Moving to Italy means solving two problems, not one. First, you choose the right basis for the move: work, business, financial independence, remote work, study or family. Your visa, your rights and your taxes all depend on it. Then comes settling in on the ground, where half the difficulties actually begin: the tax code, residence registration, healthcare, a bank account, housing. Keep one thing in mind from the outset: what matters is not the size of your savings but the right choice of basis, and the move is within reach not only for the wealthy. A realistic starting budget in the expensive north is €6000–10000, in the south half that. Below we break down both stages step by step, with amounts, timeframes and traps that people usually learn about too late.
Which Basis for the Move to Choose
The key principle: you don't move "to Italy in general" but on a specific basis. It is precisely that basis which determines what visa you get, whether you can work and how your taxes are calculated. Here are the main options.
| Basis | Who it suits | Financial threshold | Work in Italy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | You have an employer in Italy (Decreto Flussi quotas) | contractual salary | yes |
| Business and self-employment | Entrepreneurs, heads of a branch office | depends on the structure | yes |
| Elective residency | Financially independent people, rentiers | around €31.000 a year | prohibited, even remote |
| Digital nomad visa | Remote workers and freelancers | around €28.000 a year | remotely for a foreign client |
| Investor visa | Investors | €250.000–2 million | yes |
| Study | Students | around €535 a month | limited, up to 20 hours a week |
| Family reunification | Relatives of a resident | sponsor's income | yes |
Two traps that people stumble over most often. The first: elective residency prohibits any work, including remote work for a foreign company. People apply for it to freelance, then discover they cannot work. For remote workers there is a separate digital nomad visa with the opposite logic. The second: property in itself is not a basis for moving — you don't get a residence permit for buying it.
As you can see, there are also low-cost routes: study, work under a contract or the digital nomad visa cost far less than elective residency or the investor visa.
The General Order of the Move: from Visa D to a Residence Permit
Regardless of the basis, the road looks the same. First, based on your chosen basis, a national visa D is issued at the consulate. With it you enter the country and within the first eight working days you submit documents for a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno). Then comes settling in, discussed below.
This is only the first step. After five years of continuous residence you become eligible for permanent residency, and after ten years for citizenship. The mechanics of the residence permit itself, all the grounds and timeframes are covered in detail in a separate article on how to obtain an Italian residence permit. Here it's important to lock in the key link: you cannot move "for good" without a visa D tied to a basis.
How Much Money You Need for the Move and to Live
The main expense at the start is entering a rental. To move into an apartment you usually have to pay a deposit of two to three months, an agency commission (roughly one month's rent plus VAT) and the first month in advance — that is, four to five rent payments right away. Add the possible healthcare contribution and a cushion for the first few months until you find your feet. In the expensive north a realistic start is €6000–10000, in the south half that.
Rent varies greatly by city. Benchmarks for 2025–2026: in Milan a studio costs around €1000, a one-bedroom about €1600–1700; in Florence and Rome slightly cheaper; while in the south, in Naples and smaller towns, housing is three to four times cheaper. The cost of living for one person in Milan, all in, comes to €1400–2000 a month, in the south noticeably lower.
Let's be honest: moving "with no money" is technically possible via seasonal work and a room in shared housing, but it means hardship and the risk of illegal employment. It's more realistic to build up a cushion and choose a basis within your means.
The First Weeks in Italy: A Document Checklist
This is the core of the whole move, and here sequence matters: the documents form a chain, and the links can't be swapped around.
- Codice fiscale (tax code). The basic identifier, without which you can't rent housing, open an account or sign any contract. It's issued by the tax authority Agenzia delle Entrate immediately and free of charge; sometimes it is assigned in advance at the consulate.
- A rental with a registered contract. The contract is needed both for residence registration and for the bank. It is registered by the landlord.
- Residence registration (residenza anagrafica). Registration at an address in the municipality (comune). The application is submitted with your passport, tax code, residence permit and rental contract, and the registration is confirmed by a visit from a municipal officer (vigile) to the address. The comune has up to 45 days to check.
- Tessera sanitaria (health card). Issued after residence registration; there's a separate section on it below.
- SPID (digital identity). The key to government services online. An important nuance: a residence permit alone isn't enough for SPID — you need an Italian identity card (carta d'identità), which is precisely what is issued once you have residence registration.
- Bank account. For a full account you need a tax code, an ID document, a residence permit and residence registration.
The whole chain is built not in a week but over a month and a half to two months. For the transitional period, online banks — which open with a passport in minutes — and private health insurance are lifesavers until your residence registration and health card are ready.
Healthcare: the SSN, tessera sanitaria and the €2000 Contribution
You can enrol in the national health service (SSN) through your local ASL branch at your registered address. As a result you're issued a tessera sanitaria and allowed to choose a family doctor (medico di base), who becomes your entry point to free healthcare. For those who have moved for work or family reunification, enrolment is free.
And here is the underrated trap of 2024. For those who don't qualify for free enrolment (for example, the financially independent on an elective residence permit and students), there is a voluntary contribution, and it has grown several times over: from the previous €387 to €2000 a year (for students €700). The contribution is per calendar year and indivisible: even if you enrol in December, you'll have to pay for the whole year. Many relocators don't factor this sum into their budget. For the initial period or for a short stay, private insurance will do.
Housing: How to Rent and Not Get Caught Out
Renting an apartment in Italy is harder than it seems, and there are several pitfalls here.
Contracts come in two main types: 4+4 (four years with automatic renewal for four) and transitorio (temporary, from one to 18 months for a documented reason). The landlord is obliged to register the contract with the tax authority within 30 days. This is critical: an unregistered contract (affitto in nero, "under-the-table rental") is legally void, is no good for residence registration or a residence permit and leaves you without protection.
Moving into an apartment is expensive. Besides the four to five rent payments at the start, landlords often demand a guarantor (garante), and a foreigner without an Italian history finds one hard to come by. And separately on fraud: fake listings and requests to "pay a deposit in advance" for an apartment you haven't seen are a common scheme. Never transfer money before viewing and signing a registered contract.
Taxes: the 183-Day Rule and Preferential Regimes
Once you've moved, it's worth understanding when you become an Italian tax resident. The 183-day rule applies: if you spend more than half the year in the country, are registered as resident, or your centre of vital interests is in Italy, you become its tax resident. Since 2024, physical presence for more than 183 days alone makes you a resident.
This isn't always a downside. Preferential regimes apply to new residents. Specialists and "returnees" under the impatriati regime have half their employment income exempted from tax (up to 60% with a minor child) for five years. Wealthy individuals can opt for a flat tax on all foreign income regardless of its size (around €200.000 a year, with the threshold rising to €300.000 from 2026). And pensioners who move to small towns in the south pay just 7% on foreign income for up to ten years.
Italy has double taxation treaties with many countries, but the specifics of your situation are best calculated in advance with a tax advisor.
Children, School and Language
The two most common fears when moving with a family: how will a child go to school without the language, and can an adult realistically learn Italian. Both are greatly exaggerated.
Foreign children attend ordinary state schools, and a support teacher is often assigned to them. In practice children start speaking within six months to a year, often faster than their parents. A common mistake is looking for a school in their native language: that is precisely what slows down adaptation. An adult can manage the language too: there are courses and state centres for adults (CPIA). It will come in handy further up the ladder of statuses as well: for permanent residency you'll need level A2, for citizenship level B1.
What's Next: the Path to Permanent Residency and Citizenship
The move is the first step of a long ladder. After five years of continuous residence, the residence permit opens the door to permanent status, and after ten years it opens the door to citizenship. Each step secures your position more firmly than the last. How permanent residency works is covered in the article on how to obtain permanent residency in Italy, and the end of the journey in the piece on how to obtain Italian citizenship.
It all begins with the legal foundation, the residence permit. At Law Honor we handle Italian residence permits turnkey, select a basis to fit your situation, run the process by power of attorney and for the whole family, and then accompany the client along the entire ladder up to permanent residency and citizenship.
If you're planning a move, start with a free consultation: on it we'll honestly assess which basis suits you, how long it will take and what it will cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I start with moving to Italy? With choosing a basis: work, business, financial independence, remote work, study or family. Your visa, rights and taxes depend on it. Next, based on that basis, a national visa D is issued, you enter and within the first eight days apply for a residence permit, and then you deal with settling in.
Is it realistic to move without a lot of money and without an employer? Yes, but the choice of basis matters more than the size of your savings. Study, work under a contract or the digital nomad visa cost less than elective residency or the investor visa. Moving "with no money at all" is technically possible via seasonal work, but it comes with hardship and the risk of illegal employment.
Can I work remotely on an elective residence permit? No. Elective residency prohibits any work, including remote work for a foreign employer. For remote work there is a separate digital nomad visa with different requirements.
How much money do I need for the move and to live? Entering a rental usually amounts to four to five rent payments (deposit, agency commission, first month). With a cushion for the first months, a realistic start in the north is €6000–10000, in the south half that. The cost of living for one person in Milan is €1400–2000 a month, in the south lower.
What is the codice fiscale and how does it differ from residence registration? The codice fiscale, or tax code, is the basic identifier for a rental, a bank and any contracts; it's issued immediately and free of charge. Residence registration (residenza) is registration at a specific address in the municipality, confirmed by a visit from an inspector. The code is needed first; registration is done later, once you have housing.
Is it true that you have to pay €2000 a year for healthcare? For those who have moved for work or family reunification, enrolment in the health system is free. For the financially independent and students there is a voluntary contribution, which in 2024 rose to €2000 a year (€700 for students). The contribution is paid for the entire calendar year in full. The alternative for the transitional period is private insurance.
How do I rent housing without a guarantor and avoid being scammed? Insist on a registered contract: an unregistered "under-the-table rental" is no good for either residence registration or a residence permit. Never transfer a deposit before viewing the apartment and signing the contract. If you have no guarantor (garante), proof of income, paying several months in advance or turning to an agency that works with foreigners all help.
Will I become an Italian tax resident and will I have to pay taxes? Yes, if you spend more than 183 days a year in the country or your centre of interests is in Italy. That said, preferential regimes apply to new residents: half-income exemption for specialists, a flat tax on foreign income for the wealthy and 7% for pensioners in the south. Countries have double taxation treaties in place; the details are best worked out with an advisor.
Which city should I choose: north or south? The north (Milan, Turin, Bologna) is more expensive, but there is more work there; the south (and small towns) is noticeably cheaper on rent and living, but work is harder to find. The choice depends on your basis: for remote workers and pensioners the south is more advantageous, while those looking for local work are better suited to the big northern cities.