Living in Italy

Coronavirus

For our latest guidance on the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, see our Italy travel advice.

Stay up to date

You should:

• sign up to email alerts to this guidance
• follow the British Embassy in Italy on Facebook and Twitter

Attend a citizen outreach meeting

The British Embassy regularly holds events across Italy for UK nationals. Attend one of our citizens’ outreach meetings to keep up to date on working and living in Italy.

You can also:

• read our Ambassador’s newsletters to UK nationals
• read the Italian government’s guidance on the Withdrawal Agreement and citizens’ rights (in Italian)
• read the Italian government’s guidance on reciprocal healthcare rights during the transition period (in Italian)
• read the Italian Ministry of Interior’s circular on residency registration (in Italian)

The Withdrawal Agreement

The Withdrawal Agreement sets out the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and provides for a deal on citizens’ rights. It sets out a transition period which lasts until 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to live, work and study in the EU broadly as you did before 31 January 2020.

If you are resident in Italy at the end of the transition period, you will be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, and your rights will be protected for as long as you remain resident in Italy.

Any rights that are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement will be the subject of future negotiations. Read this guidance page for more information

In the meantime, make sure you are registered as a resident in Italy. We will update this guidance as soon as more information becomes available.

You should also read our guidance on living in Europe.

Visas and residency

Check the entry requirements for Italy.

Residency

If you are resident in Italy before the transition period ends on 31 December 2020, you will be able to stay.

You must register as an Italian resident (in Italian) if you want to stay in Italy for more than 3 months. You will get one of the following from the local town hall or comune:

• an attestazione di regolarità di soggiorno
• a certificato di residenza
• attestazione di iscrizione anagrafica or attestazione di soggiorno permanente (if resident for 5 years or more)

If there are changes to residency registration processes, we will update this guidance as soon as information is available.

Healthcare

If you’re living in Italy or move there permanently before 31 December 2020, you’ll have life-long healthcare rights in Italy as you do now, provided you remain resident.

If you’re staying in Italy for more than 3 months, you must register with the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale – SSN) through your local health authority (Azienda Sanitaria Locale).

You can register for free with the SSN if:

• you have a work contract, are self-employed in Italy or are an immediate family member of someone who is
• you are an immediate family member of an Italian citizen
• you have been officially resident in Italy for 5 years or more
• you are unemployed, registered on the employment lists (liste di collocamento) or registered for a professional training course
• you hold a UK social security form, such as an S1 form for pensioners

If you are not eligible to register for free, you can pay an annual fee to receive state healthcare. Contact your local Azienda Sanitaria Locale.

State healthcare: S1

If you live in Italy and receive an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit, you may currently be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You must apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate and register it with your Azienda Sanitaria Locale.

You can apply for an S1 certificate through the Business Services Authority.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are resident in Italy, you must not use your EHIC from the UK for healthcare in Italy.

When you travel from Italy for a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you can use an EHIC to access state-provided healthcare in that country. During that short stay:

• the EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home
• an EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance
• for more information, read our travel advice pages and advice on foreign travel insurance pages

If you are registered for public healthcare as a resident in Italy, and are travelling outside of Italy, carry your Italian health card (tessera sanitaria) with you.

There will be no changes to your healthcare access before 31 December 2020. You can also continue to use your EHIC, as you did before, during this time.

You should also read guidance on:

• healthcare and studying abroad
• finding an English-speaking doctor in Italy
• checking your prescriptions are legal in Italy

Passports and travel

The rules on travel will stay the same until the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to travel to countries in the Schengen area or elsewhere in the EU with your UK passport.

You can apply for or renew your British passport from Italy.

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay.

You’ll need to renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

We will update these pages with details of any changes to the rules as soon as information is available. You should sign up for updates to this guidance.

Driving in Italy

Driving licence rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

If you are resident in Italy, exchange your UK licence for an Italian one. You can still use your Italian licence in the UK or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test if you return to live in the UK.

For information on driving in Italy, read the guidance on:

• what you need to drive abroad
• driving licence exchange and renewals
• contacting an Ufficio Motorizzazione Civile

If you are in Italy and your UK driving licence is lost, stolen or expires you will not be able to renew it with the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You will need to apply to the DVLA for a ‘certificate of entitlement’ in Italian to be able to apply for an Italian driving licence.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Italy

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

If you move to Italy with your UK-registered car, you must register your car with Italian licence plates within 60 days of being officially resident in Italy. If not, your car may be impounded.

Be aware that from the moment you start the process of registering your car in Italy you will not be able to use your car, until you get your new documentation and licence plates. For more information, contact an Ufficio Motorizzazione Civile.

You can read the European Union’s guidance on car registration and taxes in Italy. You may be exempt from some of these taxes. If so, you will need certificates of exemption.

Working in Italy

If you are registered as a resident in Italy, you have the right to work in Italy. Read our guidance on working in an EU country. To apply for a job, you may need to provide a:

• UK criminal records certificate
• Italian criminal records certificate (Certificato del casellario giudiziale) issued by the Italian Law Court (Ufficio Casellario Giudiziale c/o Procura della Repubblica, Tribunale)

If you are resident in Italy on or before 31 December 2020, your right to work will stay the same, as long as you remain resident in Italy.

Money and tax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Italy to make sure you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Italy have not changed.

Read guidance about:

• telling HMRC if you leave the UK to live abroad
• the tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• paying income tax in Italy

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Italy. You can find a tax adviser or business consultant (commercialista) at the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy or Centro Assistenza Fiscale – Tax Assistance Centre (CAF), or find an English-speaking lawyer.

Declaration of overseas assets

Check if you need to file an annual declaration of overseas assets using the Quadro RW form (part of the annual Unico tax form). There are severe penalties if you do not file, or give incorrect or incomplete information.

You can get more information from a tax adviser or business consultant (commercialista) at the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy or Centro Assistenza Fiscale – Tax Assistance Centre (CAF).

National Insurance

Find out if you can pay National Insurance while abroad so that you protect your UK State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

If you are employed or self-employed in the EU or EEA and you have a UK-issued A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to UK legislation until the end date on the form.

Pensions

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

If you retire in Italy, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pensions Centre to claim
• your Italian and UK State Pension from the Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS), if you have worked in Italy
• pensions from working abroad, if you have worked in other EU countries

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Pensions after 31 January 2020

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming the UK State Pension in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

You can continue to receive your UK State Pension if you live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you can still claim your UK State Pension.

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020 you will get your UK State Pension uprated every year for as long as you continue to live there. This will happen even if you start claiming your pension on or after 1 January 2021, as long as you meet the qualifying conditions explained in the new State Pension guidance.

If you are living in Italy by 31 December 2020, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Italy, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Italian pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after 31 December 2020.

Read our guidance on benefits and pensions in the EU.

Benefits

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Italy.

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live abroad
• use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while you’re abroad

Many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.

Italian benefits

You may be eligible to claim some Italian social security benefits.

• read the EU’s guidance on claiming benefits in Italy
• visit your nearest Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS)

Benefits after 31 January 2020

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming UK benefits in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020, you will continue to receive any UK benefits you already receive. This will continue for as long as you live there and meet all other eligibility requirements.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Italy, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for Italian contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after 31 December 2020.

Read our guidance on benefits and pensions in the EU.

Voting

You cannot vote or stand in local municipal elections in Italy or European Parliament elections.

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter to vote

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in Italy, you will need to register the birth abroad.

If someone dies in Italy you can:

• read our guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad
• read guidance for UK nationals on bereavements in Italy
• find a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Italy

Find out how you can get married abroad.

Find out about notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Italy.

Getting married in Italy

The right of UK nationals (resident in Italy and elsewhere) to get married in Italy will not change as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

Read our guidance on getting married abroad for the latest information.

Accommodation and buying property

Read guidance on how to buy a property in Italy.

You can buy property or land in Italy if you are:

• an EU citizen
• a national from outside the EU who is fully resident or has a valid permit of stay in Italy
• a national from a country that Italy has a reciprocal agreement with and who is resident outside of Italy

We will be seeking a reciprocal agreement to make sure that UK nationals who are not resident in Italy can continue to purchase property in Italy. We will update this guidance as soon as information is available.

Pets

Current pet travel rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you must visit your vet to get a pet passport.

Read guidance on bringing your pet to the UK.

Emergencies

You can dial the European emergency number on 112 or:

• 113 for police
• 115 for fire brigade
• 118 for first aid

If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy in Rome or the British Consulate General Milan.

Returning to the UK

Tell the UK and Italian authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently. To help prove you are now living in the UK, de-register with your:

• local town hall (comune)
• the Italian State Police (residenza)
• your local health centre (ASL)

If you get UK State Pension or benefits payments, you must tell the International Pension Centre and the Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS). You must also contact the Agenzia delle Entrate before you return to the UK.

If you get healthcare in Italy through the S1 form, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 to make sure your S1 is cancelled at the right time.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.

If you have further questions

Contact us through our web form if you have a specific question on living in Italy.

Disclaimer

Please note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Italian authorities. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.