Giacomo

Hi My names James I'm 29 and British.

I have been made redundant at work after 10 years service in a major communications/IT company. I decided to take the opportunity to move to make a new life in Rome. A Fresh start and an adventure! Lifes too short not too.

I have an apartment (in negative equity) in England that I am renting out and I am sub letting a room from one of my italian friends close to the centre of the city.

As I am subletting I do not have any rental contract. Is this going to cause me problems in applying for residency or getting a Bank Account?

I own a Left Hand Drive 1996 Fiat Barchetta which I am driving from England on the 28th December arriving in Rome on the 31st December. My car is a UK registered/spec car so I will need to get new italian plates.
I have been advised that my car is considered a Historic car and if registered in a certain way is applicable for "substantial" insurance discounts. If anyone has any advice of that please do give me a shout!

I do not have a job lined up.. At present the only security I have is my redundancy money. I need to work out how I am going to work my finances without getting stung by exchange rates and bank fees.. Any suggestions on this would be appreciated.. Is there any Italian tax I would pay if I use my redundancy as an income? (I seriously hope not!!)

A Birmingham friend of mine has moved to Rome on a short term basis and is teaching english to the Italian Air Force so if necessary I am thinking to train for a TEFL or CECL qualification and see if I can jump on the band wagon just to tie me over.

My initial plan is to attend an italian school for a 5 week intensive (and I mean intensive!!) language course. After that I plan to see what opportunities arrise. I am determined to make this work. I absolutely love Italy but I am not blind to what the current state of the economy is.

Any help and support you can give me I would be very grateful.

Many Thanks James.

Sancho

Hi James,

Work-wise, in the longer term, with a background like yours I think you may be able to find something in IT. At first you'll just have to make do with anything you can find though - teaching (in a school if they'll take you on before you're qualified - something special that'll bring students to the school might help - like your having gone to a fancy university, or being a published poet, or being able to teach English for something in the computing world), bar-work (especially in busy periods - probably just temporary), cleaning up after the elephants in a circus, ski-instructing (good looks crucial), being a gigolo, etc.

I don't know about sublets, but googling subaffito I found this. It's a bit old but it might help. The law may have changed since then - it almost certainly has - but that doesn't mean the reality's changed.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7102707AACnYBd

Going by that, the key thing from the point of view of the law seems to be that the owner knows and agrees. If he/she does, then I can't imagine you'd have any great problem opening a bank account, etc. I'm sure a lot of subletting goes on where the owner isn't told, but I don't think I'd recommend it for a foreigner for any substantial length of time.

Good luck anyway. You come across as a sort of person that people anywhere would like, which will be a huge plus.

(And you're absolutely right not to want to harp on about the economic crisis.)


P.S. Somebody else here should be able to tell you about tax and redundancy money, and how to avoid or minimise bank-transfer charges.

37100

Hi, James and welcome. We're a pretty mixed bunch here and between us, we can usually help.

I'm in Verona and a few mnths ago we helped a Frenchman your age with IT qualifications find work. Companies do not take you seriously unless you are actually in Italy. For teaching, most people prefer TEFL, but not everyone agrees on it's utility.

I don't know much about historical cars, but someone on here probably does. I'd suggest you start with the UK association and then start a specific thread with any q's. You can drive here on UK plates for up to a year from the date of residency.

For residency, apart from a place to live -a letter from whoever you live with should be enough - you must show proof of basic funds -a UK bank account is usually enough. You will aso need to show proof of healthcare if you do not have a job. In Rome, you can by into the system at a cost of around €300 p.a., but I have no idea how it works.

AFAIK no tax is due on your redundancy pay,, but if you stay here long time you are supposed to declare foreign bank accounts. Know idea about exchange rates etc, but again, someone here will. Do a search of the forum using the search button.

Goodluck.

Garbatellamike

Hi James,

I am in Rome myself (in the Garbatella obviously) and would like to add my welcome to the forum.

First thoughts:

There are a few italian IT guys in my running club in their late 20s and they tend to struggle to find anything longer than a 6 month contract.

My OH did the 4 week CELTA course and there is plenty of work for qualified mother language TEFLs here but the pay isn't great and the hours can be a bit odd. Let me know if you want more details about what she did.

Flat sharing is very common in Rome.

Public transport is cheap and normally reliable.

If you are emotionally attached to your car you may want to invest in a box auto as banging a car door against yours or reversing into it is part of the standard parking technique in Rome.

Any questions then ask away

Giacomo

Hi Mike and everyone else,

Thank you for your replies and advice so far. Really appreciate it!

I have a room in Garbatella!! Any places you recommend for food and coffee etc?

Running club huh? where do you run and how regularly? I'm not very fit at all but Im quite keen in getting fit, making a daily routine of doing exercise..etc especially if it means meeting people and discovering my neighbourhood with the benefits of the weather!!

My intention is to make the move to Italy permanent.. a one way ticket!!
Events during the last 12 to 18 months have been leading towards me taking a different path in life.. a path which im hoping will lead to being happy (or close to it!) With out the redundancy I dont see how I would be able to make the move to Rome.

Like you say I'm open to any opportunities of making an income (legally of course!) if that means working in a bar/cafe or teaching english then I will but ideally I'd want to aim for technology/IT industry or maybe something to do with italian cars?!?.
I am also open to the idea of running my own company if I can identify a niche. The main thing for me is being passionate about whatever it is Im doing..

Bank Accounts? Can you get a bank account without getting residency? Any recommendations on which Bank to go with?

I am going to Rome on the 6th til 8th December - I'm wondering if I can do anything during that time to get the ball rolling. Signing up for Residency/Bank Accounts/Health System? etc

I already have a Codice Fiscale.. I did this via the Italian consulate in London.


Any other thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks James.

Garbatellamike

some answers in red

Giacomo

Mike/Everyone,

Whats the pro's and cons to buying into the health system or just getting health insurance?

Anyone bought a scooter? Whats the process? Obviously I need to be a resident first before considering it.. How long does the process of residency take? Is it a simple case of going into the Annagrafe (correct spelling?) and getting a certificate or will it take a few weeks to process?

I'm thinking to buy a Piaggio scooter.. I've done a CBT in England.. admittedly I dont have much bike experience but plenty of road experience. With the English CBT I can ride a 125cc with L plates.. how does it work in Italy?

My italian is pretty limited.. I can get by but need the intensive language course and total immersion to start making proper progress..

Garbatellamike

do the intensive language course mate worth it

Giacomo

Hello All! Hope your well.

Well I popped over to Rome the other weekend by plane taking 26kg's of clothes/stuff over with Monarch. It was great to be in Rome in my apartment to finally see the end goal after being delayed by 6 months due to medical issues.

I had a laugh and made friends with the Apartment block porter and met a Neopolitian couple that live in my neighborhood who helped me get a replacement car park ticket after I lost it in Euroma 2! Went for dinner with my friends at a traditional Roman restaurant in Tuscana.

I moved out of my apartment this weekend after 7 years and moved in temporarily with my Parents until I drive to Rome. Very weird!

I'm annoyingly stilll working until 27th December then driving to Rome on 28th to arrive in Rome on 31st.. What are you all doing for New Years? Any recommendations on where to go to make the most of it?? I'm guessing I ought to get to my apartment as early as possible due to traffic in and around Rome on the 31st.. I'm considering ditching my hotel stop in Milan and just driving straight from Dijon to save a day so I can rested ready to party!!! :-)


Back to organizational stuff in terms of health care, do I need to request my medical notes from my UK doctor to then give to my new Italian doctor?? How long does this take and how much does it cost?

Also my mum is disabled - does anyone know of any hotel or b&b in or around Rome that would be able to cater for her needs? She is not able to walk so requires hoists and roll in showers/wet room type facilities..

Thanks All.

linseed oil

boh

Giacomo

useful post? much?

modicasa

You cannot get residency if you are subletting a friends room. You need a contract to prove your address, unless your friend will give say that you are staying with him for as long as necessary etc, but that requires your friend to have a watertight contract that allows him to do this. Your residency will be the tricky part, and you will need this before you start on everything else. The only thing you can do in advance is get your codice fiscale from the Agenzia dell'Entrate which will take just your passport and a photocopy. You can also open a non resident bank account with an Italian bank or at the POst Office,(cheaper) which will allow you to start sorting out your affairs. As a non resident you are allowed to bring in 10.000 euros in cash into Italy. Otherwise you will need to bring in everything by bank transfer. Bring in your redundancy money as a non resident and noone can touch you, bring in large amounts of money when you are a aresident and the tax office might get interested. Good luck -

ononno

For your mum's requirements, you can try here:
www.casaperferiedonorioneroma.it

at Monte Mario. Not expensive and well equipped.

buona fortuna,
'o nonno

Lorna at Vicenza

and don't bother with your UK medical notes.
Doctors here don't keep notes and files.
If you have blood tests, x-rays etc. you go pick up the results and you take them to your GP who reads them, gives a prescription if necessary and then hands them back to you.

37100

Hey, Lorna. Our Dr now loads our test results into her computer! Progress! Maybe one day, hospitals will routinely send results to Doctors.

If you have medical issues, I'd bring UK medical notes.