If you are an EU citizen and you are planning on moving to Italy and 
purchasing or renting a property there, this article will provide you with information regarding a number of aspects that are related to living in Italy and purchasing or renting real estate. As an EU citizen you can work, study and reside anywhere in the Europe Union without any restrictions. However, if you are planning on moving to Italy there are a few rules to follow based on the time you plan on staying in the country. More specifically, if you decide to stay in Italy for less than 3 months you do not need to fulfil any formalities, however, you will need a valid passport or an identity card to travel to Italy. On the other hand, if you would like to stay in Italy for longer than 3 months you will need to
register with the registry office (Ufficio Anagrafe) in the municipality in Italy where you intend to reside, and you will need to provide
information regarding the reason for your stay. If you would like to establish legal residency in Italy you can file an application via the municipality where you would like to reside and a police officer will verify that you are living in the property where you are staying.
There are a number of advantages to being registered as a resident. In fact, you can apply for an Italian health card (tessera sanitaria), which will allow you to access the national health care system, and you might also consider applying for a Codice Fiscale, the Italian tax code which is used by public administration bodies to identify individuals living in Italy. The tax code is mandatory to be able to open a bank account, purchase a property, enter a tenancy agreement, and set up utilities. With regards to opening a bank account in Italy, it is worth pointing out that it is convenient to do so if you plan on renting a property. On the other hand, if you are interested in purchasing a property it is not necessary to have an Italian bank account, however, it might be useful in order to manage payments more easily.
It is worth mentioning that if you are planning on renting a property in Italy, it is advisable to be registered as a resident of Italy and to provide your landlord with as much evidence as possible that you have the financial means to rent a property. This is due to the fact that lease agreements in Italy tend to be rather long (4 years on average) and therefore landlords tend to choose tenants very carefully. As for the cost to rent a property in Italy, this varies depending on a number of factors, such as the type of property you would like to rent, its location and size, among other factors. However, in some cases there might be additional charges; if you are renting an apartment in a condominium, for example, you will need to pay a number of common charges which include cleaning costs and electricity bills for communal lighting and elevators. On the other hand, if you are planning on purchasing a property in Italy you do not necessarily need to establish residency in Italy, this is the case for individuals who will use their property as a vacation house, for instance. However, if you wish to spend more than 3 months in your property it is advisable to establish residency there.
As for taxation, if you plan on relocating to Italy it is advisable to speak with a specialist in international taxation. As a general rule, you are not required to pay taxes in Italy unless you spend more than six months in the country. However, if you are purchasing a property in Italy you will need to pay a number of taxes every year such as IMU (municipal property tax), which is calculated based on the cadastral value of the property and TARI (municipal solid waste tax), which is proportionate to the average quantity of waste produced per unit of surface area.
If you would like further information about moving to Italy and purchasing or renting a property please feel free to contact us at info@italianrealestatelawyers.com. We will be happy to assist you!
