We already visted a few years back and loved it. I want to live 2 -5 years in Florence, and leave NYC behind. It would be with hubby and 2 kids under 5. I might be able to convince Grandma. I speak/write Spanish. We both have degrees and are in management. What should I do to make it happen, besides learing Italian?
Florence - 4 Answers
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1 :
I wish you can give a following to yr project since I'm born and bred in the Florence's area (abt. 20 miles away) and I can understand yr decision. However prior moving with the whole family (unless you've already a few perspectives for the job that I assume both of you would get) I would suggest to come here and put the base of a sure employment. I guess you'll meet with difficulties if you're not speaking Italian (even if Spanish knowledge is a point of advantage,being very similar). However I would encourage you to come here and enjoy this awesome country.
2 :
To stay more than a month or so you need a foriegn resident's permit "permesso di soggiorno", unless you are a citizen of the EEC. The easiest way to get it is as a student of a school in Italy. Contact them before you come to see if you need a visa from the Italian Consulate. It is very hard for foriegn citizens to work legally in Italy, unless you are already working for an employer who sends you to Italy, or can find someone who wants to hire you and help you get a visa before you come. There are some babysitting agencies (au pair), these jobs are not always legal and you can end up hiding from the police, as people I know have, make sure they are regular jobs.
3 :
Find a place to live of course, and get a job there. And make sure you really want to do it and think about how it will affect your kids. It sounds fun though! But consider what you will have to do and how it will change your life. Once you have decided, just get everything ready to go (like passport and stuff, I'm not sure how it works, you will have to figure out) and enroll your kids in school...etc. But maybe after they speak itlaian, or are enrolled in an international school. Good Luck!
4 :
Moving from one country to another is very difficult. You would need a promesso di soggiorno to stay for over a certain number of DAYS. the soggirno can get expensive and has recently gone up, almost doubled in price. Then in order to work legally, which is you want to since you dont want to be hiding from the polizia with your children, would be to get a "codice fiscale" which is a fiscal code. Otherwise, you won't be able to get any job in Florence, beside nannying or babysitting, maybe housekeeping. In order to get any of these, the promesso or the codice fiscale, you'd need to make copies of all your documents and send them to the Italian embassy, then give a copy of your passport and all other documents as well as get fingerprinted within the first 8 days of landing in Italy. It can get pretty complicated/complex, but as long as you stay organized and determined, you can do it! I stayed over in Florence as a study abroad student this past fall and absolutely FELL IN LOVE with it and someone. So, that's how I know all this, I asked my resident director and this is what he gave me since he deals with students coming in and out of Florence every semester (for 20+ years)
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