Cassius

Having started to read various books on Living and Working in Italy my head is now spinning with the various pieces of paper you need to live and the different things you need to do.

Is the 'real' situation as complicated as it seems to be on paper? I've read you have to check in with the local police if you are there for more than 8 days and not staying in a hotel!!! Does anyone actually follow all these rules and regulations?

If we do decide to just 'go' to live full time - what would you regard as the absolute necessary paperwork to concentrate on first, and what can be left until the dust has settled a bit?

I have a code fiscale and a bank account - what should I apply for next and can I go to the local commune for this or would I need to go to a larger centre?

Any help in lessening the whirling in my head would be gratefully received - although if in all honesty it is as complicated as the books make out, best to know in advance so I can pack some tranquilizers!!

richeller

I am by no means an expert as I am currently seeing an immigration lawyer to try to stay here!!!! (But I am Australian so I am not EU)
All I can say is that the new government is really cracking down on people being here illegally. You need to go line up at the questura (for about 2 hours) early in the morning to get your permesso di soggiorno, but first you need to go to the post office and get a 'busta' for the permesso di soggiorno (basically an envelope with a kit of very complicated and lengthy documents......... if you are not fluent you WILL need some italian help) It all depends on the area you live, but just go and see your local commune first and they will tell you what you need.

sandyz

I've lived in Rome for the last few years and I've never applied for a permesso di soggiorno, or a codice fiscale. I work from home and am paid in the UK. I hope you really don't need this stuff!

chris120

If you are an EU citizen you don't need a permesso di soggiorno you just need to go and register at the commune, i know of no-one that has registered from an hotel address.

If you have lived here for years in Italy you should pay tax in Italy (even if you are paid in the UK by a UK company) you need a codici fiscale to do this. By not paying taxes you are running a severe risk - fines, expulsion and possibly worse. Go see a commercial advisor and sort it out. Italy has a world wide income, self assessment tax regime, just like the UK. The onus is on you to file tax returns correctly not on the state to find you out.

Sophia1

Hi Guys

Sorry to be a bore with this, but I have searched for some time now and getting nowhere

I am looking to rent for a year preferably in Napoli but all I seem to get on search engines is holiday rentals with extortionate prices per week.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Patty

Hi Sophia
You probably need to look at 2 things : the local newspapers from Naples and look up the "affitto" column (renting) and also maybe look up estate agents online and then again look under the "affitto" section.
To find the estate agents look up the Yellow pages (pagine gialle) for Naples and then agenzie immobiliare.

Sophia1

Hi Patty

Thank you very much, I think we will probably end up going out there some time next month as it is just impossible trying to find properties to rent, plenty of them for sale.

Regards

Sophia

Patty

Probably the best idea - alot of places to rent dont advertise except for putting a card outside the house or block of flats. Look out for the bright coloured cards with "Affittasi" on.
Good luck

Sophia1

Hi Patty

Thanks very much for your advice, really did not think it would be so difficult finding property.

Sophia

Kenny and Moe

Hi All,
I am well surprised that Lorna from Vincenza has not jumped on this subject, she gave me some great advice in a post sometime in June. Basically the envelope thing from the Post office is now defunct for EU members. A trip to the local commune to register and a visit from the police to check you live where you say you do is about all that is needed, however I have my appointment (Yes an appointment) next week for residency business so will let you know how it goes and any other bits of useful information. I have to take my Passport, prove of income, (bank statement) and a letter from my employer. Will keep you all posted.
Sophia - I live just outside Naples and there are lots of rentals all over the place but advertised locally. My wife works alongside an Italian who has an english speaking estate agent wife, send me a PM and I will try and get you some information, Let me know what you are looking for if you are not sorted already
Regards Kenny

Alan1963

Hi Everyone,

I'm not sure about any of it any more as the laws seem to change like the weather.

We have lived here for 2 years and have residency, although our commune was a little reluctant at first because they though that the UK wasn't in the EU (because they don't use the €) after a chat with our lawyer, they were convinced and the local police popped round to make sure we were living where we said we were and a couple of weeks later everything was sorted.

Now...

2 years down the line. We work for a company who has just set on an English fella with a 2 year contract and he has had to apply for permesso di sogiorno (permission to stay)

So in my humble opinion, the best thing is to get a good lawyer and ask them to sort it for you, that way you're up to date with the legislation.

Best

ballerina

Hello Cassius,

For what my opinion is worth, I read all those same books just before I moved to Italy, the most recently published ones.. and I found that everything had changed by the time I got there! And I suppose it depends on what sort of work you want to do etc, if you want to rent or buy, what kind of rental (with contract/without) whether or not you really need all the papers. For example, I managed fine for 2 years without a permesso.

I did get a codice fiscale, which i never used (only when I bought a mobile phone!) but never got around to the permesso becuae it all changed and the British Embassy didn't even have a clue what to advise me! Spent hours queuing up at the Questura only to be told I didn't need a permesso (?) then got the Post Office forms, only to be too confused about which permesso I needed! Even my Italian friends couldn't work out the forms (but maybe they were just thick lol)

you say you already have a bank account, I assume an Italian account? If so, well done! And how did you do it? because I could never get one as I didn't have a bustapaga (payslip, i was paid cash in hand) and my name wasn't on the tenancy agreements (because I couldn't get a tenancy contract without a bustapaga AND because everyone i asked about it wanted to charge me 30% more rent if I wanted a contract!!!)

So I suppose the long and the short of it: If you can cope with living and working on a casual basis (no proper contracts etc) then you could by the same token get by without the permesso etc.

I wouldn't recommend that as a way of life though, and if you can get legit work and accommodation, your time will, I am sure, be much more stress free. One would hope!!

Good luck!

Cassius

Hi Ballerina

Thank you for your reply. I already own a house and got the bank account with the aid of my estate agents as obviously I needed to transfer money over to pay for the house and the fees.

I am seriously considering doing a TEFL course so that I can teach English over there - not my first choice of career, but living close to University towns means that the work is there.

I am not very good at not doing 'the right thing' - I can't even go on a train without buying a ticket, not only do I feel guilty but I am sure I am going to get caught - therefore I would rather get it right for my peace of mind as much as anything.

ballerina

That is a whole different kettle of fish then if you have actually bought a place! And will probably be a lot easier if you are not having to deal with 'furbi' landlords!!

I was exactly the same when I was in Rome (I'm in London for a bit at the mo) and tried to do as much as possible by the book (although I was working cash in hand, and living without a permesso!!) and I just knew that the day i stepped on to a bus without a ticket I'd get caught!

So, if you have your own place you will need to go down to the commune to start the ball rolling.

As for teaching English, depending on where you will be working, it may be an idea to get the CELTA certificates rather than TEFL - it seems to be a bit more official - it was definitely the preferred certificate when i was teaching English in Rome! Teaching doesn't pay a great deal and I found it very boring and extremely time consuming. However, you'd make more teaching privately, although there are tons of people advertising their mother tongue skills so there is a lot of competition.

Kenny and Moe

Hi All,
Quick update with regards to my application for Residency.
I went to the commune with a copy of my passport, a pay statement from my employer, my contract for my house (which was dated three years ago, long before I got here!) and a letter from my employer. The nice man at the commune completed the application form, I gave him my wifes name and that of my parents and that was it, he seemed very happy. I was not asked for Codice Fiscale or Italian bank account details, of which I have both.

I now await the visit from the Polizia Municipale to verify I live where I say (the man at the commune even noted on the paperwork that we both work all day so a visit in the day is useless).

I have to ring back mid September to check progress. So far so good.

Regards to all