Moving to Italy was no mean feat. It feels as if it is probably one of the hardest countries within the EU to be able to move to for a non-EU citizen. Damn Brexit.
I had almost given up hope of ever being able to move permanently to Italy following the Brexit referendum in the UK in 2016. I decided that I had to leave the UK before we left the EU and so I put a plan into action, sold my house, left my job and applied for my codice fiscale in Italy. By 2018 I was set to leave. Only, I kind of got cold feet. Have you ever heard of self-sabotage? Well, this was it, on an epic scale. Despite having told everyone that I was leaving and made everything possible to go, I received a job offer which tempted me to stay and as a result, made my chance of having settled status in Italy, before we left the EU, pretty unlikely.
It wasn’t until 2023 that I got so disillusioned and miserable about my job and life in general that I decided that I needed to take action. I saw an opportunity to move to Italy through the British Council as an English Language Assistant. I threw caution to the wind and applied.
By June, I received news of my acceptance and posting and from there, it was all hands to the deck.
I arranged for my house to be let out through an agency rather than selling it. Something which I kind of regret now since the downturn in the UK housing market.
I also had to begin the task of applying for my visa. Luckily my post is considered as an internship and so I was able to get a study visa, arguably the easiest visa to get. I diligently filled in the form, gathered my evidence together and then went to the VSF Global offices for my nerve-racking appointment. I was so nervous only because I wanted so much to be able to go to Italy, I don’t know what I would have done had I not managed to get the visa. Thankfully, it all went through ok and after 3 weeks, I had my passport complete with visa in my hands!
I arrived in September and was in luck with the weather. It was a joy to wake up to such beautiful weather and feel totally psyched for my new life. I couldn’t believe that my dreams of living in Italy had finally come true.
Within 8 days of arrival in Italy you need to apply for the Permesso di Soggiorno- the right to stay in Italy. I won’t lie, the forms are a bit of a stress and the process feels like a bit of a treasure hunt, by the time you’ve bought the mystical marca da bollo from the Tabaccheria and have all of the items requested. However, I filled out my kit and sent it off to the local Questura. I was immediately given the date for my first appointment. Living just outside Rome, it meant that my paperwork was much quicker. By November, I had my second appointment to collect my electronic card. I was nothing short of delighted!
It wasn’t until mid-late December that I realised that there was one final process to complete, if I wanted to ultimately stay here permanently and that was to apply for residency in my local Anagrafe. This was a terrible rush and extremely stressful, only because there were translations, notarising and apostilling which needed doing. I don’t know what I would have done without my boyfriend at this point… He was an incredible help and I think I owe it to him for finally getting my residency.
Something that I didn’t realise immediately when I moved here was how much of a hassle it is to be able to buy a car here and register for healthcare etc without being a resident. In fact, I don’t think you can do any of the above.
Another great source of help and support was the Facebook group Expats in Italy. There are so many people in that group that have gone through the very same experiences and can guide you on where to go and what to do.
I can happily say that I have all the paperwork required and am already starting to think about what I need to do for the same rigmarole as last year! Wish me luck…
Are you thinking of moving to Italy or are you already here? Let me know below!