Moving to Italy is now as easy as securing sponsorships from local communities. Towns throughout Italy are in a race to come up with clever schemes aimed at luring new residents to revive their local economies in recent years.
Related article: Immigrants say moving to Portugal was done in less than 14 days
Related article: Moving to Denmark for free
With incentive schemes that ranges from dilapidated homes selling for as little as a dollar, in some cases more, to ready-to-occupy houses at hugely discounted prices, there’s been a fever pitch frenzy of competition.
In this article, we will highlight a town looking to sponsor people thinking of moving to Italy to the tune of 30,000 euros to take up residency in their community. We will also chronicle the right visa category to apply for as well as other permits that might be required.
Moving To Italy By Way Of Presicce
Located in the sunny region of Puglia, the scenic town of Presicce is the latest to throw their hat into the ring of regions in Italy looking to attract professionals to help boost the economy of their local communities.
In a recent interview conducted on CNN, officials say they will pay people up to 30,000 euros (roughly $32,000) to buy an empty tenant housing and take up residency. In fact, it gets better, these units of real estate included in the deal are priced around the 25,000-euro mark with some even lower.
Just like many other cheap properties on sale across Italy, most of which have been long abandoned by their original owners. And if that is not enough, the incredible location in which the town is situated is an added bonus, because it is surrounded by the nature, which typifies the Salento area in the heel of Italy’s boot and close to the powder beaches and turquoise clear waters of Santa Maria di Leuca.
Moving To Italy With Incentives
This cash incentive scheme is seen by the authorities in Presicce as a means of invigorating the already depopulated town with fresh blood, since it has been discovered that newborns are fewer each year.
According to the local councilor Alfreido Palese; “there are many empty homes in the historical center built before 1991 which we would like to see alive again with new residents, it is a pity witnessing how our old districts full of history, wonderful architecture and art are slowly emptying.”
It is important to state that the details of the deal are currently being finalized, Palese adds, but authorities are ready to launch applications in upcoming weeks when information will be available on the town hall website.
“We will be offering up to 30,000 euros to people willing to move here and buy one of these abandoned dwellings,” he says. “The total funding will be split in two: it will go partly into buying an old home and partly into restyling it, if needed.”
The Product Of Moving To Italy As A Result Of A Merger
Palese pointed out that a 2019 merger with an adjacent community to create the larger town of Presicce-Acquarica has bequeathed it with extra money to ensure the project can continue for years to come. Making for scheme with longevity.
According to Palese; “After the merger, as per Italian law, our wider territory will be blessed with more public funds, roughly 1,000,000 euros per year for several years forward, which we intend to invest to revitalize the old district.”
A merger of both Presicce and Acquarica now boast some 9,000 inhabitants, however only half of the population live in the older part of the community. In addition to this incentive program, the town hall has already launched other schemes to lure more residents, including tax benefits to set up new business activities and baby bonuses for families with kids.
To be eligible for the 30,000-euro incentive, potential buyers must take up residency in Presicce and purchase one of a selection of properties built before 1991, which have been mapped by the authorities. According to Palese, house prices start at 500 euros per square meter.
Around 25,000 euros should be enough to secure a 50-square-meter dwelling in need of some repairs.
Why Persicce Is The Best Destination For People Moving To Italy
The history of Presicce can be traced to the Middle Ages, when settlements spread out around a Saracen fortress built by monks who dug crypts and underground olive mills as shelters for pirate raid survivors.
Gaining its reputation as Puglia’s “city of green gold” for lush olive groves that yield premium extra virgin olive oil, flourishing during the Renaissance as a prosperous fiefdom also known for its fine wine, cheeses and cattle trade.
By digging caves into the Presicce’s rocky terrain, many locals were able to inhabit underground areas. However, underneath the main piazzas and lavish Baroque palazzos lies a network of 23 secret chambers and olive mills in which farmers, known as trappettari, spent months during harvest season, pressing olives in stone mills pushed by donkeys.
It is worth mentioning that many historical buildings have private access to underground chambers where massive mills still stand. Guided tours through the subterranean city are a tourist highlight. Presicce is simply paradise on earth.
Wide elegant streets are crisscrossed by winding narrow alleys, which can be found in ancient districts. Stately decorated gold-colored buildings with wrought-iron balconies and inner courtyards mingle with simple white dwellings.
There are frescoed palazzos, chapels and votive columns built by the rich rural bourgeoisie out of white-reddish rock. The old courtyards are typical abodes located in two picturesque neighborhoods of the old center called Corciuli and Padreterno with private gardens, subterranean mills, citrus trees and exotic plants.
The best of rural Puglia can be found in the countryside, which showcases ancient solitary dome-shaped stone chapels, olive groves with massive twisted tree trunks, byzantine crypts, purplish dry stone walls and fortified masserie rural farms where peasant families once lived under the protection of powerful lords to escape pirate attacks.
Different routes for both trekkers and bikers unwind through bucolic scenery which is laced with sheep-grazing fields and abandoned stone forts. Salento’s pristine coastline, running between the seaside locations of Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca, is a stone’s throw away.
There’s something for everyone upon touching the town of Persicce after moving to Italy, because In addition to the tours of the subterranean oil mills and festivals with olive oil and food tastings, there are a host of other attractions such as a museum of peasant civilization, which showcases objects from the past.
And then there is the food, such as the Presicce’s fried fish delicacies, linked to the cult of Saint Andrew, are a gourmand specialty, alongside the iconic handmade pastas, orecchiette and strascinate. Other local delicacies include pittule leavened pasta pancakes stuffed with shrimps, cod, vegetables – or made alla pizzaiola, with olives, capers and cherry tomatoes.
The Best Visa Category For Moving To Italy
Individuals interested in moving to Italy to take up opportunities in Persicce are advised to apply for a National or D-Visa, which is a long stay visa. This is an entrance visa, which only confers on immigrants the ability to enter Italy. A residence permit application still needs to be submitted.
Those interested in applying for an Italian work visa, must first qualify that people from their country are eligible to apply. That’s because the Italian government only accepts work permit applications for a few months every one or two years, depending on Italy’s job market and the state of immigration.
Added to this is the fact that there is also a set quota of how many work permits Italy will issue. This is called a Decreto Flussi (translating to “flow decree”). The Decreto Flussi opened in April in the year 2019, and the Italian government set a quota of 30,850 work permits. Which was the same as in 2018.
Through the Decreto Flussi, the Italian government issues work permits for seasonal and non-seasonal workers. All foreigners on a D-visa, must apply for their residence permit within 8 days of entering Italy.
Italian Work Permit
In Italy, the employer is responsible for applying for work permits, also known locally as Nulla Osta al lavoro. This usually can be done by submitting the appropriate documents at their province’s (Preffetura’s) Immigration Office.
It is worthy of note that the Italian government also issues work permits for foreign nationals who are already living in Italy and want to convert their current student or training residence permit into a work residence permit.
How To Get An Italian Work Visa And Permit Before Moving To Italy
EU citizens are exempt from some of these requirements, all they need do is turn up with proper up to date identity documents showing that they are from an European economic area member country and they are free to get work in any province or city in Italy.
However, foreign nationals need to be accepted by an Italian employer before moving to Italy and ensure that other conditions such as being within the quota system for foreigners to be granted work permit, before applying for an Italy work visa.
Getting a residence permit, which confers on the applicant the right to live and work in Italy long term is a 2-part process;
The first involves finding an Italian employer who is willing to hire the applicant as well as apply for a work permit on behalf of the potential recipient (it is vital that they apply for the work authorization in Italy). Only after an employer receives the successful applicant’s work permit and sends it to him/her, can they:
Apply for an Italy Work Visa at the Italian consulate in the applicant’s home country. Upon receiving an Italy work visa, then successful beneficiaries can;
Enter Italy and apply for a Residence Permit to be allowed to stay and work in the country legally.
In addition, you only have a short window of time during which you can apply for an Italian Work Visa. The Italian Government also sets out yearly quotas in regards to how many non-EU citizens they will issue work visas to.
Italy Residence Permit
Upon arriving Italy within the first 8 days, beneficiaries of an Italy work visa must pick up their application kit for Italian residency at a local post office. More specifically, at the Sportello Amico of a post office (ufficio postale or Poste Italiane) of the designated city in which you want to live.
It is worthy of note that not all post offices offer application kits for Italian residence permits. The right post offices that offer this service can be located by using the Sportello Amico counter. The application kit is contained in an envelope with the required forms that you must fill out.
How To Complete And Submit A Residence Permit After Moving To Italy
After receiving the application kit that contains the residence permit application form, it has to be comprehensively filled. These forms are all in Italian, so potential applicants have to be ready to interpret them to supply appropriate information.
As soon as the Italian residence permit application is filled, a Marca da Bollo stamp has to be purchased, this has to be attached to the application before submitting. This is a “duty stamp” which you can find at a tabaccheria.
The Marca da Bollo stamp is application kit sensitive, the kind indicated must be purchased. The stamp cost roughly €16.
When all the forms contained in the application kit are comprehensively filled and accompanied with the appropriate supporting documents. They must all be submitted at the nearest Sportello Amico, usually in the one in which it was collected in the first place.
It is not compulsory to submit original documents, however it is advisable to go with original documents just in case an official requires to see them before collecting the photocopies. It is also vital that applicants avoid signing their application forms or sealing up the envelope.
This is because completed application forms are subject to review by designate officers at submission point, so in order to avoid starting the process all over again, when a mistake is noticed. This protocol must be adhered to.
After submission, an appointment date will be given for when applicants will have to come to the local police headquarters (Questura) for the second part of your Italian residence permit application.
A receipt which doubles as a temporary residence permit, due to the fact that local police appointment usually takes 1-2 months. This receipt must be kept safely, in event that someone asks to see your residence permit, this informs them that you are in the process of getting one.
When you submit an application for a residence permit, both at the post office and Questura, you need to have several supporting documents.
What Documents Do You Require For Your Italy Residence Permit?
There are strict document requirements that must be met before an Italy residence permit can be processed and issued to potential applicants. These includes;
- Four passport-size pictures in line with Italy visa photo
- A valid passport
- Documents related to the reason the applicant is in Italy, such as a work permit or enrollment in school.
- All the supporting documents the applicant submitted when he/she applied for an Italian long-term visa in your home country.
- Proof of health insurance.
There are cases, in which beneficiaries may be eligible for free health service, while in others, an annual fee might be required. An application process for an Italian health insurance can be started by registering at the nearest Local Health Agency (Azienda Sanitaria Locale).
It is important to be mindful that all required documents to be submitted must be in original and photocopy. Originals will be submitted at the local police station (Questura) and photocopies at the post office.
It must be emphasized that the type of residence permits potential applicants receive depends on the reason for their stay in Italy, meaning, on the type of long-stay visa you have.
Residence Permit Validity For People Moving To Italy
Italian residence permits can be issued with validity periods of up to six months, one year, or two years, this depends on the type of permit a beneficiary has. For instance:
- An Italian residence permit for seasonal work is valid for six months.
- An Italian residence permit for seasonal work in specific sectors is valid for nine months.
- An Italian residence permit for studying is valid for one year.
- An Italian residence permit for family reunification, employment or self-employment is valid for two years.
Renewing An Italy Residence Permit
All Italy residence permits are renewable. Of course, this depends on the type of permit the beneficiary receives. Thus;
- Italian residence permits of up to six months must be renewed at least 30 days before it expires.
- Italian residence permits valid for 1 year must be renewed at least 90 days before it expires.
- Italian residence permits valid for 2 years must be renewed at least 90 days before it expires.
There is no difference in the process for residence permit renewal, as both that for renewal and first application follow the same procedure. Thus, an application kit is required from the post office, which must be completed and submitted before a police appointment can be scheduled after which a new Permesso di soggiorno card will be issued to successful applicants.
It is vital that applicants do not leave Italy while their residence permit is in the process of being renewed.
Permanent Residence Permit After Moving To Italy
After moving to Italy and staying there for at least 5 years with a temporary residence permit, foreigners can apply for an Italian Permanent Residence Permit. This grants beneficiaries similar rights to Italian citizens, such as being able to live and work in other EU countries without a visa or work permit.
They also become eligible to receive state benefits, like maternity or disability benefits. Plus, after living with an Italian permanent residence permit for ten years, permanent residents are able to apply for Italian Citizenship.
Conclusion
A combination of Presicce and Acquarica are offering up to €30,000 in sponsorship packages to foreigners thinking of moving to Italy from any part of the world. There is also an added incentive of affordable housing.
However, to relocate to any one of these towns in Italy, interested applicants will have to secure work with an Italian employer, after which they’ll have to apply and be granted an Italy work visa. Upon moving to Italy, a probational period of 8 days is given to apply for an Italy residence permit.
As soon as all the documents are submitted and payments are made, the receipt issued can be used as a temporary residence permit, and must be safely kept. These communicates to inspecting officers that an Italian residence permit is being processed.
Italy residence permit, depending on the category, must be regularly renewed on time or previous beneficiaries risk their residency status being revoked. Foreigners who have successfully stayed in Italy for up to 5 years can apply for permanent residency.
Are you thinking of moving to Italy? Are the towns of Presicce and Acquarica attractive propositions for you?
2 Responses