I'm a little awed at all the paperwork people have to suffer to live in Italy.

My question is: is it possible to live in Italy without going through any of it? I could drive a car that in theory belongs to someone else and maintain that I'm just on a long holiday if ever asked.

I live as a freelancer and so don't need to work in italy and am happy to pay for private medical care or go back to the uk when needed.

Is this plan feasible?

Yes, but don't tell anyone...... Also there will eventually be tax implications, so bear that in mind too.

Without wasting too much breath: no.

Sorry about that and all, but if you chose to break the law in Italy, you stand a very good chance of getting caught - unless you are planning on living under a railway arch or in a cardboard box, say. Either live in Italy honestly or simply stay in England, is my best advice. There are just too many potential points where you could (and would) get caught. A car accident would expose your intended fraud. In fact, any immediate health problem, such as a broken limb or an illness. You won't be able to buy anything substantial either - especially not a house - or rent/hire anything. Really, the paperwork is a problem if you go into things with your eyes shut and with a "little englander" mentality. Otherwise it is just how things are here - if you don't like it, the best plan is to stay away from it.

That just isn't true! You need a codice fiscale which is really simple to get with your passport. This allows you to buy a phone, rent a house, etc. You can open a non-residents bank account which will then allow you to pay bills, have sky tv etc. With the car, I wouldn't advise driving a friends, I admit - I would either rent one as you need it or use public transport. But you can buy a brand new car without residency anyway. As an EU citizen you have the right to freedom of movement within Italy. To get residency you need health insurance etc. which is doable but you also have to consider how long you are planning on staying here. Plus, as I say, you will have tax implications at some point if you don't pay here or in the UK. I'm going to assume you were keeping a UK address etc and paying tax there. This you can do.

You can actually drive anybody's car in Italy if it has multi-driver insurance cover. Insurance is different here. Most of it is only 3rd party and it does not cover you the driver or the car. It covers your passengers - another car, its drivers and passengers.

Anybody can drive my car but if they crash it into a wall the insurance won't pay. The insurance will cover damages to another car and passengers.

If I crash my own car into a boulder the insurance will not cover it.

Fully comp is expensive here and I don't personally know anybody that has it.

My OH and I can drive each other's cars anytime and our names are not specified on each other's policies.

I'm not saying that everyone ought to just jump into and start driving any old car but insurance is different here.

Most of you must have seen banged, knocked and scraped cars here. That's because the owners can't afford to or can't be bothered to have the panels knocked back into shape and because insurance most likely does not cover damages to their own car.

I actually agree with Nardini.

Why bother coming to live here and stay without proper papers?? Okay its a hassle but most of us has been in the queue at the Questura for hours etc etc.

It actually depends where you intend to live, if like me you want to live in a small village you would be found out in about a weeks time.

I actually agree about an accident or an emergency trip to hospital you need to produce documents or if your property is broken into etc the list is endless its always documents documents documents.

You may very well get away with it but why must you always be looking over your shoulder.

What then would people consider to be the minimum necessary?

I gather that the permesso di soggiorno is no longer necessary but there exists something similar that requires registration at the anagrafe within 3 months. Is is necessary to show health insurance for this or proof of funds?

But getting a car requires residency it seems which if i understand correctly means you're supposed to pay income tax in italy?

If i were to buy a car though with an italian friend and it was offiicially in their name i would be saved the need for residency. Would such a scenario compromise them in any way?

Why is it so important to you to avoid the necessary???

Ours is complicated because of my OH not actually being a "resident" here for most of the time, and is why we haven't completed the process. I'm honestly not sure where he is resident for tax purposes!! We need to get it sorted though as I do want residency so I can have a doctor etc.

But if you don't want residency because you want to "avoid" tax then at some point you will come unstuck hugely with one of the countries you "reside" in. You might be better travelling back to the UK for the required time - more than 50% of 183 days I think, including your days of travel now, I think?

IG the process has simplified a lot but in many ways there are more obstacles like proof of income, health insurance required before residency etc. They had to simplify as making EU nationals get the PdiS was against EU rules of free travel, so they have said they can have residency with lots of BUT's.

All of your questions are answered for you on the British Embassy website for Italy - just take a look.

You need a codice fiscale, which you will have to show your passport for.

You will need to apply for residency - residenza - at the local council offices - municipio. You can also buy a "pack" at the local post office, if you are so inclined.

The rules for residency include you having; a) a job in Italy, or; b) sufficient income to support yourself.

If you are employed, your payment of tax, etc. will allow you to use the Italian health service. Otherwise, you will need to have (and prove you have) private health care provisions for yourself.

If you have any other family members with you, the same rules will apply to them also.

Once you have residency granted, you can get your health card and register with a doctor. Otherwise, you are a tourist and can only use medical care facilities if your have your European Health Card - and only for 6 months from the date of your entry.

Don't forget that if your stay is for more than a couple of weeks, you must register at the police station local to you.

That is the minimum. There is not a love of foreigners that try to avoid the Italian system at the present time, so be very careful. Mi raccamando!

Finally, to TestaRossa - I hope that you too are properly registered for tax purposes and have legal residency here as the penalties are very high these days - especially, as I said before, for foreigners.

Thanks for all the advice.

Is it really necessary to become resident though?

What if i just made the (what's it called?) attestato di soggiorno, the thing that replaced the old permesso?

Think about it for a moment. Residency means that you have an address, OK? I think that should answer your question. I said earlier that the only way to avoid it would be to live under a railway arch - but, if you get caught you would go to prison first, followed by expulsion from Italy. Not worth the game, old chap!

Nardini - where do you get the idea that the only way to have an address is through residency?! What about people who buy holiday homes here? They don't give up their residency in country of origin! All you need to rent a house is a codice fiscale - some landlords actively discourage residency because of the rights this confers on their renters under Italian law. And no, you don't go to prison or get expelled!! This is rubbish, I'm sorry. You will probably get fined and that could be pretty bad, but you are not expelled - Lega Nord were stopped by Brussels recently from introducing a law to enable Italy to throw out immigrants who could not prove they were able to financially keep themselves, so you are just wrong.

Your in another country do the decent thing and play by their rules!

Thanks, Testarossa, for the intelligent response.