Make a List: Your Road Map to Moving to Italy

Don't be intimidated by it, but use it as your road map

There are so so so many things to think about, figure out how to do and coordinate in order to get out of the country with the things that you want to take with you. I have always found that making a list, then another list and then a comprehensive list is the easiest thing for me. Making a list relaxes my brain and allows me to think linearly to start doing the things that need to happen.

My list consisted of a lot of questions that we needed to figure out. But posing the question is the first obstacle.

House stuff - I need to get rid of things that we aren't going to need in Italy - how do I do this? How are we going to ship our things? Are we going to really downsize and take minimal things? In order to answer this, I need to speak with overseas shippers. The price quotes and where I want to live are going to tell me what and how much I'm bringing with me.

Animal stuff - There was never a question that we are or are not taking the cats and dogs, so the question was - what do I need to get them legal to travel internationally? In my research and speaking with their veterinarian, it's simple, but involved. Microchips and vaccinations are the bare minimum and then a certification by the USDA as well as a signature by a USDA approved veterinarian. That's the first question you should ask the vet - are you a USDA certified veterinarian that can sign off on the needed documents for my pets to travel.

Immigration and visa - what visa are we going to apply for? A retirement visa, a self employment visa, a student visa or an employment visa? There are different requirements and restrictions for each of these and what I've mentioned is not the full list. There are many more options that you may fit into. We plan on speaking with an immigration attorney to figure out the best path for us.

US Address stuff - where do we park our address in the United States? Do we sell our house? Are we sure we are going to get our visas? It's never a sure thing, you could get denied. We spoke with our accountant and our financial advisor - we don't have a clear path on this as of yet.

Car stuff - Do we bring our cars? Do we feel comfortable enough to drive there? If we have a city apartment, do we need a car? City - no car needed, rural - need a car, or small city - probably don't need a car, but it would be helpful. This answer is also based on the living situation.

Italy stuff - you have to have an address there when you apply for any visa. A short term rental, like something you find on VRBO will not suffice. It must be a purchase, so you have to show a deed to an apartment or a house OR you have to have an approved rental contract. And you will be inspected when you get to Italy to ensure that its a real place to live. Buy or rent; whatever the case, you have to have a legal place to live.

Housing location - where do we want to live? This goes hand in hand with - 'Do I need a car?' Do I want to be in an apartment or in a small city? Do I need to be near a larger hospital or will smaller clinics be acceptable? Do I want the hustle and bustle of a big city? Most importantly - what's my budget?

Additional housing questions for yourself - what region do I want to live in? Do you love the hot and dry? Do you want to ski in the winter? Do you want a temperate climate? The farther down the boot, the hotter the climate. Because Italy has two main mountain ranges; the Alps in the north and the Alpinnes that runs down the middle, you can experience many different climates in one country.

What about the language - how much Italian will I need? Depending on where you go, you may not need much. Or, you may need some German or French because the north has a big influence of French to the west and German to the east. If you are in a 'touristy' town, you may not need as much as if you were in Turin or Bologna. In a big city, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, you'll need less Italian. In the countryside, you'll definitely need to know more Italian.

As I'm making these lists of things to consider, I wonder if I'll ever be able to answer all of the questions.

Then there is a list of 'To Do’s' when you get there, but first, let's get there.