Move to Italy
from the UK

Why live in Italy?

Perhaps a better question is - why not?

The familiar Italian phrase ‘La Dolce Vita’ literally translates as ‘the sweet life’, and it’s the temptation of this blissful life in almost perpetual sunshine in a land rich with culture, history, glamour, glorious gastronomy and vitality that prompts many Brits to consider moving to Italy from the UK.

This is one of the most seductive countries on earth and roughly 65,000 British citizens have already succumbed.

The food will make you realise you've been eating badly your entire life. A three-course meal for two costs less than a mediocre pizza in Zone 2. A bottle of excellent wine costs less than a pint of lager in a London pub.

And the light - the way late afternoon sun hits a Tuscan hillside or a Puglian whitewashed wall - might just ruin the dank British grey for you permanently.

It has much in common with other nearby Mediterranean countries like Greece, Croatia, France and Spain, in that it places a heavy emphasis on community and food.

Italian food is famous throughout the world - not only for its (incredible) taste but also for the sense of occasion that it brings. It’s so good that UNESCO has recognised it as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’!

Food means family in Italy, and that means multi-hour meals with all the community gathering together and sharing food and drink.

If we take a look at the existing British expat community, it is what might be considered “mature and settled”. Almost 60% are aged 55+, and nearly 40% have been there over 20 years.

The Brits cluster predictably in the expat hotspots: Lombardy (Milan) for professionals, Lazio (Rome) for culture seekers, Tuscany for the famous "Chiantishire" experience. And yet there are smaller communities growing in Puglia, Umbria, Liguria, and increasingly Sicily - drawn by €1 house schemes and the 7% retiree tax.

Are there any drawbacks? Well… yes.

Italian bureaucracy takes some getting used to. Getting a residency card can require multiple visits to different offices, all while balancing contradictory information from officials sitting ten metres apart.

"Everything that would take three weeks in the UK takes many months in Italy."

It may sound cliche… but try it and see!

It’s estimated that only 15-30% of Italians speak meaningful English (one of the lowest proficiencies in Europe). Unlike Spain, learning the language is much more important for long-term integration.

Italy’s public healthcare system (SSN) is one of Europe’s quiet overperformers.

Outcomes are strong, life expectancy is higher than the UK (80 for men, 84.3 for women), and there are more doctors per capita.

It’s not a perfect system - but it works.

Who gets access

If you’re working, you’re in - registration is mandatory through social security contributions.

• Non-working residents can join voluntarily, typically from €2,000/year.
• Students used to pay far less, but the current minimum is €700/year.

Registration happens at your local ASL, where you pick a family doctor and get a tessera sanitaria (health card). That covers GP visits (free), hospital care, emergency treatment, and most of the essential services you might need.

Private healthcare

Private care is excellent and - by UK standards - surprisingly affordable, too.

Rough ballpark figures:

• GP visit: £40-85
• Specialist: £65-210
• MRI: £80-250
• Hospital stay: £170-420/night

Major hospitals like San Raffaele and Humanitas in Milan, or Gemelli in Rome, are world-class - and waiting times are typically days rather than months.

As for the cost, private insurance typically comes in at around £800-2,100/year for adults, rising with age. Families can get decent cover from around £1,000-2,000/year.

Keep in mind: all long-stay visa applications require private insurance with at least €30,000 emergency coverage.

How it compares to the NHS

Emergency care is universal in Italy - anyone can walk into Pronto Soccorso and be treated.

Day-to-day care is different to what most of us are used to.

Many GPs run on a first-come, first-served basis. Admin can be really slow. Mental health services do exist but are stretched - most expats go private for English-speaking therapists (€60-120/hour in major cities), or simply use Zoom back home.

Pharmacies are widespread and useful. The pharmacists here are highly trained and often act as your first stop for minor issues.

Couple of quirks: paracetamol is Tachipirina, antibiotics always need a prescription.

Italian society is child-friendly and great for raising kids.

Your children will be welcomed in restaurants at all hours, can play freely in piazzas, and grow up in a culture that revolves around family, food, and being outdoors.

It’s a very different pace to the UK.

British expats have two choices when it comes to sending their children to school in Italy: public or private?

If you choose to go with an international school, the major cities of Milan and Rome are likely your best bet:

International schools

Popular options include:

• St George's British International School (Rome): One of the very best. English National Curriculum through IGCSE, then IB Diploma. ~780 pupils, 90+ nationalities. Fees €13,900-27,000/year.
• The British School of Milan (Sir James Henderson): English curriculum plus IB Diploma. 40+ nationalities. Fees €14,700-23,800/year (sibling discount is available).
• Britannia International School of Rome: A more affordable British option. Fees from €6,800/year (Early Years) and €8,200 for primary, with lunch included.

Most international schools are in Rome, Milan, and Florence, with smaller options in cities like Turin and Naples.

You can expect a wide range of prices, ranging from €7,000 to 27,000/year - it’s expensive in the major hubs, but still often below London equivalents.

State schools

State education is free and open to all children, regardless of nationality.

The thing to keep in mind here is that everything is in Italian. Young kids might adapt well, but older kids will find it very difficult.

The school day typically runs 8:00–14:00. Annual cost: basically just books, school lunch (€3-5/day), and transport.

Childcare

Public nurseries (0–3) are income-based, typically €300–500/month, with notably lower costs in the south. Places are limited - only roughly a quarter of families manage to get one.

Pre-school (3–6) is free in state settings and widely used.

Formal childcare is much lighter than in the UK - Italian families rely heavily on grandparents and wider family care.

With that said, you can still find private babysitters from around €8-10/hour, but may need to pay more for English-speaking.

Getting Around

Italy’s train network is impressive and a great way to explore the country as a whole.

High speed trains in particular get you between cities and major towns on the Western coast with minimal effort, and seem to escape the same number of strikes that the normal rail network suffers from.

Plus, you can book tickets directly online — try Trenitalia.

• Rome to Milan in three hours
• Rome to Naples in one hour

For the eastern coast, there aren’t quite as many high-speed rail routes, but you will find the Intercity network and the Frecciargento train waiting to whisk you away.

Buses are also an efficient way to reach more rural areas and places not serviced by the rail network.

Most British expats in Italy will choose to live on the Italian mainland, but if you fancy basing yourself on an island - or simply fancy a holiday there - you can hop on one of the many ferries servicing the country.

Since a March 2023 bilateral agreement, Brits can exchange their UK driving licence for an Italian one without a test - do this within 12 months. Italy drives on the right.

One thing to note: Uber barely exists - only Uber Black in Rome and Milan. Use Free Now, itTaxi, or AppTaxi instead. BlaBlaCar is also worth having for intercity trips.

Phone and internet

Mobile data is one of Italy’s best bargains. Iliad, Vodafone, TIM, and WindTre all offer large data plans (often 100–300GB) for roughly £5-15/month - a fraction of UK prices.

Home fibre is widely available in cities, with £17-30/month getting you fast connections (often up to 1 Gbps). Real-world speeds are strong by European standards… certainly good enough for most of us.

However, be aware that coverage drops off outside major cities. Rural areas and parts of the south can still be very patchy.

Banking

You’ll usually need a Codice Fiscale (Italian tax code) early on, but how you get it depends on your situation - in some cases, it may be issued during the immigration process, or requested separately via the Agenzia delle Entrate.

Traditional banks like Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, and BNL are all solid choices… but noticeably old-school - you can expect some hefty paperwork, appointments, and at least one in-person visit to open an account.

Most expats start with digital options instead.

Revolut is the easiest to set up before arriving, Wise is excellent for GBP–EUR transfers, and N26 offers simple euro accounts with minimal fees.

Language

Italy ranks in the very bottom tier of the EU for English proficiency - only about 13% speak it meaningfully, with basic spoken English at around 30% of the population (max).

Milan is the most English-friendly; Puglia and Sicily the least.

All government/official business is conducted in Italian, so you would be well advised to pick some up.

The good news is that Italian is the easiest European language for English speakers (FSI Category I: 600–750 hours). It's phonetic, logical, and… hey, it sounds pretty suave.

What’s stopping you?!

Property

There are no restrictions on British buyers, and the process is well-established - it’s just not especially fast.

You’ll need a Codice Fiscale, a bank account, and then move through the standard steps: offer, preliminary contract (compromesso, typically with a 10–20% deposit), and final completion before a notary.

The total costs are a bit more nuanced.

For purchases from a private seller, registration tax is typically 2% if you qualify as a primary residence (“prima casa”), or 9% otherwise - with fixed notary and cadastral fees on top.

Add notary fees (roughly £1,300-2,600) and agent commissions (often 3-4% per side), and the extras soon begin to bite a hole in your pocket.

The famous €1 house schemes are real - now in dozens of towns - but the price is symbolic. It’s more of a marketing noise than any reasonable metric of what it would cost to live in one of them.

Renovation is mandatory and costs can easily spiral past £20,000-90,000+, depending on how ambitious you get…

Suddenly, that €1 could be the most expensive you’ve ever spent!

Pets

UK-issued pet passports are no longer valid for travel to the EU.

Instead, you’ll need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for each trip - which is typically £100-300 per pet, and it has to be issued by a vet within 10 days of travel.

Your pet must be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel. As long as you get the paperwork right, there’s no dreaded quarantine requirement.

Once you’re resident in Italy, switch to an EU Pet Passport - it makes future travel much easier and avoids repeat AHC costs.

One thing to take seriously: leishmaniasis, a sand fly-borne disease found in central and southern Italy. Preventative treatments (collars or spot-ons) are strongly recommended if you plan to relocate your pet here.