Phase 1 · 12–18 months out
Decide with real numbers
Take a scouting trip — you get 90 days visa-free per rolling 180 (the EES system has been counting your days since October 2025) Pick your visa route: elective residence (passive income, €31,000+/yr, no work of any kind), digital nomad (~€28,000/yr remote income), or investor (compare all three ) If your parent or grandparent was an Italian citizen, check citizenship by descent first — the 2025 rules are narrower, but a match changes everything Shortlist regions with the Where to Live guide — and if you're a retiree, check whether a 7% flat-tax town fits your life, not just your tax return Build a monthly budget from the Cost of Living data — the South runs 38% cheaper than the North-East Book a consultation with a cross-border tax adviser before you trigger anything — the 7% election, IVIE/IVAFE on US assets, and Roth IRAs all have traps Start Italian lessons — you'll need A2 at year 5 (permanent residency), B1 at year 10 (citizenship), and the driving-theory exam is in Italian after your first 12 months
Phase 2 · 6–12 months out
Build the paper foundation
Get your codice fiscale (Italian tax code) — free from your Italian consulate before you leave, or from the Agenzia delle Entrate in Italy; you need it for the bank, the lease, utilities, and the SSN Secure accommodation — a property deed or a registered lease; consulates reject short-term bookings for the elective residence visa Request your FBI (US) or RCMP (Canada) criminal record check, then have it apostilled — these expire, so time it Gather income evidence: pension/Social Security award letters, annuity, rental, and dividend statements (ERV) — or contracts, payslips, degree, and 6 months' remote-work history (digital nomad) Buy private health insurance: €30,000 minimum coverage, valid Schengen-wide, 12-month validity Open an Italian bank account if you can (easier with the codice fiscale) — and plan how you'll move money at a fair exchange rate
Phase 4 · Arrival & first 90 days
Become a resident, properly
Within 8 working days of arrival: file your permesso di soggiorno application — kit from a Poste Italiane "Sportello Amico" counter (~€70–130 in fees + €16 stamp), then fingerprints at the Questura Register your residence at the comune (town hall) — it starts the clocks for permanent residency, citizenship, and any prima casa property relief Register with the SSN and get your GP (medico di base) — free if you work; voluntary for elective residents at a minimum €2,000/calendar year (not pro-rated — arriving in November still costs the full year) (Healthcare guide ) Set up utilities and internet with your codice fiscale and Italian IBAN (~€150–250/month for a couple, indicative) Diarise the driving-licence deadline: your US licence works for 12 months of residence, then it's the full Italian exams — theory in Italian (Living guide ) Moving to a qualifying southern town? Elect the 7% flat tax in your first Italian tax return — it's an election, not automatic (guide ) Mark year 5 (permanent residency, A2 Italian — discretionary from the elective-residence permit) and year 10 (citizenship, B1) in the calendar
The rules here moved twice in the last 18 months — the citizenship-by-descent cap (May 2025) and the 7% flat-tax town expansion (April 2026). The newsletter below is how we tell you when this page changes.