On your first trip to Italy, it’s easy to fall in love.
Reading a book under a striped beach umbrella in between dips in the sea. Walking through a museum or cathedral, marveling at the work of Renaissance artists. Tucking into a steaming plate of pasta at a trattoria, followed by people-watching in a piazza.
The first stages of amore for Italy can be endless, but so can the bureaucracy to acquire an passport or a visa. Visa demands and new citizenship eligibility requirements (such as a new generational limit set for jure sanguinis, or citizenship by descent) may leave you frustrated and wondering if moving to Italy will ever be your reality. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
As the experts at shared with us, getting a visa or citizenship isn’t the only way to reestablish your ancestral roots in Italy — purchasing your dream home can be done as well, even without a passport. Consider these points before prematurely deciding that your dreams can only be dreams.
How to do the “Schengen Shuffle”
Citizens of countries with a visa-free agreement with the EU (such as the United States, Canada or Australia) can stay in Italy for two 90-day periods in a year, every 180 days. This means you can spend up to six months a year in Italy without needing to acquire a visa or citizenship. You heard that correctly: half a year in Italy with no red tape or bureaucracy.
By taking advantage of these travel agreements, you can do what’s colloquially called the “Schengen Shuffle.” To follow the law, you’ll take a three-month break outside the Schengen zone in between those three-month stays in Italy — ٳ’s why it’s called the “shuffle.”
To plan a half-year stay in Italy, if your home country is visa-exempt, the only document you need is your passport and a plane ticket to Italy (and eventually, a registration in the EES due to the new European entry laws). This can be a solution if bureaucracy is causing frustrating delays and you’re ready to start the process of spending more time in Italy now.
Winter, spring, summer or fall in Italy (without an passport)
Spending three months in Italy at a time may not feel like a lot when your dream may have been to leave your old life behind and reinvent yourself completely in Italy.. However, it may be more than needed if you do the “shuffle” like a pro.
You could spend the summer months exploring the Adriatic and Ionian Coasts in Puglia. Embrace the winter months by hiking and unwinding among the Dolomites in Trentino Alto-Aldige. Get a glimpse of fall foliage and hunt for truffles in Tuscan or Umbrian forests, and when spring comes around, explore lakeside gardens and villas in Lombardy. These three-month stays at a time will allow you to embrace and honor your heritage on your terms. Imagine three months reading your book under a beach umbrella and three months living the Apres-ski life: now ٳ’s “shuffling” like a pro.
Start researching real estate opportunities
You may be surprised that you don’t need citizenship or residency to purchase a property in Italy. Financial documentation you will need includes a codice fiscale ( tax code, which you can get from your home country’s consulate) and an bank account, which is offered to non-EU citizens.
If you don’t speak , experts such as Italy360 Pro specialize in home shopping and completing the entire sale process in Italy. They can even work with architects and contractors for renovations. Tell them about your dream property, and they will find real estate options to fit your lifestyle and goals. They even have access to off-market deals, auction opportunities and other properties you won’t find online. From property viewing to legal steps and closing, they manage the entire process for you — no matter where you are in the world.
So don’t close the door completely on your dream. Instead, open the door to your dream home.
If you dream of moving to Italy but are unsure where to start, has the answers. From citizenship to real estate, since 2020, they have helped hundreds of people (and counting) from all around the world call Italy home. Contact them to get started.
