron, Goethe, Mozart,
just to name a few, all went to Italy to
seek new inspiration in their art and they
all returned home enriched, inspired and
invigorated. Today Italy, “the land
where lemons blossom”, as some poets
wrote, continues as a popular expat destination
mostly for central and northern Europeans,
many of whom have summer homes there. But
Italy is also home to a large number of American
expats who, attracted by its rich cultural
heritage, and a more laid-back lifestyle
than in the U.S., have made Italy their home.
But with all its beauty,
good food, nice weather, and outgoing people,
actually moving to Italy and dealing with
all the paper work and slow bureaucracy is
a veritable nightmare for many expatriates.
Still, those foreigners with patience, a
deep wallet for the steep fees, and an unfaltering
sense of where they want to live, will find
the wait, the expense, and the red tape worth
their while: few people who have made Italy
their part-time or permanent home have ever
left out of disappointment. Still, the current
economic conditions together with stricter
immigration enforcement are some of the factors
that keeps some foreigners away. Sluggish
economic growth, severe government budget
cuts, and high unemployment have taken away
some of the glamour of being an expat in
Italy. Unless you have income from somewhere
else, your chances as a foreigner of making
a decent living from Italian-earned income
are currently low. But socio-economic conditions
worldwide are in a constant flux, and although
the timing for a move to Italy may not be
the best right now, things could be very
different in the near future.
To encourage our readers
to explore the variety of options for living
in Italy and to have better access to the
information, contacts, advice and tips they
need, we have compiled a number of resources
in a variety of different categories. In
our extensive resource section you will find
information about most aspects of life in
Italy that are important for expatriates,
such as visas and permits, housing, study,
travel information, government web portals,
expatriate websites and organizations, news
and media, recommended reading, and more.
We also offer participant reports by those
who have managed to live, work, study, volunteer,
and travel in Italy in a variety of ways—after
all, we believe that living in Italy is often
akin to long-term travel and travel is akin
to short-term living. In addition, we offer
practical resources to help make your venture
to Italy a reality.
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