You have decided to move to Italy and now you are trying to figure it out how to do it. I have two suggestions for your through this process:
- Adopt the mindset that you must unearth everything that you do not know about the process and what is required.
- Have faith that it will work out.
Unearth Everything You Need to Know About Moving to Italy
The way I did that was through voracious reading, Italian government websites, relocation blogs, Facebook pages about moving to Italy, and books written by people who had moved to Italy. I am beyond grateful for the people who shared their experiences. I picked up a tremendous amount of information that widened my understanding of the numerous steps involved in moving to Italy. Even with hours of research there were missteps I experienced, but obviously, they were not detrimental to obtaining our visas.
The Olive Sunshine Moving to Italy Page is organized by each stage of the process and can be found at the bottom of this article. While I found many helpful resources, none of them were comprehensive from the beginning to the end of the processes. The resources start with choosing where to live, then to applying at the consulate, obtaining your documentation upon arrival and ends with the visa renewal after the end of your first year.
The Olive Sunshine resources are free for you to use. I am not an expert and nor am I looking to work in this industry. I believe that most people do not need to hire a service to get an Italian visa or to acquire the paperwork necessary to remain in Italy once you arrive. In fact, I have found several people who did go through a service had headaches we did not experience.
On several of the Italian consulate pages they have warnings against third party agencies and/or individuals claiming to speed the process up. It is my personal opinion, those who work at the consulate prefer individuals to represent themselves. Maybe your ability to push through the process gives an indication that you will be successful in adapting to a new life in a foreign country? If going with a service is best for you, be sure to extensively research any agency/individual you may engage.
Have Faith that It Will Work Out
Being confident and as prepared as possible is key to success. Moving to another country as a resident is a big deal and the effort will eventually payoff. For those of you muddling through on your own, I hope Olive Sunshine is a helpful resource. While the information might be helpful for anyone looking to obtain a Visa to live in Italy, this will be most helpful for those in our same situation. Americans who are using the Elective Residency Visa, also known as the retirement visa.
Olive Sunshine is not meant to be your only resource, or a final authority. It is meant to share our personal experiences that might answer questions you have. I will share books and websites I found helpful. I will share the governmental/agency links you will need. This is especially helpful once you arrive in Italy as it is not always clear which office handles which documents. Even locals get it wrong, mainly because they themselves have not applied for paperwork to stay in Italy. Probably the most unique resource you will find on this site is the nuts and bolts of our visa interview preparations.
I do hope to update this site periodically, but please note, rulings and processes and procedures change from time to time, and it is important to realize that forms or requirements may change. What I hope this site will do for you is to know what questions to ask. If you do not know the step exists – how can you ask if it is still the same?