# Interested in Living in Italy



## obewon (Aug 27, 2011)

*Background on Us:*
My wife and I are American citizens, living in California. We are seriously considering a move to Italy within a year or so; alternatively, we may consider living in Italy for a good portion of the year. I’ve surfed many web sites, and have found some that provide substantive info (e.g. expats in italy . . . I'm not allowed to post URLs yet); obviously, we have lots of questions. I am recently retired (electronics engineer), and do not need to seek employment. . I’m an Italian-American (born in USA), but I learned only the swear-words while growing up! :focus: I used to speak Spanish fairly fluently, and learning to speak proper Italian (the right way!) wouldn’t be a problem. Since my grandparents were born in Italy, I understand that I can become an Italian citizen without difficulty, though I’m not certain of the benefits at this stage.
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Preference on Area:*
We prefer to live near the coast, and one of our primary prerequisites is to live in an area where it doesn’t get too hot in the summer and not too cold in the winter. We’re open to suggestions regarding towns in northern Italy, and as far south as the Salerno area.
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Primary Question (for now!): Housing Accommodations:*
I understand that, for the most part, Italians usually rent and few actually want to own the property they live in. When surfing on the net, I saw very few homes/condos for sale, and what I’ve found is not helpful. We would be looking for a 2 BR condo, either to rent or to own; ownership isn’t a problem for us if the numbers are favorable.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

obewon said:


> *Background on Us:*
> My wife and I are American citizens, living in California. We are seriously considering a move to Italy within a year or so; alternatively, we may consider living in Italy for a good portion of the year. I’ve surfed many web sites, and have found some that provide substantive info (e.g. expats in italy . . . I'm not allowed to post URLs yet); obviously, we have lots of questions. I am recently retired (electronics engineer), and do not need to seek employment. . I’m an Italian-American (born in USA), but I learned only the swear-words while growing up! :focus: I used to speak Spanish fairly fluently, and learning to speak proper Italian (the right way!) wouldn’t be a problem. Since my grandparents were born in Italy, I understand that I can become an Italian citizen without difficulty, though I’m not certain of the benefits at this stage.
> *
> Preference on Area:*
> ...


Before getting into the details of areas and accommodation, you need to check on your visa status. As US citizens you are only allowed to visit Italy for 90 days within 180 days. To stay longer you need to apply for a long-stay non-working visa, which is quite tricky to get. Each consulate (and you have a designated consulate depending on where you live) has its own interpretation of requirements, such as minimum income, private medical insurance and freedom from certain diseases and mental conditions. Sometimes police clearance may be needed. So check out the relevant consulate site.

All the foregoing is irrelevant if you have Italian (or another EU/EEA or Swiss) nationality. But obtaining Italian citizenship through descent from Italian-born grandparents is far from simple, and there are many pitfalls. If your grandparents had become naturalised US citizens before one of your parents was born, they couldn't pass on their Italian nationality and you cannot claim citizenship. So first find out if your grandparents were naturalised, and if so, when.


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## stefanaccio (Sep 25, 2007)

If I were in your shoes I would pick an area from Umbria-Marche or south, not too far from public transportation. Where are your relatives from? There are a number of retiree's in the Teramo province of Abruzzo. 
/SNIP/


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## obewon (Aug 27, 2011)

@ Joppa:

Tnks for the advice. You've made lots of good suggestions that I need to check into.

obe




Joppa said:


> Before getting into the details of areas and accommodation, you need to check on your visa status. As US citizens you are only allowed to visit Italy for 90 days within 180 days. To stay longer you need to apply for a long-stay non-working visa, which is quite tricky to get. Each consulate (and you have a designated consulate depending on where you live) has its own interpretation of requirements, such as minimum income, private medical insurance and freedom from certain diseases and mental conditions. Sometimes police clearance may be needed. So check out the relevant consulate site.
> 
> All the foregoing is irrelevant if you have Italian (or another EU/EEA or Swiss) nationality. But obtaining Italian citizenship through descent from Italian-born grandparents is far from simple, and there are many pitfalls. If your grandparents had become naturalised US citizens before one of your parents was born, they couldn't pass on their Italian nationality and you cannot claim citizenship. So first find out if your grandparents were naturalised, and if so, when.


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## obewon (Aug 27, 2011)

@ stef:
Relatives were from the Napoli area.

I'll check out Umbria-Marche & points south, as well as Abruzzo. Tnks for the info.

obe




stefanaccio said:


> If I were in your shoes I would pick an area from Umbria-Marche or south, not too far from public transportation. Where are your relatives from? There are a number of retiree's in the Teramo province of Abruzzo.


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxenjoylife (Jul 26, 2011)

Hi,
also i am relocating to Italy in the nearer future........still open where to go.....

there is a good website Subito.it - Annunci gratuiti Case, Auto, Moto, Offerte lavoro e annunci Usato for italian properties ........

regards


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## obewon (Aug 27, 2011)

enjoylife said:


> Hi,
> also i am relocating to Italy in the nearer future........still open where to go.....
> 
> there is a good website for italian properties ........
> ...


Tnks for the link, EnjoyLife! 
I'll have to check it out.


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