Are you thinking of moving to Italy and renting a house/apartment? Are you wondering if your house in Italy will be just like the peach colored villa under a warm Tuscan sun you saw in a movie? After the popularity of my post on the challenges of buying property in Italy, I decided to write this post about Italian rental properties, aimed at advising people what to expect
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Finding Happiness with a Move to Florence
I am pleased to add this interview to my Taking the Plunge series Sophie Charlotte flourished in ways she never dreamed of after a move to Florence: When did you move to Florence, and what motivated you to make the move? I turned my long distance relationship with Italy into a long-term commitment in 2010, and I chose Florence. Florence has always represented
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Where to Have The Most Magical Christmas Eve
Christmas in Italy On Christmas Eve in the village of Abbadia San Salvatore I felt like Lucy walking through the wardrobe. It was like I had entered a place of magical forest folk from pre-Christian times, as I walked the ancient twisting pathways of this mountain town during its bonfire festival. (Called Fiaccole della Notte di Natale in Italian.) The night begins at 6:00
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Post #4 getting into the health care system
Italian Residency and the health care system Do you have your Italian residency yet? What to do if your residency certificate doesn't come in the mail? Become a subscriber to my Substack to read the rest of this post and get my complete information on how to become legal in Italy
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Post #3 What to do after receiving the Permesso
The Road to Italian Citizenship is Long It is long even when you have Italian grandparents, and when you don't have that, or EU citizenship, the road is ten-years long. I'm five months into my ten-year process and here's how it's stacking up: I received my coveted permesso di soggiorno (permit to stay) in June about a month after I applied. Unfortunately, on June
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Florence off the Beaten Path — Try Fiesole
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Florence off the Beaten Path One of my recommendations for beating the crowds in Florence is to up to Fiesole---a small town of Etruscan origins above Florence. In spring and fall the Fiesole Tourist Board offers what they call "Hikes between Nature and Culture" which are free, guided hikes in the Fiesole hills. (Some are not actually hikes, but
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Post #2 What happens at the Permesso appointment
What will happen at your Permesso di Soggiorno Appointment? My process and what you can learn from it: Most expats get nervous about their permesso di soggiorno appointment at the questura (police office). But, because my paper work had been done by INAC, I was confident. What could go wrong? But then on an expat forum I was told to "have a thick skin" and
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Post #1 Preparing for the Permesso
How to get a "Permit to Stay" in Italy For non EU citizens: You need a visa first. You apply for that at the Italian Consulate in your jurisdiction in your home country. See the website for the consulate in your jurisdiction for more info.Upon arrival in Italy apply for a permit to stay. (permesso di soggiorno)Within 20 days of receiving the permit, go to the Anagrafe
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How to Retire in Rome
I am pleased to add John's story to my Taking the Plunge series How to Retire in Rome The most frequently asked question I received wasn’t, Why are you doing it? With a sense of quiet desperation in their voice, they ask, How did you do it? My formula was simple: No wife, no ex-wife, no kids and a real smart broker. However, you don’t need this perfect storm to live la
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