# Several Questions...Wife might take job at Aviano AFB in Italy.



## vaughndk

My wife and I have been trying to figure out how we can get her license, as a pharmacist, recognized in Italy, Spain, or France because we want to move to one of those countries. We haven't received very encouraging news so we started looking at taking a different route which is for her to get a civilian job on a military base. There are several openings throughout Europe and she has started the process with the Air Force Base in Aviano. 

I have a few questions....

How difficult is it to bring dogs into Italy? We have two dogs that are under 30pds.

The contract that she will get is 3 years and she'll have the opportunity to renew the contract. Will it be possible, even though we are there for a military job, to try to establish citizenship in Italy? We'd like to use the goverment job to help us live in Europe permanently after she finishes her contract.

I'd like to take advantage of some of the benefits and attend college courses in Italy. Is it difficult without knowing much Italian?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You


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## MaidenScotland

vaughndk said:


> My wife and I have been trying to figure out how we can get her license, as a pharmacist, recognized in Italy, Spain, or France because we want to move to one of those countries. We haven't received very encouraging news so we started looking at taking a different route which is for her to get a civilian job on a military base. There are several openings throughout Europe and she has started the process with the Air Force Base in Aviano.
> 
> I have a few questions....
> 
> How difficult is it to bring dogs into Italy? We have two dogs that are under 30pds.
> 
> The contract that she will get is 3 years and she'll have the opportunity to renew the contract. Will it be possible, even though we are there for a military job, to try to establish citizenship in Italy? We'd like to use the goverment job to help us live in Europe permanently after she finishes her contract.
> 
> I'd like to take advantage of some of the benefits and attend college courses in Italy. Is it difficult without knowing much Italian?
> 
> Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thank You




Hi

No it is not difficult to take your dogs to Europe, there are lots of threads and advice on the forum about this very subject

I cannot see how you could be an Italian citizen and be in the American Military . 

I am sure you will enjoy Italy it is a beautiful country.

Maiden


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## vaughndk

Maiden -

Thank you for the reply. 

You're correct. You can't be an Italian citizen and be in the military. 

My wife will be a civilian employee working on the military base. What I am trying to find out is if it would be possible for us to become Italian citizens after her 3 year committment with the military base, or if I could somehow get my citizenship during that timeframe.


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## Joppa

vaughndk said:


> The contract that she will get is 3 years and she'll have the opportunity to renew the contract. Will it be possible, even though we are there for a military job, to try to establish citizenship in Italy? We'd like to use the goverment job to help us live in Europe permanently after she finishes her contract.


As MaidenScotland says, those who are in an EU country outside the immigration rules (such as US military personnel or civilian staff) cannot use their period of residence as a basis for permanent residency or citizenship. You need to find other ways to live in Italy for that, such as work visa, retirement visa, business visa etc. Those ex-US military or civilian employees who are now permanent residents in Europe have done so usually by marrying a local (an option not open to you).


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## vaughndk

Joppa - so even though I wouldn't be a government or civilian employee, just a dependant, there isn't a way I could get my citizenship?


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## MaidenScotland

vaughndk said:


> Joppa - so even though I wouldn't be a government or civilian employee, just a dependant, there isn't a way I could get my citizenship?




Can I ask why you want citizenship?


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## vaughndk

Maiden- My wife and I want to eventually move to Europe permanently. We travel to Europe 3-4 times a year and always dread coming back to the U.S. We want to be able to live there legally.


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## Joppa

vaughndk said:


> Joppa - so even though I wouldn't be a government or civilian employee, just a dependant, there isn't a way I could get my citizenship?


No, because you are there as a dependent or trailing spouse. Your status is dependent upon your wife's job, so you aren't there in your own right as a worker, businessman etc, even though you are almost certain to have the right to work (check with Italian authorities or forces personnel).


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## MaidenScotland

vaughndk said:


> Maiden- My wife and I want to eventually move to Europe permanently. We travel to Europe 3-4 times a year and always dread coming back to the U.S. We want to be able to live there legally.




I was just being nosey but I can understand you wanting to live in Europe.
Is it Italy in particular you want to move to or is it Europe?

Maiden


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## vaughndk

Maiden- Italy is one of the places we'd love to live. Spain and France are the other countries. The U.S. is boring. Everytime we travel to Europe we feel like we're meant to be there. We have no children (yet) and neither of us are real close to our families so a move to Europe would be easy for us.


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## Bevdeforges

vaughndk said:


> I have a few questions....
> 
> How difficult is it to bring dogs into Italy? We have two dogs that are under 30pds.
> 
> The contract that she will get is 3 years and she'll have the opportunity to renew the contract. Will it be possible, even though we are there for a military job, to try to establish citizenship in Italy? We'd like to use the goverment job to help us live in Europe permanently after she finishes her contract.
> 
> I'd like to take advantage of some of the benefits and attend college courses in Italy. Is it difficult without knowing much Italian?
> 
> Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.


As you've already heard, taking the dogs to Italy won't be a particular problem. Basically, you'll need to get their vaccinations up to date and a health certificate for them. (Check with the Italian consulate - they often have a bi-lingual certificate you can ask your vet to fill out.)

You may want to check with the government websites, but AFAIK those working for the US military normally live in the country without a visa, under special treaty terms. That means that you can't work, other than on the base or for the US government, and that the time you spend living in Italy (or anywhere else) doesn't count toward residency or nationality requirements. It's supposed to be as if you were living in the US the whole time.

You can probably attend university classes while in Italy, but you will be considered an "international" student and will be expected to pay international student tuition rates. It's possible the US government might underwrite some of that for you as part of your wife's benefit package (can't hurt to ask). But the universities in Europe often don't offer discrete classes like they do in the US. You may have to enroll for a degree program or at least a certificate program - and chances are you'll be expected to keep up in Italian and/or be able to demonstrate your level of Italian before being admitted. 

The programs offered in English are generally business classes for executive level students. (Take a look at the ads for study programs in The Economist for an idea - I know there is one Italian university that offers an executive program that runs two years or so.)

Any way you cut it, the quest for a European nationality starts with getting a long-stay visa of some sort. It's only time lived in the country with the appropriate long-stay visa that counts toward the residency required for taking citizenship. 

If either of you has an Irish grandparent, you may want to look into their requirements for taking nationality. Last I knew, Ireland was the only EU country where you could do this, though they may have changed their immigration laws since then. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## Joppa

Bevdeforges said:


> As you've already heard, taking the dogs to Italy won't be a particular problem. Basically, you'll need to get their vaccinations up to date and a health certificate for them. (Check with the Italian consulate - they often have a bi-lingual certificate you can ask your vet to fill out.)
> 
> You may want to check with the government websites, but AFAIK those working for the US military normally live in the country without a visa, under special treaty terms. That means that you can't work, other than on the base or for the US government, and that the time you spend living in Italy (or anywhere else) doesn't count toward residency or nationality requirements. It's supposed to be as if you were living in the US the whole time.


You are right - I've checked and by special treaty, dependants of those working on US military bases can only work on the same site or another base, and cannot take up a job with an Italian employer or set up in self-employment.



> You can probably attend university classes while in Italy, but you will be considered an "international" student and will be expected to pay international student tuition rates. It's possible the US government might underwrite some of that for you as part of your wife's benefit package (can't hurt to ask). But the universities in Europe often don't offer discrete classes like they do in the US. You may have to enroll for a degree program or at least a certificate program - and chances are you'll be expected to keep up in Italian and/or be able to demonstrate your level of Italian before being admitted.
> 
> The programs offered in English are generally business classes for executive level students. (Take a look at the ads for study programs in The Economist for an idea - I know there is one Italian university that offers an executive program that runs two years or so.)


I don't think Italy levies much higher international student fees for non-EU citizens - general fees for a degree course at a state uni is around 1,000 euro per year. You must pass an Italian language exam before you are allowed to proceed to your course.



> Any way you cut it, the quest for a European nationality starts with getting a long-stay visa of some sort. It's only time lived in the country with the appropriate long-stay visa that counts toward the residency required for taking citizenship.


Quite. The same thing applies for US military and civilian personnel and their dependants on US bases in UK. As they are here outside of the usual immigration rules, they cannot build up residency requirement for settlement or citizenship. They must find another way to obtain a long-term visa.



> If either of you has an Irish grandparent, you may want to look into their requirements for taking nationality. Last I knew, Ireland was the only EU country where you could do this, though they may have changed their immigration laws since then.


I think it's possible, but more difficult, for those with Italian and Greek ancestries. As regards Irish citizenship, there is a wait list of some two years for having your name added to foreign birth register maintained by Italian consulates in US (all applications are referred to Dublin for a ruling, where there is a big backlog, hence the delay), but this avenue still exists for those with Irish-born grandparent, including those born in Northern Ireland.


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## oldjerry

vaughndk said:


> My wife and I have been trying to figure out how we can get her license, as a pharmacist, recognized in Italy, Spain, or France because we want to move to one of those countries. We haven't received very encouraging news so we started looking at taking a different route which is for her to get a civilian job on a military base. There are several openings throughout Europe and she has started the process with the Air Force Base in Aviano.
> 
> I have a few questions....
> 
> How difficult is it to bring dogs into Italy? We have two dogs that are under 30pds.
> 
> The contract that she will get is 3 years and she'll have the opportunity to renew the contract. Will it be possible, even though we are there for a military job, to try to establish citizenship in Italy? We'd like to use the goverment job to help us live in Europe permanently after she finishes her contra
> I'd like to take advantage of some of the benefits and attend college courses in Italy. Is it difficult without knowing much Italian?



I cant help with the work,but I have freequently brought dogs and catsetc. into Italyfrom the UK and never been troubled (though they did enter overland)..The problem is taking them back!

As far as the language is concerned,if someone was moving to the states wouldn't you recomend they learn English first? course you would,it's not difficult,far ,far easier than learning English,so get at least a basic working knowledge of the language before you arrive ,if you can you'll have a much richer experience as a result. Best wishes,hope it works out for you.


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