Moving to Italy from the USA: La dolce vita awaits

Learn all the practicalities of moving to Italy from the USA. Find out which visa you need and how to send your household belongings across the ocean.

Angelina

5 minute read

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Updated on 1 Nov 2024

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Moving

Have you ever imagined yourself waking up on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea? Or being able to casually take a stroll through ancient ruins on your way to study or work? If you just nodded your head, keep reading! We will walk you through the ways of making your dream come true and moving to Italy from the USA!

There're over 15,000 Americans living in Italy today. Although most of them reside in bigger cities like Rome and Milan, there’re plenty of beautiful Italian places to live to choose from, depending on your preferences.

Living in Italy as a US citizen is possible if you have the right permit.

There are 2 types of residence permits in Italy:

1. Permesso di Soggiorno: This is a temporary, renewable residence permit with varying durations of validity.

You can apply for Italian citizenship after living in Italy for 10 uninterrupted years with this residence permit.

2. Carta di Soggiorno: This is a permanent residence permit. You can apply for it after 5 uninterrupted years of living in Italy with a temporary residence permit.

The Carta di Soggiorno gives you the same rights as Italian citizens. You can work and live in EU countries without a visa or work permit and receive state benefits.

After 5 years with a Carta di Soggiorno, you can apply for Italian citizenship.

You can only apply for your residence permit once you are in Italy and no later than within 8 days after your arrival. So, you need to arrange your long-stay visa first.

Now, let’s have a closer look at how you can enter Italy from America.

Americans who intend to stay in Italy for less than 90 days don’t need to worry about visas.

However, if you plan to go for an extended period, you must apply for a long-stay visa. This is crucial because you can’t apply for an Italian residence permit without this long-stay visa.

• Student Visa
• Work Visa
• EU Blue Card
• Self-employed Visa
• Golden Visa
• Elective Visa

A lot of Italian bureaucracy can only be completed in Italian, so if you already speak some Italian, it’ll help you understand the process. Otherwise, get an Italian friend or translator to help you out!

In any case, these are some important terms you’ll see throughout your move to Italy:

Nulla Osta is a certificate of no impediment that proves that you are legally allowed to work or get married in Italy. You or your employer need to request it at an Italian Immigration Desk before the visa application.

Decreto Flussi is a quota that defines the number of work visas Italy will grant in the coming year. In 2024, the number increased to 151,000, and It’s projected to increase to 165,000 in 2025.

1. Student visa

Who is it for: Prospective American students applying to an Italian university.

Validity: 1 year and can be renewed as long as you continue your education.

Things to keep in mind: You should start your study visa application as soon as you receive an admission letter from the university of your choice.

Be ready to show proof of health insurance, place of residence in Italy and sufficient financial means. Soon after you submit the visa application, you’ll be invited to interview with the Italian Embassy or Consulate in the US.

Cost: Around €80 ($90.34)

2. Work visa

Who is it for: Foreign nationals who’ve received an offer from an Italian company to work in salaried employment.

Validity: Work visas are usually valid for the duration of the work contract but for 2 years at maximum. You can renew it for up to 5 years.

Things to keep in mind: Your employer has to initiate the application process for your work visa by acquiring a work permit (Nulla Osta) from the immigration department.

Also, remember that this type of visa is subject to Decreto Flussi. So you’ll get your work permit only if the yearly quota hasn’t been filled yet.

You can apply for your work visa at the local consulate only after you obtain the authorisation to work. Once you get your visa, you can enter Italy from the US.

Cost: Around €116 ($140)

3. EU blue card

Who is it for: Highly skilled migrants with a bachelor’s degree of at least 3 years and a minimum 12-month job offer or contract from a company based in Italy.

Validity: The duration of your contract. In the case of a permanent contract, the EU Blue Card is issued for 2 years.

Things to keep in mind: The process is similar to applying for a regular work visa. You can apply for your visa at a local consulate only after your employer gets a security clearance (Nulla Osta).

This visa type is outside the quota system (Decreto Flussi). However, it does require a minimum gross income of €27,000.

Cost: Around €100 EUR ($113)

4. Self-employment visa

Who is it for: Americans who want to work as freelancers or open a business in Italy.

There’re 2 types of self-employment visas based on the type of business activities you will perform:

1. The Italy Startup Visa: For Americans who intend to open an innovative company in Italy or take up an executive role in an existing company.

2. The Italy Freelancer Visa: For those planning to work on a freelance basis.

Validity: Self-employment visas are normally granted for 2 years. You can renew them until you obtain permanent residence.

Things to keep in mind: It’s considered extremely difficult to obtain a self-employment visa in Italy because a quota caps the number of self-employment visas per year.

To complicate matters further, self-employed individuals or freelancers must obtain authorisation to work (Nulla Osta). Since only Italian companies can apply for this on behalf of their employees, you need to hire an immigration consultancy agency in Italy to get your security clearance.

After you receive the Nulla Osta, you can start your visa application.

Cost: Around €116 ($140)

5. Golden visa, aka Investor visa

Who is it for: High net worth individuals who can make a significant contribution to the Italian economy and community.

You can apply for the Golden visa by investing:

• €250,000 in an innovative start-up
• €500,000 in a limited company
• €2,000,000 in government bonds, or
• make a €1,000,000 philanthropic donation

Validity: 2 years.

Things to keep in mind: To apply, you should be ready to show your CV along with proof of the legal origins of your funds.

You’ll need to register on the Investor visa portal where you can find all the necessary forms and upload them. When you receive a positive decision, The Committee Secretariat will issue a Nulla Osta.

After that, you’ll have 6 months to request your investor visa at the closest consulate. Once in Italy, you’ll have 3 months to upload the proof of your investment or donation.

You’ll need to maintain your investment as long as you want to keep your visa. After 5 years, you can apply for permanent residency in Italy which will no longer oblige you to maintain your investment level.

Cost: Technically, there’re no application fees!

6. Elective visa, aka Italian retirement visa

Who is it for: American retirees or individuals with passive income who want to move to Italy from the USA and can financially support themselves without working.

Validity: This residence permit is given for 1 year and can be renewed.

Things to keep in mind: You are not allowed to work with this type of visa. So, prepare to present a documented and detailed guarantee of substantial and consistent financial resources.

That means bank statements as well as passive income sources such as pensions, annuities, property ownership and lease agreements, or business ownership and related documentation.

You must earn a minimum of €31,000 ($35,015) per year if applying alone. For a married couple, the amount is €38,000 ($42,920). The number is increased by 20% for each family member that comes with you.

Cost: Around €116 ($140)

Now that you're familiar with most of the practicalities of moving to Italy from the USA, you can start looking for your dream home in this beautiful country!