What You Need To Know To Move To Italy
After France, Italy is probably one of the most culturally vibrant countries in the western world. In fact, the country is one of the most historically colourful places, what with the Vatican and the center of religious thought and the home to some of the greatest artists in history. If you’re going to live in Italy, then you need to be prepared.
The Italian culture is complicated to say the least. Despite all of that, the people are very welcoming and very friendly. I’ve had the pleasure of going to Italy before and I have to say that the place has a special place in my heart. Where the South Americas and the countries of Oceania are naturally beautiful, you’ll find a lot of manmade beauty in Italy.
Some things that you need to know before you move to Italy include:
Nationality Laws In Italy
Much like most of the European Union, each country has retained its nationality laws. The Italian state is no different, although they did revise their laws in 1992 to regulate immigration into the country. You should understand these laws for a smooth immigration process—these laws include:
Citizenship By Birth
If you’re born to Italian parents then you can qualify for Italian citizenship. The state recognizes that the parents might not hold Italian citizenship, but if they were Italian at some point, then their child also gets the citizenship. As an interesting note, if a child is found abandoned on Italian territory, then they will automatically be recognized as Italian citizens.
Citizenship By Adoption
If a child is adopted by Italian parents, then the child will also qualify for citizenship. It doesn’t matter if they were born in a different state, the Italian government will consider the minors as full-fledged Italian citizens.
Citizenship By Descent
If you can prove that any of your direct ancestors were Italian, that is sufficient grounds for being granted Italian nationality. Your parents need not be Italian citizens and their citizenship status has no bearing on yours if your grandparents were Italian. This particular law has the following stipulations:
- You must serve in the Italian armed forces or
- You work as an employee of the civil services of the state of Italy or
- If you’ve lived in Italy for two years and declare that you want citizenship one year after turning 18.
Additionally, if you’ve lived in Italy since you were born—even if your parents aren’t Italian, you will qualify for citizenship.
Citizenship By Marriage
If you’re married to an Italian national and have lived in Italy for six months while remaining married to your spouse, you will qualify for Italian nationality. This article has the following stipulations:
- You should not have been convicted of a crime during your time of stay.
- You must not have presented any threat to the security of the Italian people.
- You must not have committed a crime that is punishable by 3-years of imprisonment nor should you have committed a political crime that is punishable by minimum 1-year of imprisonment.
- You must provide proof of marriage through validation by relevant authorities if you were married outside Italy.
The Financial Potentials In Italy
In recent years, particularly after the last European Financial Crisis, the Italian government has incentivized the formation of foreign companies in Italy. The government especially encourages investments in manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare and digital innovation.
The state has recently completed various cargo airports and railway networks to improve supply chains across the country. Each of these supply lines run through the industrial centers of the country like Apulia. Apulia also happens to be the center of the industry with a total of 566 active companies working in the center. The government is also offering investors incentives and financial support if they reach minimum investment criteria.
Italy also has a massive manufacturing sector that includes the food and beverage industry, high-quality capital goods production, maritime technology and much more. There are ample incentives offered to interested investors in the country as well.
Finally, there is the fact that you’re located in the European Union, with access to some of the most advanced financial economies in the world. The Italian passport lets you travel throughout Europe and take advantage of whatever financial opportunities meet your fancy. You can move your capital to Germany, France, and even acquire Swiss financial services much more easily than anyone else. Whether you choose to invest in Italy or outside it, you can capitalize on some of the most advantageous investment opportunities anyone could find.
Learning Italian
Much of Europe is far more open to foreigners coming in, however the French and the Italian are slightly more conservative. Owing to this conservatism, many people find it difficult to assimilate into the general population because of the language barriers. Much of Italy only speaks Italian and foreigners might find it a little difficult to keep up with the locals. This is why I would suggest that you invest in Italian language classes, mostly because it’ll just be easy for you to get around that way.
Once you’ve gotten a handle on the language, there really aren’t a lot of places to live in which offer the same values as the Italian culture. With great food, lots of enriching cultural experiences and at the crucible of the cultural development of the world—Italy is in many ways one of the best places to move to.
This is the best company for language courses, mostly because it actually works and is fun.
Additional Reading
Enjoy these articles by Escape Artist.
Top Strategies For Getting Residency In Italy
5 Of The Most Popular Expat Destinations In Italy
If you’d like to learn a little more about France, please read: What You Show Know Before Moving to France
In Conclusion
Moving to Italy is a great move on anyone’s part. If you get the opportunity to acquire Italian citizenship, then I strongly suggest that you take it. Since the government allows you to maintain dual citizenship, you can get two passports to get access to virtually any country in the world and use it to your benefit. You also get access to great financial opportunities and some of the best infrastructure in the world.
If you want to learn Italian, you should get in touch with some of my associates at Italian Uncovered. Visit their website today to sign up for expert Italian language lessons.
Here is an amazing interview with my friend Olly Richards: Secrets to Learning A Foreign Language Quickly
