Italy, who doesn't know it? Officially, the country is called the Italian Republic and it is that one country in Southern Europe with the shape of a boot. There are 62 million Italians who are 90% Catholic. The country is also world famous for its rich history. This in combination with the flora and fauna, the food and actually just the entire Italian culture makes it a popular holiday destination for the Dutch. The country is so popular that many people decide to sell their belongings in the Netherlands and go live in Italy. Are you going emigrate to Italy? Have you thought about an affordable moving company? Read on for more tips and deals.
Moving to Italy?
You are probably one of those people who want to move to Italy. Maybe you are in love with the Italian culture, the Italian language or the world-famous Italian cuisine? Whatever the reason for your decision, Italians certainly know what is tasty. It all sounds delicious and beautiful, but sometimes it can be disappointing in reality. There are also disadvantages to living in Italy. Of course, this is the case everywhere in the world. For example, in Italy the weather will not always be nice or the food will not always be delicious. Unfortunately.
In this article we want to give you useful tips to help you emigrate to Italy. We do not only want to discuss the advantages, but also the disadvantages. This way you can form a clear picture of emigrating to Italy and you can weigh everything for yourself.
Dreaming about Italy
As you may have read earlier, Italy has traditionally been a popular holiday destination for the Dutch. The classic is the beautiful Tuscany. Most people have or know a Dutch grandpa or grandma who used to have a holiday romance in Italy. They inspire everyone with the best stories about Italians and 'amor in Italia'. In the past, it was often the case that Dutch people went on car holidays to Tuscany or Lake Garda. Nice camping with the family. But for years, the country has also been popular among people who want to go on a city trip or discover other areas. During a city trip, you can enjoy the medieval villages in Italy. It is also popular among Dutch skiers because of the Alps.
Actually emigrating to Italy
For a holiday, these are all great stories, but when you choose Italy as a destination for your emigration, you also have to think about other things. The beautiful things in the country will be beautiful during the holiday, but can you also get used to them when you live there? Before you make your decision, we will discuss all the pros and cons of living in Italy with you.
Which Italian region would you like to live in?
Italy is a very large country within the European Union. When people hear Italy, they often immediately think of Rome and 'la dolce vita', but can you actually compare the whole of Italy with Rome? It is true that every Italian region is different from the other. Just like in the Netherlands. Only Italy is of course a lot bigger, so you will notice the difference more quickly. If you have been on holiday to Italy before, you will have noticed that the north of Italy is completely different from the south. Here we are not only talking about the climate, landscape or the environment, but we are also talking about the people, atmosphere and culture. When you are going to live in Italy, it is best to look per city or per region to see what appeals to you most. Do you think you have been on holiday there often enough? Then go even more often, but go in different seasons so that you have not only experienced the fun and busy high season of the summer, but you also see the region or city in the winter when it is all a lot quieter. One advantage of such a large country with all its different regions and cities is that we Dutch have an enormous amount of choice when we decide to live in Italy.
The weather in Italy
Italy only borders the mainland in the north. The country is completely surrounded by seas and this is also the reason why the climate is so wonderful. The country is also very long because it looks like a boot and because of this it also has different climates. In the mountainous north the country has a high mountain climate. Here you can also enjoy skiing in the Alps in the winter. A bit further down, so in the middle you already come close to a maritime climate. Because of this they have mild winters and mild summers in this part of the country. There is regular precipitation. Further south the well-known Mediterranean climate prevails. Here the winters are mild and the summers are very warm and dry. Which of course makes it very attractive for us Dutch people. Here they have up to 2600 hours of sunshine per year. In the north this is about 2000.
Take a good look at the area where you want to live
As you can read, it depends on where you are going to live in Italy. If you are going to live in Italy, you should look at this carefully. For Dutch people who want to emigrate, the weather is one of the most important reasons.
The benefits of living in Italy
Of course, we will start by discussing the benefits first.
Nature in Italy
Due to the different climates in the areas of Italy, the nature is also diverse. Many tourists also often go to Italy because of the nature where you can walk or camp. There is a lush vegetation in their parks and gardens. This in combination with beautiful fountains and architecture make it very attractive for tourists to visit the country. What is very characteristic of Italy are the pines, pine trees and cypresses. However, we must remember that many of the plants and trees that we see in the beautiful Roman gardens often do not grow in Italian nature.
Deforestation
Italy used to be completely covered in dense forests. Unfortunately, a large part of this has disappeared over the years due to deforestation. This process is not new in Italy and started in ancient times. In these places mainly grasses, herbs and plants now grow. Many olive trees have also been planted in these deforested areas. Italy does not have a very good reputation in the field of nature management. As a result, there are only a few wild animals to be found. Fortunately, the mismanagement has made room for environmental awareness in recent years and things are going in the right direction with saving nature in Italy.
Visit nature in Italy
Have you been on holiday in Italy before, but this was not really a nature holiday? Then we definitely recommend that you do this next time. There is still so much to discover and you can certainly do that with a walk through the mountains or in one of the other nature reserves.
The Italian cuisine
The Italians are very proud of their cuisine. This is not surprising, because who does not know the Italian cuisine? Think of the pastas, pizzas and the delicious salads. However, the Italian cuisine is much more than that. There are many traditional dishes with fish and veal that are often unknown to us Dutch people. The Italian cuisine is also known for simplicity. Here, they like to work with pure and fresh seasonal ingredients. These come fresh from the countryside. Each region has its own specialties and different herbs are used in each of these regions.
Italians and food
Italians love their food and it is part of the Italian culture to always get together with families and friends to quietly enjoy all that delicious food at the table. If you work in Italy you can enjoy this every day during your long lunch. Other countries, especially the countries in Northern Europe, have a different work and food culture. The breaks are shorter there than in the south and there is also not as much value attached to eating and chatting with family and friends.
The Italians themselves
As discussed earlier, Italians are warm people. Friends, family and acquaintances are very important in their lives. They are friendly and always up for a chat. This is a nice aspect of their culture, because when you decide to move to Italy it is of course nice if you feel welcome. Imagine emigrating to a country where the people are not very warm and you do not feel very welcome? Especially in the larger cities of Italy they are familiar with tourists, foreigners and newcomers.
Health insurance
The Italian health insurance is well organised. This is also called the 'servizio sanitario nazionale' (SSN). With this public health care, everyone in Italy has the right to health care. This system works well and is financed by paying taxes. However, the government in Italy does receive some criticism. This is due to the fact that in Italy they do not focus on promoting health, but more on treating diseases. The shortage of healthcare personnel also does not help matters in terms of waiting lists.
Quality of health care in Italy
The quality of health care in Italy is somewhat lower than what we are used to in the Netherlands. This is of course due to the outdated hospitals with somewhat older equipment, but also due to the aforementioned shortage of healthcare personnel. But well, when moving abroad, as a Dutch person you often have to get used to health care first, and so it is in Italy.
Disadvantages of living in Italy
Now that we have discussed some of the advantages, we will move on to the disadvantages. So read on!
Emigrating and homesickness
Many people who go to live abroad suffer from homesickness. Who doesn't know this feeling from the past? That melancholic feeling about your family, friends and your surroundings. However, a warm feeling is actually how warm you make it yourself. Of course you will miss everyone and everything, but your new house in the hills of Italy is also beautiful. You are going to live in Italy and will quickly get used to their warm culture. Italians are generally very warm and friendly people. Furthermore, Italy is of course not a very long journey for your friends from the Netherlands and everyone can easily visit you.
The Italian
When you start working in Italy, you will notice that you really need to improve your Italian. It is simply very wise to make sure that you have a basic knowledge of Italian. Italians generally speak very little English and it often happens that when you start speaking English, Italians shut down. It is better to say in broken Italian that you do not speak Italian. When you do this, people are usually more willing to help you. So are you going to emigrate to Italy? Then make sure that you are well prepared and then everything should be fine. This is especially important when you have to arrange important matters with various authorities. For example, at government agencies, almost no English is spoken at all. Do you already have Italian friends in the country or nice neighbors? Then you can always ask them for help.
Bureaucracy
Italians have many complicated administrative procedures. They also need a different stamp or document for each purpose. You also have to look for the right office for the right things. And the funny thing is that to apply for certain documents you first have to look for other documents that are needed for the applications of your documents. Are you still following? These are also often closed, which can make everything take a little longer.
Stay calm and collected
In these situations, try to stay calm. There is no point in getting angry. Especially when you do not speak Italian very well. Have the right attitude and do not expect anything from Italian officials. With this attitude, everything can only turn out better.
Personal situation
How you are going to build your new life in Italy is of course entirely up to you. However, it is true that sometimes, for example, if you live outside the big cities of Italy, you have to try harder. The Italians outside these big cities, who live in somewhat smaller villages, are less used to foreigners and may be a bit of a wait-and-see type at first. Of course, there are no written rules about how to socialize in a country, but when they see that you are trying hard and, for example, speak the language a little, you will see that they will also gravitate towards you and will be less reserved.
Costs of a move
When you move abroad, the costs can be very high. This is not only the case with Italy, but everywhere of course. The costs depend very much on what your wishes are. Are you taking a lot of stuff with you? Are a lot of moving vans needed? And many more things that can increase or decrease the costs of your move.
Compare quotes
Compare free quotes via MOOVA and see which moving company will be the cheapest for you. These quotes are without obligation. If you request quotes via MOOVA, you no longer have to contact each moving company to find out everything, but after the request you only have to compare the quotes sent.
Best books about emigrating to Italy
Many people are thinking about making their dreams come true in Italy. These books give you super good insight into everything that comes around the corner when emigrating to Italy.
Enjoy reading!
Finally
As you have read, moving abroad is simply a lot of work and emigrating to Italy has several advantages and disadvantages. Our advantages and disadvantages do not necessarily have to be your advantages and disadvantages. That is why it is wise to look at what you want exactly and what your expectations are of emigrating to Italy.
