Live and work in Italy
If you have already
been to Italy a few times and fallen in love with
the country (as it is so easy to do), perhaps
you have decided to move there, on a temporary
or permanent basis. For us Brits, this is much
easier to achieve than it is for the extracommunitari
(non EU members): because both Italy and the UK
are members of the European Union, we are allowed
to go and settle in Italy without any special
paperwork. However, moving to Italy is not a project
to be undertaken lightly. Depending on your situation,
you need to consider jobs, housing, schools, language
and potential culture clash. Living in Italy can
be a joy or it can be a bit of a nightmare if
you are not prepared for the cultural differences
and red tape.
Jobs
Although British
people are free to work in Italy without permits
or complications, in practice it is not always
easy to find a job. Ideally, get yourself an Italian
posting within the company that already employs
you. If this is not possible or if you want to
change your lifestyle, by all means arrive in
Italy and look for a job. Particularly if you
speak the
language, you will almost certainly find something,
although not necessarily the type of job you had
in mind.
As a UK subject,
you will not need a work permit but you will require
a codice fiscale
(equivalent to a National Insurance number) and,
if you are planning to stay more than a year,
a partita IVA
(equivalent to VAT registration).
If you are not transferring
within your organisation, a useful thing to do
before you go to Italy is to contact the Chamber
of Commerce in the city or town you are aiming
to live in and ask them to send you a list of
British companies operating in that region. In
Milan, for example, this is a thick volume - and
it includes the language schools that teach English
as a foreign language. You can send your CV and
a covering letter to any organisations that look
hopeful and then ring them up when you arrive
in Italy. People do find jobs this way but it
is unpredictable and you would be wise, if you
are going to do this, to make sure you have access
to enough money to live on for two or three months
in case you can't find work immediately.
If you want to live
and work in Italy, a good way to do this is to
become an English language teacher. Comparatively
few foreigners speak Italian and English is, as
we all know, the international language these
days. The Italians are great entrepreneurs and
there is huge demand to learn English. It is hard
work but extremely rewarding and it provides regular
opportunities for meeting new people. While it
is not always necessary to have an internationally
recognised qualification, you do need to know
what you are doing and a certificate is definitely
a help. And while it is not actually necessary
to speak
Italian in order to teach English to Italians,
you will find it much easier if you know where
your students are coming from and why they make
the mistakes they do.
Somewhere to live
In many Italian
cities, there is a shortage of accommodation and
it is certainly much more difficult to find somewhere
to rent quickly in Italy than it is in the UK.
Unless you know people who can help you, a great
deal of it is luck and, again, it is sensible
to take enough money that you can stay in a cheap
hotel until you find yourself a flat. Have a look
at Secondamano
(equivalent of Loot) to see what is on offer.
If you are thinking
of buying a property in Italy, make sure you get
expert legal support from a local lawyer because
there are many traps for the unwary. Be patient
and careful… it will be worth it in the
end.
Schools
There are several
international (English-speaking) schools in Italy,
particularly in Milan and Rome. However, depending
on your circumstances and how long you are planning
to stay in Italy, going to an Italian school may
be an excellent opportunity for your children
to learn to speak Italian like natives.
Language
Although, even in
the smaller towns, most Italians speak at least
some English, it is definitely a good idea for
you to learn
Italian before you move to Italy. You will
get immeasurably more out of your life there;
it is very difficult to be really involved if
you don't speak the language and it is, if we
are honest, a bit rude to expect the natives to
speak English to us all the time.
Potential culture clash
We may all be Europeans
but Italians are different from British people.
Some differences you may find charming and wonderful,
others you may find intensely irritating. That
is expatriate life. If you don't expect everybody
to behave as people do in Britain and just go
with the flow, you will find most Italians welcoming
and friendly. Italy is a fantastic place to live
but just remember that you are abroad and they
do things differently there.
For more information about settling in Italy,
you may like to consult The
Informer.
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