There’s no one-size-fits-all rule for settling into expat life in a new country, but here are a few helpful articles and personal stories that may help make your move a little easier.
Stef is a Dutch expat who moved to Italy, accompanied by his husband and dog, to start their bed and breakfast, Villa I Due Padroni, in the Oltrepo Pavese wine region, just 30 miles (50km) south of Milan. He wrote a book about their adventures, Living in Italy: the Real Deal. Find out more… Read more
Born in Jamaica, Juli-Anne Royes Russo is an aquaculture scientist, science communicator, founder of the Caribbean Aquaculture Network, foodie, amateur photographer and writer. Juli-Anne became a freelance writer in 2020 after moving to Italy. She spends most of her time consulting with fish… Read more
Hope, originally from New York, and her husband decided to save up and travel. Together, they travelled to Mexico, Japan and Europe. There are things she loved and things found difficult to deal with in Italy, but still always has an interesting story to tell, be it about food, festivities or a… Read more
Caroline is an American architect, cat lover, spritz aficionado, occasional translator, doodler and traveller living in Verona, Italy. She writes about life in Italy as a foreigner, from immigration and practical information to travel, food, culture, events and everyday life on her blog, Quotidian… Read more
Gabrielle Schubert is an American expat from New York who spends part of each year in Penna San Giovanni in the Le Marche in Italy while still maintaining her home in Brooklyn as well. Since 2006, Gabrielle's family has travelled to Italy 3 times a year but as time has gone on the visits have… Read more
Those who are thinking of investing in property In Italy have to make sure that they get things right which is why the following rules are good place to start.
Remain patient because the Italian courts and its bureaucracy can be very testing and devious. However, ensure that you remain calm… Read more
Diana Skok Corridori is an American expat who has been living in Milan, in Italy's northern Lombardy region, for almost a decade. She says she loves the international character of the city and reckons the quality of life it offers is fantastic.You can read her blog at vinovitaviaggi.com.
About… Read more
About Jasmine
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Q: Where are you living now?
A: Bergamo, Italy
Q: When did you move here?
A: December 2014
Q: Did you move here alone or with a spouse/family?
A: Alone… Read more
Jasmine is a Canadian expat who moved to Bergamo, Italy, in December 2014 to be with her fiance. While she admits that Italian bureaucracy and red tap are points of frustration, her overall quality of life has improved since she moved. Specific highlights for Jasmine include the architecture of the… Read more
Alice Kim moved to Milan three years ago, starting out as a student of fashion and design and now running her own company helping other expats settle into their new Italian life.
Having been through the culture shock of moving to a new country, she is in a good position to give others advice to… Read more
Pauline Ninck Blok study the Italian language at university in her home country of the Netherlands and it was during this time that she discovered her love for Italy.
She has been living there since 2001 and says her secret to adapting to expat life is to be relaxed and go with the flow of a new… Read more
Stef is a Dutch expat living in Italy. He moved to the town of Montecalvo Versiggia, in the Lombardy region, with his husband in 2008 to start a bed and breakfast. Although they miss not seeing their family and friends on a regular basis, they’ve enjoyed their expat experience thus far, and are… Read more
Hayley Richardson is a Canadian expat who has lived in Tuscany for over five years with her husband and their daughter. While she misses having space and being able to plug in the washing machine and hairdryer at the same time, she thoroughly enjoys the Italian lifestyle, its superior healthcare… Read more
Jessica is an American expat living in Italy. She moved to Casarano in the southeastern province of Lecce in 2012 to be with her Italian fiancé, who is now her husband. Although Jessica finds Casarano a bit small at times, she enjoys the fact that she gets to experience the real Italian life, as… Read more
There is no denying that moving overseas is challenging, but for parents of children with special needs, relocating to a new country can seem impossible. Italy is not an ideal place for children with special needs. While it has strong legislation and principles of inclusion, the country is bound… Read more
Martina is a German expat living in Italy with her husband and three children. They moved to the northern city of Bologna because of her husband’s job. Despite the slow pace and constant bureaucratic delays, they enjoy the lifestyle in Bologna, which includes many entertainment options, warm… Read more
Linda is a French expat of Algerian origin living in Italy. After ten years of living in England she decided to take a year off to follow her dream of becoming a writer and freelance journalist and now finds herself living in Olbia, on the Italian island of Sardegna.
Read more about Italy in the… Read more
Sarah Ager is a British expat living in Italy. She moved there because she fell in love, both with the country and a man, and now lives in Bologna, working as an English teacher. Sarah enjoys sharing her experiences of life in Italy as a modern Anglo Muslim woman on her blog, Hotchpotch Hijabi in… Read more
Despite the current economic situation in Italy, the need for English doesn't appear to be in decline. So despite the fact that many Italians seem to be suffering from the lack of employment opportunities, those who are seeking to get into the area of teaching English in Italy are at an advantage,… Read more
Amy is a British expat who moved to Torremaggiore in the Puglia region of southern Italy to take up a post teaching English at a private language school. Besides her three colleagues there is not much of an expat community to speak of in the town, but Amy finds the locals are friendly and the food… Read more
Ernesto is a Mexican expat who is living in Italy’s capital, Rome. Having previously studied in Milan, he recently returned to Italy to work for a mobile marketing company where he is responsible for the Indian market. Prior to that, he lived in India, thus qualifying as quite the experienced expat… Read more
Elisa is an Australian expat who initially moved to Tuscany for a year, and fell in love with and married an Italian man. They live in the town of Manciano in the beautiful Tuscany region. A freelance journalist, Elisa now writes a travel blog and online travel guide about her new home.
Read more… Read more
Sonia Piacente first visited Italy on a school trip and her heart was won by the country. Later she met an Italian man on assignment in Texas, where a pen-friendship blossomed into romance, then marriage. Moving to Italy was the next step in her double-barelled love affair.
Read… Read more
Anna Savino was born in San Francisco, raised in the California wine country, jumped up to Seattle for college, transferred to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, worked and played in L.A - and ended up in a tiny town in Piedmont, Italy called Saluzzo. She settled here 1) for love 2) and for stubbornness… Read more
Since I began the process of getting a permit to live in Italy in 2008, I've often said that the Italians must have invented red tape. Sure, there are difficulties in becoming a legal expat in many countries, and Italy certainly isn't the most challenging, but… Read more
Camilla Helgesson is a Swede who has been living in Rome since 2005. During this time she was transferred to London for eight months before relocating back to Rome out of her personal choice. She loves the Italian dolce vita, and has a particular interest in the excellent coffee,… Read more
Brian Bogaard, an ex-South African now living in Milan with his family, tells us about his experiences of exapt life in Italy.
Read more about the country in the Expat Arrivals Italy country guide or read more expat experiences in Italy
About you
Q: Where are you originally from?… Read more
Valerie Schneider and her husband moved to Italy in 2006 and quickly settled into life in the beautiful city of Ascoli Piceno. Valerie is a freelance writer, and she and her husband offer customized tours, as well as consultation to others thinking of tackling bureaucracy and moving to Italy.… Read more
Irene Woodbury is an American who has been living and working in Italy for a decade. She writes about her experiences in this beloved yet often awkward country on her immensely readable blog www.americaninpadua.blogspot.com
Read more about the country in the Expat Arrivals Italy… Read more