You will find many places around the world where Americans are flocking to go live and retire. The good thing about this recent trend of Americans living in the United States is that there are a lot of options to choose from.
When you are researching what is the best place around the world you don’t have to limit your option to one country or even one continent, there are enough countries that are more than happy to make it easy for Americans to live there and help them obtain residency.
Of course, some are easier to obtain a residency than others. Some countries have very relaxed immigration laws where just by buying a house you automatically qualify for a permanent residency.
Others countries, mostly in Europe, make is a little bit more hard for Americans to obtain a residency. Still, Americans have been coming to Europe in packs to enjoy the old continent and get a breath of fresh air.
One of the most popular countries that have been receiving Americans left and right is Italy. Italy is a beautiful country with a wide and diverse landscape that has something to offer anybody, and with a little time and money, you can become a permanent resident and an eventual citizen in the country.
The first thing you should know before looking into living in Italy is that Italy considers everybody who lives there for under 3 months a visitor. It doesn’t matter what you are doing in the country, study, retire, research, etc.
If your application is approved you are given a Permesso di Soggiorno, which translates to a permit to stay. The Permesso di Soggiorno has a duration of five years and can be renewed if you maintain the same condition in the country.
After the five years, the applicant can apply for a Permanent Residency. It is important to note that the applicant must not be convicted of any crime and must be in good standing with the authorities.
A Permanent Residency has a duration of 2 to 5 years depending on your reason for being in Italy. To maintain your permanent residency status you must live in Italy for a period of 6 months and one day, this is nonnegotiable.
Being a permanent resident in Italy has certain advantages. You get to be a member of the European Union, it makes it easier for you to buy a house or start a business in the country, and you get various tax benefits such as a reduced payment of a 4% tax on the purchase of a house and the reduced payment of other municipal taxes.
On March 10, 2012, a decree was released stating that all American Citizens who requested a permit of stay for a period of more than 12 months are required to sign an integration agreement at the police headquarters.
I hope you’ve found this article on how to get residency in Italy to be helpful. For more information, or for assistance with any second passport program, please contact us below by filling out the form, Thank you. We’ll be happy to assist you with a second passport from any country in the world.