The Relocation Checklist for Moving to Italy on a Work Visa

A move to Italy has two tracks running in parallel: the permit track, which your employer leads, and the life track, which is yours. People who keep both moving arrive calmer and start work sooner. This checklist is organised by time, so you can tick it off as you go.

Ninety days before  

• Confirm the route. Blue Card or quota permit. Read visa routes and ask the employer for the gross annual salary in euros.
• Confirm the employer in Italy. If the company has no Italian entity, an Employer of Record will sign your contract and sponsor the permit. Send the company this page .
• Order documents. Degree certificates, transcripts, experience letters, marriage and birth certificates. Ask for legalisation or apostille and plan certified Italian translations. For degrees, consider a CIMEA comparability statement.
• Check your passport. Validity and blank pages. Consulates have their own rules; the Embassy in Beijing, for instance, asks for a passport issued less than ten years ago with at least two blank pages.
• Talk to your family. Decide whether they come with you or follow. If they follow, start their documents now too.

Sixty days before  

• Contract review. Read the Italian contract: role, level, CCNL, salary, hours, probation, notice. Ask about anything that is unclear. The salary written here is the one the permit relies on.
• Budget the first month. Deposit and first rent, temporary accommodation, travel, appointments. Rental deposits in Italy can be several months of rent; ask your employer about relocation support.
• Think about the city. Commute, schools, cost of living. See choosing a city .

Thirty days before  

• Consular appointment. As soon as the nulla osta is issued, book the visa appointment. The nulla osta has a limited life for the visa application.
• Temporary housing. Book a furnished flat or residence for the first weeks. Keep the booking confirmation: consulates ask for proof of accommodation.
• Banking at home. Tell your bank you are moving, keep one home account open, and check card fees abroad.
• Health. Bring prescriptions and a summary of any ongoing treatment, translated if possible, for your new family doctor.

The first week in Italy  

• Sign the stay contract with your employer at the immigration desk.
• Submit the residence permit application and keep the receipt.
• Get or confirm your tax code.
• Give your employer your Italian address and phone number.
• Open an Italian or EU bank account for your salary.

Our first-weeks guide explains each step.

The first month  

• Attend the Questura appointment for fingerprints.
• Sign a long-term lease and register your residence at the municipal registry.
• Enrol in the national health service and choose a family doctor.
• Check your first payslip: gross pay, contributions, tax, net pay. We walk you through it.
• If your family is following, start the reunification file once housing is in place.

Things people forget  

• A local SIM card early on: Italian offices often call or text.
• Copies of every document, on paper and in a cloud folder.
• The expiry date of the permit in your calendar.
• Driving: check whether and for how long your licence is valid in Italy, and when you need to convert it.
• Your home-country tax position after you leave; ask an adviser there.

The role of your employer  

As your Italian employer we lead the permit track, sign the stay contract, set up payroll and track the permit renewal. We can also take on the life track through our relocation service: tax code, housing search, health service and bank account, quoted per case.

Ask us for a relocation plan with dates for your case.

Edge cases  

Do I need an international driving permit? Rules depend on your licence and country. Check before you arrive, and do not drive on an expired entitlement.

Should I ship furniture? Most people ship personal items and buy furniture locally. Furnished flats are common in big cities.

When should my family arrive? Usually after you have a long-term lease and the reunification conditions are met. Read bringing your family to Italy .

What should I keep in my carry-on? Passport with visa, nulla osta copy, degree and civil certificates with translations, the employment contract, the accommodation booking and any medical prescriptions. These are the documents the first appointments ask for.

Who pays for what? Agree it with the company employing you before you book anything. Flights, temporary housing and document costs are common relocation items; see building a relocation package .