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Expat Abroad · Italy

Living in Italy.

8 practical guides for Americans living in Italy, grouped by topic. Each one lists the official sources it is based on.

Italy

Arrival and immigration

Jets parked at the terminal gates of Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport
Arrival and immigration · 6 min read

Entering Italy on a US passport: the 90/180 rule, EES and ETIAS

What US citizens need at the Italian border: passport validity, the 90 in 180 day limit, EES biometrics, the coming ETIAS, customs allowances and cash rules.

Italy

Daily life

The harbor of Naples at dawn with Mount Vesuvius on the horizon
Daily life · 6 min read

Living in Naples and Campania: services and safety basics

What Americans living in Naples should know about the Campi Flegrei and Vesuvius emergency plans, public alerts, city registry services and the US consulate.

Piazza Santo Spirito, a lived-in square in Florence's Oltrarno
Daily life · 7 min read

Living in Florence: rentals, tourists and residency in the historic center

How Florence limits short-term rentals in the UNESCO core, what that means for long-term renters, and which city, health and consular services Americans use.

Italy

Documents and ID

Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, the seat of the city government, with the statue of Marcus Aurelius and the Palazzo Senatorio steps
Documents and ID · 6 min read

Your first weeks in Italy: permit, residence and the order of steps

The sequence after landing in Italy on a long-stay visa: the 8-day permit request, the Questura, the comune's anagrafe, and what each document opens up next.

Italy

Language and culture

Cafe tables set on a cobbled street in Rome on a summer evening
Language and culture · 6 min read

Learning Italian for daily life in Italy

A practical plan for adult Americans learning Italian in Italy: the levels the state asks for, the A2 and B1 tests, CPIA courses and certified exams.

Italy

US taxes and admin

Pastel houses of Varenna on the shore of Lake Como under the mountains
US taxes and admin · 7 min read

Social Security, pensions and the US-Italy totalization agreement

How the US-Italy Social Security agreement decides where you pay contributions, how certificates of coverage work, and how US and Italian credits combine.

The glass dome of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II seen from the rooftops of central Milan
US taxes and admin · 6 min read

When Italy treats you as a tax resident

How Italy's 2024 tax residency rules work for Americans: the 183-day test, domicile, physical presence, the registry presumption, and how it meets your US return.

Italy

Visas and residency

Ponte Sant'Angelo over the Tiber in Rome at dusk, with the dome of St. Peter's Basilica behind
Visas and residency · 7 min read

Moving to Italy from the US: which visa or residence route fits

Elective residence, digital nomad, work under the decreto flussi, family and study: who qualifies, where Americans apply, and what happens after landing.