How Much Does It Cost to Move to Italy?

If you're planning to move to Italy, the first thing you're going to ask is: how much does it cost to move to Italy?

The truth is, it depends on how much you want to take, and how luxury you want to go. I'll share the expenses I had moving myself, 11 boxes, three suitcases, and two cats!

First, the Legal Stuff

It's completely up to you whether you hire a lawyer or a visa expert to help you get your visa, and it depends on the visa you choose. From what I understand, the digital nomad visa is fairly straightforward, and you can likely apply for it without assistance. And I know someone who applied for the elective residency visa on her own.

I, personally, felt better having an immigration attorney. There were a few steps that I couldn't figure out how to DIY, so it was worth it to me to pay for the help. I spent a total of about $5,000 on the lawyer as well as the visa application fees.

PS if you need someone to help you, I have someone to recommend. Send me an email and I'll give you the contact info!

Legal costs: $5,000

Now, the "Stuff"

Whatever you're planning to take with you to Italy, cut it in half. And then half again. You will find that so much of what you think you can't live without...you can.

First, electronics. They won't work here because we have different plugs. So get rid of those.

You can buy furniture, sheets, towels, toiletries, pots, pans...anything you use to live, you can find in Italy.

Now that you've lightened your load, you will want to take memorabilia, family photos, art, things that really matter to you. But now you have much less, so you'll spend less to ship it!

I walk you through different shipping options here, so I won't rehash it. I'll just talk about using Send My Bag, which I highly recommend if you are only shipping boxes or suitcases.

My total cost for Send My Bag was about $2,600. The boxes arrived in less than a week!

Shipping costs: $2,600

Airfare Costs

These will, of course, depend when and how you travel. Obviously, you'll pay more if you want Business Class! The cheapest time to fly to Italy is September to May.

I spent around $1,000 on airfare, then used American points to upgrade to Business Class. What a luxury!

Airfare costs: $1,000

Shipping Cats to Italy

Now, if you have pets, know that it's not cheap to get them to Italy. You have two options: to let them ride with you on the plane, or in cargo. Because one of my cats cries loudly, I didn't want to spend 10 hours with him disrupting everyone on the plane!

Before you even put the cats on the plane, you'll have some expenses, including a costly veterinarian exam that clears them for customs. In San Diego, I spent about $450 per cat for this.

You'll also need special pet carriers that meet the airline's requirements. I'll estimate $70 per pet carrier.

And then the shipping costs. These vary wildly from one airline to another. One quoted me more than $5,000 per cat!!

I worked with American PetEmbark, which is part of American Airlines. I was very happy with the service, and I paid $1,250 per cat. This covered all the fees to ship them in cargo from Los Angeles to New York, board them overnight in NYC, then ship them to Rome, where I picked them up after they processed through customs.

I'll add to this section the cost for a hotel stay because I didn't want to drive the kitties six hours from Rome to Calabria after all the trauma. So factor another $100 for hotel.

Cat shipping costs: $1,870 per animal

Incidentals

We've covered the big expenses, but don't forget the little ones.

I rented an automatic car in Rome and kept it for two weeks so I could easily run errands once I landed in Calabria. This cost $1,000.

When I arrived in my new rental house, there were so many things I needed to buy, even though the house came with a kitchen full of plates, utensils, pots, etc. I bought baskets for storage, little furniture, sheets, and towels. And, of course, groceries. Let's estimate $300 for these incidentals.

And because I was too tired to cook and excited to try all the food in Italy, I probably spent $200 eating out the first month.

Incidental costs: $1,500

How Much Does It Cost to Move to Italy? Your Answer:

Please understand these are MY costs. Yours might be more or less. But to give you a sense of what it costs to move to Italy, you can see that I spent about $12,000.

Hope this helps you as you plan your move to Italy!