Relocating To Italy: What You Need to Know Now!
You’ve just told your friends and coworkers that you have decided to move to Italy and every one is happy for you, even if, they are a little envious as they conjure up images of Italian apparel, wonderful wine, delicious cuisine, and magnificent seaside towns. Everything seems to be on track until you start hearing stories of byzantine bureaucracy, landlords that seem responsible for very little, telephone technicians that never turn up, and so on. Could these stories be true? What really awaits you in Italy? What should you know before you relocate to Italy? The answers to these questions and much more are detailed below in a series of points that we feel are very important to consider before you actually move to Italy. Let’s start with …
Language: In the ideal situation, taking a course of at least sixty hours of Italian before you move to Italy would be really useful. This is particularly helpful if you don’t speak Italian at all or if you don’t speak a language from the same family of languages. Not being able to ask for what you want in a bar gets frustrating real fast and can cause you to feel that maybe you made a mistake in relocating. There is a basic reason why we learn languages and that is to communicate! When the basic needs to communicate and be understood are taken away, isolation and disappointment can quickly set in. If you can take even just one level of Italian before you move that would be very beneficial.
Work Permits & Being Legal: If you are a Non-EU citizen you must have a work permit to work in Italy. There’s no getting around this. If you or your company need to have people up-and-running in Italy as soon as possible, please keep in mind that work permits generally take a up to 180 days to process in some cities. Sometimes, they can be processed sooner, but this depends on the office / city in question. If you are an EU national, you will still need to register in Italy at the town hall when you arrive. This registration (Residency) will allow you to purchase a car, get cheaper utilities, register with the Italian Medical System, as well as being able to open a bank account as a resident, which has cheaper rates in comparison to a Non-Resident account. You will also need a Tax Code — Principal Relocation Company will obtain this for you on your behalf, as it is included in all our relocation programs.
Home Searches & Rental Contracts: For people that come from countries where it is possible to pre-screen properties, it is very important to understand that this service is not widely available in Italy. Also, it is usually not possible to obtain photos of the property beforehand – neither the landlord nor the realtor have photos available most of time. The standard rental contract is Italy is known as 4 + 4, this means that you can rent the property for four years and you can rent it for another four, should you wish. Rental deposits are usually 2 – 3 month’s rent and the realtor’s commission is normally 1 to 2 month’s rent or 10 – 18% of the total annual rent. Landlords in Italy are responsible only for problems such as leakages, broken pipes, etc. Therefore, don’t call the landlord if you need a new mattress! Such things will be on your dime. It is also normal in Italy to have to pay to have the apartment painted before you hand it back in order that it is in the same condition in which it was rented to you.
Special Needs: It is vital before relocating to Italy that you get information about anyone in your family that requires special services such as: elderly parents, children who are mentally or physically challenged, pets, family members with special health needs, etc. In order for your relocation to Italy to go as smoothly as possible, you need to make sure that such cases can be dealt with properly in the area of Italy where you are intend to reside. These are issues that can be dealt with during your Look / See Trip.
Partners :Italy for the moment does not recognize unmarried couples or same-sex couples. This is usually not a problem if both people are EU citizens, but it can be a challenge when one or both people in the couple come from outside the EU. Please contact Principal Relocation Company for a free consultation regarding this specific issue.
This is a general guide regarding what you should know before you relocate to Italy. As it is impossible to cover every issue and angle in this article, please feel free to contact us should you have additional questions or any unique requests – www.principalrelocation.com
Article by Damien O’Farrell Coaching Services
Tel. +39.339.3332547 Email: damien@damienofarrell.com
www.damienofarrell.com
See other articles by Damien O’ Farrell
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