Relocating to Sicily
 

Hi everyone

I have just joined this forum to try to get answers to questions about moving to Italy.
I have a lot of things I would like to understand so will ask them one question at a time.
I have done some Google research but can't find all the answers I require.

I have a UK passport and am considering moving to Sicily.
I am retired and currently living in Lithuania with my Wife Dalia.
She is a Lithuanian citizen.
Am I correct in understanding that I am able to live in another EU country as a spouse of an EU citizen and what are the criteria for this?

Thanks
Andy

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

Yes, as an EU member state she can move there and become resident. Her spouse qualifies, as her spouse as for residency.

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

Yes you would qualify, but will still need a permesso di soggiorno - whilst your wife will not.

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

You should have been able to find plenty answers on this subject with google searches.
However, you can hear it all from horses mouth at https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizen...e/index_en.htm .

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

Italy doesn't always follow those EU rules. They just make the laws up in some places. When I wanted a long term visa after 5 years of residency the application was rejected. The clerk said that I had to show 5 years of employment.(She knew I wasn't working).

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

That is not really true, Italy has to follow EU law.
However, what you experienced (and many other) in Mediterranean countries, is civil servants making up laws as they go.
Especially when they dont know details about specific law, they feel free to make up their own interpretation of law. Why? Because there is zero accountability.
Practice is same here in PT, too often.

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

There were very nice ladies who worked in my Commune office when I lived in Italy.You could ask them all the same question and you would get three different answers .I too wanted my 5 year residency certificate I ended up refereeing the three of them as they all had different opinions as to which documents I needed. I had gone in just before my five years in order to get a definitive list -some hope.

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

It was similar in my village. The clerk said she wasn't sure but she knew a woman in another small comune 20miles away who knew the law inside out. The question was asked and after 2 weeks the answer came back in the negative.

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

In my experience its because once they have the job, any idea of learning anything new is anathema. I found that printing off the correct circular from the Ministry and citing the Gazetta Ufficiale usually worked wonders - after all they'd never read it, and its on headed paper so it must be true.

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

Thank you all for your replies.
As a follow up question, If i have permanent residency in Lithuania would I be able to relocate to Italy alone and obtain residency without the 90 day rule.

Re: Relocating to Sicily
 

No. Residency of one EU country does not entitle us to residency in a different EU country.

Assuming you have an Article 50 visa, On the day Brexit came into force, we became landlocked to the country that issued it, unless we qualified for a different kind of visa in the new country. But the Article 50 visa is not transferable between EU countries. At this time.