# Adventure



## PMCGamboa (Jan 14, 2014)

I am a retired and tired of playing it safe. I am considering moving to the Abruzzo, Italy area but have never lived outside the US.
What are the living conditions in this area? Does the population speak English? Is it advisable to purchase or rent? I have looked at the cost of living index and it appears I could afford it. What type of visa should I ask for if I want to live there?
Thansk


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## pudd 2 (Dec 10, 2008)

abruzzo was one of the biggest areas to have a mass emigration after the war , and a lot after when people who had found a new life ,in the new lands told of how good the life was in America and Canada Australia and Britain here in the village I live in most whent to Canada , almost a thousand people , they just left their houses unlocked fully furnaged and left by boat for a new life 
IN the next village most whent to new York , now the paten is a lot of the imigrents are coming back to trace theit roots and some even to settle in the land of their for fathers as for the English there is a far bit spoken , but this is not a turist area so dontb exspect every body to speak English 
but the food is good the wine also and the people on the whole very friendly and helpful 
we came here 12 years ago no roots just for a change of lifestyle and don't regret it for a moment


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## PMCGamboa (Jan 14, 2014)

*Thank you*

Thank you for this quick reply. It is very encouraging and speaks of the type of living I am looking for. I can always travel to the touristy areas, but I would like my change of lifestyle to be less hectic. My son is considering moving with me so I will pass this information along.


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## PMCGamboa (Jan 14, 2014)

*Rental to stay*

I am looking for a rental that I can stay in while visiting the Abruzzo region of Italy. I am looking for a 1 bedroom with kitchen and bathroom. I will be there the month of October. Any assistance would be appreciated. I can not afford a hotel room.

Thanks so much


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## pudd 2 (Dec 10, 2008)

there are plenty cheap rentals here in abruzzo at the moment due to the tax on empty houses


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## PMCGamboa (Jan 14, 2014)

*Information*

Can you give me some idea of who to contact and their contact information? I would be very grateful.


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## BelloBello (Jan 18, 2014)

PMCGamboa said:


> I am a retired and tired of playing it safe. I am considering moving to the Abruzzo, Italy area but have never lived outside the US.
> What are the living conditions in this area? Does the population speak English? Is it advisable to purchase or rent? I have looked at the cost of living index and it appears I could afford it. What type of visa should I ask for if I want to live there?
> Thansk



I am also a US citizen and plan on retiring to Italy (Abruzzo), by myself.
I've been told here on my thread that I need to apply for an Elective Residency (ER) for retiring to Italy. 
I also plan on visiting in the fall. 
I don't know how difficult the process is, I do know first to make sure to have finances in order, don't forget the fluctuation in currency. Visit and decide if it's for you and your son. How old is your son? If he is still in school, that will be a consideration for you, where and which school is best. Also, if he is an adult will he need to apply for residency on his own?
Many rave about how beautiful Abruzzo is, and wouldn't live anywhere else.


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## PMCGamboa (Jan 14, 2014)

Thank you for your information. I have done a lot of research and find that Abruzzo fits our needs. My son is an adult, so no school problems. He will need to find work and I understand that can be a bit of a challenge. 

In the fall, I plan to stay in that area for a few weeks to get a good feel for it and for the rental/real estate that is available. 

Planning on retiring and have taken the exchange rates into the equation. I am an artist and believe it will be a wonderful adventure in my "old" age 

I appreciate your information and look forward to learning more.


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## accbgb (Sep 23, 2009)

Time to slow down a bit here and look at the practical side of this adventure. 

If you have neither Italian or other EU citizenship, then you will need an Elective Residency ("ER") visa in order to remain in Italy for more than 90 days out of any 180 day period. To obtain an ER visa, you will need to convince your local Italian consulate that you have somewhere on the order of €30,000+ ($41,000) more or less guaranteed income per year (social security, pensions, investments) and/or significant savings. And, that is just to _begin_ the process.

Your son, being that he is an adult, is a different matter; he would need to demonstrate a similar level of guaranteed income (the number quoted above is _per person_) and would not (ever) be permitted to work in Italy due to the restrictions of the ER visa. Alternatively, he would need to obtain a work visa which, frankly, is nearly impossible to do right now.


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## PMCGamboa (Jan 14, 2014)

This is good information. I will look into all of this. Thank you for the information.


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