Moving to Italy from the UK: visas, costs, and first steps

This guide walks you through the essentials, including visas, moving costs, housing, healthcare, managing your money, and what to do during your first 90 days in Italy.

Key takeaways

• Know the 90-day rule: UK citizens can usually visit Italy visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under the Schengen rules.
• Get the right visa for a long-term move: If you plan to stay for more than 90 days, choose the route that matches your reason for moving, such as work, study, family, or elective residence.
• Prepare for residence formalities after arrival: Depending on your status, you may need to apply for a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) shortly after arriving.
• Register locally: Long-term residents will generally need to register with the anagrafe (registry office) at their local comune.
• Get your codice fiscale: This Italian tax identification code is important for everyday life, including employment, renting or buying property, banking, utilities, and healthcare.
• Plan healthcare and driving separately: If you become resident, check the rules for healthcare registration or insurance and what you need to do with your UK driving licence.

For the wider pre-move picture, read our Essential checklist for moving to Italy.

How moving from the UK to Italy works after Brexit

Post-Brexit, UK citizens no longer have EU free movement rights in Italy. The process for visiting Italy or relocating there is now different from British citizens as they are now non-EU nationals.

• Short visits and long-term relocation follow different rules.
• Visa-free travel does not equal a right to live or work in Italy.
• Most long-term moves require the appropriate Italian visa before you travel, followed by residence formalities after arrival.
• UK nationals who were legally living in Italy before 1 January 2021 may have different rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Short stays, long stays, and the right visa route

For stays of more than 90 days, your route depends on why you are moving. The most common options for UK citizens are work, family, study, elective residence, and in some cases digital nomad or remote-worker visas.

It is important to remember that although owning property in Italy can help with accommodation evidence, it does not give you residency rights on its own.

The main visa categories are:

• Work: requirements depend on the type of work. Standard employed work generally involves an employer-led authorization process before you apply for the visa, while other work routes have their own requirements.
• Family: depends on qualifying family ties and evidence of the relationship.
• Study: usually requires admission to an eligible course, evidence of sufficient funds, and appropriate health coverage.
• Elective residence: designed for people with substantial and stable private income and financial resources, for example retirees, who want to live permanently in Italy without working there.
• Digital nomad or remote worker: can suit people carrying out qualifying highly skilled work remotely, but the eligibility and document requirements are specific. Do not assume that simply having a UK job you can do remotely makes you eligible.

Once you have confirmed your visa route, you can confirm the exact document list with the Consulate General of Italy in London visa page.

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What official steps come after arrival?

Getting the visa is only the first stage. After arriving in Italy, many British movers need to apply for a residence permit, complete local residence registration, and arrange other essentials such as their tax number (codice fiscale) and healthcare.

Do not treat arriving in Italy as the finish line. Proof of accommodation can be important throughout the process, and exact procedures and documents can vary according to your visa or residence status and local comune.

1. Arrive with the documents used for your visa application and keep copies accessible.
2. If your route requires it, apply for the permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) within eight days of arriving, often through the post office route and follow-up at the local police headquarters (Questura).
3. Register with the anagrafe at your local comune if you are staying long term.
4. Arrange the other practical parts of becoming resident, including your codice fiscale, healthcare, banking, and utilities.

Once those legal steps are underway, you can focus on other things to do during your first week in Italy.

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How to plan your budget, money, and housing

Once you have sorted out your visa, residence, and registration, you can begin to settle into your new life. This means making sure that you have sufficient finances to cover Italy’s living costs as well as any commitments you may have back in the UK.

What the move may cost and how to move money efficiently

The cost of moving to Italy goes beyond the visa fee. Exact costs will depend on your personal situation, but you may need to budget for:

• Visa and residence-permit fees
• Passport renewals, apostilles, translations, and certified copies
• Flights, baggage, pet travel, or removals
• Temporary accommodation and rental deposits
• Proof-of-funds requirements for your visa route
• Initial living costs, local transport, school expenses, and utility setup

Additionally, there may be currency conversion fees if you are holding money in GBP while needing to pay bills and deposits in EUR.

That is where your money setup matters. If you want to keep funds in both currencies during the move, a Wise account lets you hold and convert 40+ currencies, including GBP and EUR.

This can be useful for converting money, transferring savings, or covering expenses in euros while you get established in Italy. Think of it as one option for managing money across currencies rather than a substitute for an Italian bank account where one is required.

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How to choose housing and where to live

Where you live shapes far more than your lifestyle. It affects rent, commute time, school access, and sometimes how smooth your paperwork flows in practice, because housing competition and local bureaucracy vary widely.

If you are still deciding where to live, you can research the best cities for expats to help you decide.

Also remember that you will generally need a codice fiscale for a formal rental contract, and evidence of suitable accommodation may also be required at different stages of the visa and residence process.

How to handle healthcare and essential paperwork

In Italy, having the right paperwork matters. Your health cover, tax code, bank access, and even routine bills can connect back to the same small set of documents, so it helps to keep everything in order.

Healthcare, GHIC, private insurance, and SSN

Healthcare in Italy for UK citizens is one of the easiest places to make an expensive mistake. A GHIC can cover medically necessary state healthcare during eligible temporary stays, but you should not rely on it as your healthcare arrangement when moving permanently to Italy.

For many movers, the route depends on work status, residence status, and whether they qualify for UK-funded healthcare through an S1. If you are eligible for the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN), you can register through your local Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) and receive a tessera sanitaria (health card).

If you are not eligible for public healthcare, or if you want to access private medical services in Italy, you can consider purchasing a private health insurance policy.

• Before residency: keep short-stay cover and long-term living cover separate in your mind. They solve different problems.
• After local registration: employed and self-employed people can generally register with the SSN. If you are not working or paying social security contributions, voluntary registration may be available for a fee; otherwise, you may need private health insurance.
• If the UK covers your healthcare: you may qualify for an S1, for example if you receive a UK State Pension or certain qualifying benefits. Once your S1 is registered with your local ASL, you can access Italian state healthcare on the same basis as an Italian citizen.
• How to verify: check GOV.UK: Healthcare for UK nationals living in Italy and confirm the local process with your ASL.

Allianz Care

Allianz Care is a world leader in providing international health insurance. Their various premiums provide professionally designed solutions for a variety of expat lifestyles. So, wherever your life takes you, make sure you have the right health protection for you and your family with Allianz Care.

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Codice fiscale, bank account, and utilities

The codice fiscale is your Italian tax identification number, and you will encounter it frequently when setting up life in Italy. It is commonly needed for employment, healthcare, banking, utilities, and formal rental arrangements, so it is worth arranging early.

When you open an Italian bank account, major local banks may ask for:

• photo ID
• proof of address
• your codice fiscale
• residence documents (depending on the account)

While you are getting everything sorted, a Wise account can also be useful for holding, receiving, sending, and converting money across currencies, while the Wise card can be used for everyday spending where accepted. The card can currently be used in 150+ countries and territories.

What UK movers often miss

Many movers focus on the headline areas such as visa, housing, and healthcare but forget about some of the less obvious concerns. These areas can quickly become a disruptive, and sometimes expensive, headache if you don’t deal with them.

Driving, pets, schools, and family logistics

Current UK guidance says that if you become resident in Italy, you can generally drive on a valid UK license for up to 12 months from the date you become resident. After that, you must exchange it for an Italian license if you want to continue driving.

If you are bringing a car, check Italy’s rules for residents using foreign-registered vehicles, as restrictions and registration requirements can apply once you become resident. Also watch for Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL), restricted traffic zones, in city centers.

If you are bringing a pet, dogs, cats, and ferrets generally need:

• a microchip
• valid rabies vaccination
• the correct travel document.

For those travelling from Great Britain, this will often be an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), so start the process with your vet well before departure.

If you are moving with children, research schools and catchment or enrolment requirements before committing to an area or signing a long-term lease.

Tax residency and first-year admin checks

Moving can change more than your address. If you keep UK income, savings, rentals, or pension/investment income, you may need to think about:

• Italian tax residency
• overseas asset reporting
• HMRC status
• how the UK-Italy double-taxation rules apply to your situation

This is an area worth checking to make sure you get things right. During your first months, confirm the basics with HMRC, the Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate), and, if your affairs span both countries or involve significant assets or income, a qualified cross-border tax adviser or commercialista.

Consider:

• Whether Italy’s tax-residence rules make you resident, taking account of factors such as physical presence, residence, and domicile.
• How UK salary, freelance income, pensions, investment, or rental income should be reported.
• Whether UK or Italian social security rules apply to your work and whether you need additional paperwork.
• Whether overseas accounts or assets trigger Italian reporting duties.

Useful sources

(accessed 14 August 2026)

• GOV.UK: Living in Italy – the best UK government overview for visas, residency, driving, healthcare, and Withdrawal Agreement context.
• GOV.UK: Healthcare for UK nationals living in Italy – useful for GHIC, S1, ASL registration basics, and the difference between temporary and long-term cover.
• GOV.UK: Italy entry requirements – key source for passport validity, visa-free travel, and Schengen stay rules.
• GOV.UK: Travel to Italy for work – useful if you need more detail on work permits and employment routes.
• Visa for Italy – the primary Italian government visa checker by nationality, residence, stay length, and purpose.
• Consulate General of Italy in London: Visas – practical UK application information, VFS logistics, and document rules.
• Polizia di Stato: residence permits guidance – essential for residence-permit steps and local police office context.
• Agenzia delle Entrate: tax identification number for foreign citizens – the primary source for codice fiscale guidance.
• Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport – useful for checking foreign-license exchange and driving rules.
• Expatica: Italian visas: how to immigrate to Italy – a useful internal companion source for deeper visa detail.