moving to Italy

First, you need to get a visa. If you have a job over there, then your employer will help with this. If not, you're going to have a hard time getting a work permit.

You do need the work permit/visa. Go to RoninRome.com for some good info.

Joann,

It would help if you could provide some additional information on your situation. Are you relocating to Italy for work or just to live there?

You may want to have a look at * www.expatsinitaly.com * (cut & paste the link inside the asterisks), as it provides a lot of information on the process of moving to Italy.

The process will NOT be easy, especially if you don't speak Italian fluently. I spoke with a couple from the U.S. several months ago that spent several months living in Italy, and the steps they had to go through just for a limited stay was enormously complicated! The bureaucracy in Italy can be "complicated", so numerous documents will be required. If you're planning to live there without working, you'll have to provide substantial proof of income.

Good luck!

First of all, look up the Schengen Agreement on Wikipedia. Basically, if you want to stay in most of Europe for longer than 90 days, you will need some kind of visa, either a work, study or extended tourist visa. For the extended tourist visa, you need to prove that you have enough money to support yourself. Getting a work visa is quite difficult, unless your employer is willing to send you there, are a skilled health care worker, or have an advanced degree in certain areas. If you don't meet those criterea, getting a job can be quite difficult,

Finally, in the "To the West" section, you can read a thread about the reality of living here. To summarize: the Europe you fell in love with on vacation is a shimmering mirage of the real thing. Actually living and working in Europe is a completely different experience from visiting.

Yes, Joann, please give us a bit more info. Age, career goals, language ability, married? Single? kids? Do you have Italian ancestors? How far back? Family in Italy? Do you want to experience Europe "for a few years" or is your timeframe more open-ended? I made the move 7 years ago. It is complicated and there are unexpected bumps in the road.

MICHELLE,

"Europe's just too expensive"

I found the same thing, and that would definitely be a factor in my decision to move there.

While in Switzrland this year, I was remarking on the high costs to some of the "locals". Their answer was, "we know, as we have to pay the same and our wages are not that great".

Like you, I'm quite happy to live here (Canada in my case) and visit Europe as often as possible.

Cheers!

Learn Italian, if you don't know it already. I used to want to live in Europe, but after this 2010 trip of mine (the entire month of September), I have changed my mind and am very darn glad to live in the good ol' USA. Europe's just too expensive, the standard of living is too different, and some of the cities I once found captivating (namely, Paris) are just too depressing, too crowded, and too filthy. Of all the places I've visited there, I would have to go with Germany but I'd only stay there a year.
Good luck with your move!