Escaping the US? A PSA for Moving to Italy

I’ve been writing monthly columns about living in Italy for seven years. I’ve enjoyed telling upbeat stories about people and places that my wife and I have encountered in our Italian phase of life. Many of these were collected and edited into a book entitled Navigating Paradise, which is now available as an e-book through Amazon.

However, given the state of affairs in the world today, I cannot bring myself to write such a story.

One of my pastimes is to moderate or manage a dozen Facebook groups aimed at people from English-speaking countries who are either currently living in Italy or a planning to move here. Over the last year, the number of people posting questions about moving has increased exponentially. Almost every day, multiple people inquire about that. Sometimes it feels like the 1930s when many people sought ways to escape what was happening around them in Germany.

So, instead of a story about life in an Italian village, perhaps I can use this forum to help those who wish to relocate. My wife and I have not only been over multiple bureaucratic hurdles ourselves, but have assisted family members and friends. We don’t claim to be legal experts, but we are familiar with the options and the rules. What follows are summaries of the various paths to immigration. Of course, it is always best to consult the website of the Italian consulate serving one’s home country, as each consulate has somewhat different requirements.

If You Are Eligible for Citizenship

If you can prove an Italian bloodline with birth, marriage, and death certificates of previous generations of your family, it is possible to apply for citizenship. Many people think this must be done through a consulate. The problem with that method is that consulates have been receiving so many applications, they now have a backlog extending for years. Some consulates are not even taking appointments. Also, one must be careful to find out if a grandparent became naturalized decades ago and included the children. If that is so, it complicates things enormously and can halt the application process. Such a scenario would require an attorney to explore the matter. Regardless, acquiring citizenship is a costly and slow process.

However, if someone seeking to immigrate has all the documents, which have been properly certified and professionally translated, one can simply move to Italy and apply at the office of the anagrafe (a special clerk) at any comune (city hall). From various reports by expats, this path usually takes less than a year, sometimes only months. One receives a special permit to reside while waiting called the permesso si soggiorno per attesa cittadinanza. That allows you to stay in Italy for 18 months to allow for processing of the application. But one cannot work during that period, so it is necessary to have sufficient resources.

If You Are Not Eligible for Citizenship

In this case, you will need to qualify for one of several visas. These are obtained through an Italian consulate. They typically can take three to four months, though sometimes they are issued even faster. Regardless, you must use the consulate that serves your current legal residence; “shopping around” is not possible.

Elective Residency Visa

This visa requires the applicant to demonstrate that he or she has been receiving monthly payments from sources of passive income that add up to at least 31,000 euros per year, plus 20 percent for a spouse, and 5 percent for any minor children. (Some consulates require 31,000 euros from each person in a couple. Fortunately, San Francisco – the closest Italian consulate for people living in the Pacific Northwest – is not one of them.) Passive sources that are readily accepted include social security, pensions, and annuities. Some consulates accept rental income. Some accept investment income. The burden of proof is on the applicant to show payments that are regular, stable, and predictable. No working in any form is allowed on this visa. Hence, it is mainly used by fully retired people.

Note: After five years of living in Italy, it is possible to apply for permanent residency. That allows an immigrant to work, does not require renewal, and grants medical care without the normal annual 2,000-euro fee for foreigners.

Student Visa

People of any age can apply to an Italian university to study a subject leading to an advanced degree. With a letter of acceptance in hand, one can apply for a study visa. This visa allows students to work up to 20 hours per week. Upon receiving a degree, one can switch to a work permit. This is currently perhaps the easiest route to go. Note: simply enrolling in a beginning language course used to suffice to establish student status. But that is no longer accepted as the basis for a visa.

Digital Nomad Visa

This is a new visa that was enacted last year. It appeals to digitally savvy younger and middle-aged people engaged in remote work. It is necessary to show documentation of a contract for remote work with an employer in the United States or show proof of being an independent contractor. Some consulates have been requiring applicants to secure a “declaration of value” for their degree – a somewhat arcane process. This kind of visa is aimed at “highly qualified” professionals, not merely anyone who works on a laptop. As with other visas, it also requires the applicant to show a lease or deed for housing. Reports from some applicants have indicated this visa can be processed within a few weeks, if someone is really organized.

Work Visa

Many people hope to work in Italy. However, that option is extremely limited. Because of persistently high unemployment, Italy zealously protects its resident workforce. It limits work visas through an annual quota system called the decreto flussi. Most of the allocation is reserved for agricultural and seasonal work such as road construction and hotel services. Self-employment visas are limited to 500 per year globally. Applicants from 150 non-EU countries compete for that tiny number.

Intra-company Transfer

One way to avoid the quota on work visas is to work for a company with a legal presence in both American and Italy. It is possible to request a transfer, assuming the company has a need for your skills in Italy. The company must show a legitimate presence, not just a postbox address.

Investor Visa

This visa – sometimes called the “golden visa” – was introduced in 2017. But it took several years for people to become aware of it. Then the pandemic shut down applications. Only in the last couple of years has it seen significant use. In recently years, several dozen U.S. citizens have received this visa, sometimes within a matter of a few weeks. It can be obtained in four ways:

1. Invest 250,000 euros in an innovative Italian start-up
2. Invest 500,000 euros in an established Italian business
3. Invest 1,000,000 euros in “projects of public interest” (e.g., the arts)
4. Invest 2,000,000 euros in government bonds

Most recipients of investor visa have opted for the second option, as it seems less risky than the first, and more achievable than the last two. Applicants also benefit greatly from retaining legal assistance.

A cautionary note: The European Union looks skeptically on this kind of visa since it essentially allows someone to buy their way into Italy. Indeed, you don’t even have to live in the country to gain legal residency. The EU has persuaded several member countries to drop or scale back their investor-visa programs. For now, however, Italy has it as a pathway.

Yet another…

There’s another path to residency, which could be the shortest and easiest. It is often mentioned in jest, but it is also entirely legit. Visit Italy for 90 days on your passport alone, find a nice Italian, and marry that person. Of course, you then have to be prepared for the overbearing MIL. Everything has a price.

Any one of these paths requires considerable work, gathering and organizing many different documents. And consulates can vary in what they require. For those who have both patience and perseverance, the result is worth the effort.

Postscript

Some readers might be concerned that moving to Italy would simply mean replacing one authoritarian government with another. It is certainly true that the governing coalition in Italy currently has a distinctly nationalist bent. But that’s where the comparison stops. Italians respect government workers. They value public health and social safety nets. They exhibit a genuine kindness towards one another regardless of political affiliations, as well as toward people from other cultures – especially refugee families. Moreover, Italy levies high taxes on personal wealth and protects its middle class by various policies. All of which the U.S used to do. Welcome to the Old World.