Moving to Italy has been an incredible experience, but it involved more trial and error than I could have imagined. I spent way too much time piecing together contradictory advice from scattered corners of the internet, so I wanted to create this resource page to save you the headache. If this makes even one part of your move easier, I’ll be happy!

Everything here is something I actually used and recommend. Note: some links are affiliate links, but I only share what I genuinely think is helpful. I’ll keep this updated as I discover more!

Immigration Lawyer

Every immigration situation is different, so having the right legal support matters. I worked with a few immigration lawyers, but the best experience by far was with Livio Pocchetti.

He was thorough, responsive, and took the time to explain everything clearly. His pricing also seemed reasonable in comparison to other lawyers who marketed themselves for expats.

Contact Livio here.

Commercialista / Tax Expert

Taxes were one of my biggest worries before moving. I’ve been working with Paolo Rigo’s team, and it’s been a great experience! They always get back to me super fast, sometimes even within a day. You’d be surprised by how rare this is. My partner and parents tried working with different tax firms and their response times were 2-4 weeks!

Beyond just being responsive, the level of professionalism and expertise has been exceptional. They took so much off my plate and were incredibly knowledgeable in helping me set up a business in Italy.

Book a consultation before you move if you can. It’s worth it!

Contact Studio Rigo here.

Relocation Specialist

We worked with a relocation specialist, and I don’t know what we would’ve done without her! Italy’s real estate system is very different from the US, and having someone local handle the process made an enormous difference.

She helped us find a place to rent as well as our dream apartment, but her support went far beyond housing. She handled everything from viewings to inspectors to contracts, and helped us get settled once we arrived with appointments, paperwork, and answering countless questions that come up when you’re new to the system.

If you’re interested in a referral, reach out here.

You can also read more about my experience purchasing a home in Italy, starting here.

Learning Italian Before You Move

You don’t need to be fluent before you move, but having some basics will make those first weeks way less stressful.

This app was the tool that gave me confidence to actually speak. It’s an audio-based program, which means you can use it while driving, doing the dishes, or taking a walk. I’m very much an auditory learner, and I was honestly surprised at how quickly I started forming real sentences.

For grammar, the not-as-fun but very necessary part, this app was a great complement. It helped me understand why things work the way they do, not just memorize phrases.

International Money Transfers

For managing money between the US and Italy, I use Wise. Fair exchange rates, easy transfers, and you can hold multiple currencies in one account.

I recommend setting it up before you move. You’ll need it for paying rent, moving savings over, and just handling everyday life during those first chaotic weeks.

You can use my referral for a fee-free transfer of up to $600. 

Keep Your US Number with Google Voice

Before leaving the US, we transferred our phone numbers to Google Voice. This was one of the smartest prep steps we took, although not for the tech-unsavvy.

It kept our US numbers active without paying for a US phone plan, which is especially important for banking and two-factor authentication.

Having access to our US numbers made the transition much smoother while setting up life in Italy. If there’s interest, I’m happy to create a step-by-step tutorial on how we did this.

Note: you don’t need to do this if you plan to only live in Italy part time. Our move was full time, so we no longer needed a US phone plan, but still needed the number.

VPN for Streaming & Banking

A VPN lets you browse the internet as if you’re in a different country, which is super helpful when you move abroad. You can watch shows on your home streaming services, access banking apps that might block foreign IPs, and stay secure on public WiFi.

The one I use is NordVPN.

Shipping Your Belongings: Send My Bag

We used Send My Bag to ship boxes ahead of us instead of dealing with airline limits. Everything arrived two days after we did, which was perfect timing.

In fact, there was a local festival when our boxes arrived, and roads were closed everywhere, but the driver still hand-delivered everything to us!

Important tip: get sturdy, double-walled boxes.

eSIM for Your First Few Days

We used an eSIM for our first few days while figuring out Italian phone plans.

Saily was quick to set up and gave us data as soon as we landed, essential for getting around those first few days.

For $8 off your first eSim plan, use code ALLEGR8451.

US-Italian Dual Citizenship Resources

The rules around US–Italian dual citizenship change often, and it can be hard to know what information is current. This Facebook group was especially helpful while I was navigating the process.

I also wrote a detailed blog post explaining my own experience here.

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I’ll keep adding to this list as I find more resources to share!

xo
Allegra