Moving to Italy: Everything you need to know

Maybe you’re being transferred for your job, or maybe you’ve just always dreamed about the land of pizza, pasta and parmesan cheese (understandably). Either way, you’re moving to Italy! Congratulations! It’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and you definitely won’t tire of the views across endless countryside.

But now the decision’s been made… how do you actually go about putting things into action? Apparently, eating a lot of pizza and pasta doesn’t actually make you Italian (can we be honorary Italians?), but luckily, Italy seems to be the destination of choice for many of our customers – and having lived in Italy myself, I reckon UPakWeShip has got you covered on your need-to-knows.

The North versus the South

Italy may be small in comparison to the US, but there’s a significant variation in climate, people and culture from the north to the south of the country. Ask any Italian, once you’ve chosen your allegiance to the North or South, there’s no going back – so choose wisely!

In the North, you have the infamous Verona, Bologna, and Milan, three fantastic cities which also happen to be hubs for businesses and export production. Ideal for those wanting to immerse themselves in the Italian culture and language, Northern Italians are extremely proud, and you can expect to find a lot of influence from neighboring France, Switzerland and Austria.

The South of the country has a much warmer climate, particularly in winter, than the North. However, this does mean Southern Italy is a hotbed of tourists from all over the world – and as home to the Amalfi Coast, who can blame them? Southerners are generally regarded to be more friendly than their Northern counterparts, with many comparing Southern Italy to Greece or Spain.

Finding a Home

The chances are, most US citizens moving to a foreign country will be renting first, to get a feel of their new home. In Italy, (and in a lot of other European countries) realtors won’t update their website at the same rate we’re used to.

This means you’ll have to do some real-life interaction and a little waiting around. On top of this, Italian landlords don’t register to just one real estate agency, so you may see the same property across multiple agencies, which means your property could disappear at any moment!

Even if you’re renting a property, the chances are you’ll want a few home comforts, which is why it’s so important to research and find a moving company before you go, to ensure your belongings get to your new home in one piece.

Ensure Your Drivers License is Valid

The good news is, as a US Citizen, you are able to drive in Italy… the bad news is, on a US License, that only lasts a year. After one year of being a resident in Italy, you’ll need to retake the driver’s test in, yep, Italian.

Your US license will be valid for one year from the day you register your request to become a US resident, which makes it extremely important to get onto booking your test and/or lessons. Hey, at least it’s on the right side of the road, right?

Find a Mover

There are a lot of US shipping sites out there, which can make the process daunting. So many of us at UPakWeShip have moved overseas before, we actually know firsthand! This is why our company prides itself on being customer-oriented, and with offices in Europe you can be safe in the knowledge we’ll look after your belongings from A-B. To help you make your choice, we’ve devised a checklist for you to ask your mover.

Don’t forget, if you’re looking to move to Europe, it’s important to find a reliable international mover to take you through the paces of emigrating.