With foreign travel taking off and more and more Americans interested in moving abroad, even if temporarily, some might wonder if there are any special incentives to help save on what can be a quite costly transition. If you know where to do your research, you can actually find many. Below, we’re exploring offerings Italy has to reduce the cost of relocating for foreigners.
Incentives that Italian regions are offering
It is first important to note that the specific offerings listed here are subject to change. Before proceeding with any of the following, it would be worth confirming with a lawyer the particulars of the offer and if anything has changed since the publication of this article.
Sardinia has offered a generous €15,000 grant to those who will relocate to a municipality with fewer than 3,000 residents. The money should be put toward buying or renovating a home and cannot exceed 50% of the overall cost. The property must also be considered a “new house”—as in, it would be your primary residence and you would need to move into it within 18 months of purchase.
Calabria, too, welcomes under-40-year-olds who are willing to move to a town with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and start a business. Grants are €28,000, and you must relocate within 90 days of acceptance.
Other regions that have offered similar incentives include Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, showing that these are ever-changing and that new ones could come up each year.
Towns in Italy that will pay you to move there
Along with regional incentives, there are certain individual towns that are working to offer grants and “bonuses” to those who choose to relocate. Often, these towns are small and underpopulated and are working to bolster the number of residents. You should then make sure that you would like to live in a rural area, potentially quite far from a city.
Candela, Puglia is one such town. Located just a couple hours from Naples, Candela offers €800 for single people to move there, and €2,000 for couples. As with many other incentives, primary residency in the town is required.
As mentioned, be sure to talk to a qualified real estate expert (agent and/or lawyer) to confirm which offerings are currently available, as these often change year-to-year. For instance, in 2024 Tuscany offered grants of up to €30,000 to those willing to move to one of its mountain towns.
Comparison to the 1 euro home incentive
The 1 euro home scheme is another offer that many places in Italy have participated in. We have previously written extensively on this subject here and here. In short, 1 euro homes are, indeed, properties that sell for just 1 euro, but they are often in disrepair, and the municipalities have stipulations that in order for the sale to go through, a renovation project needs to be submitted, and renovations often need to be completed within a set time period after purchase. Some municipalities might also require you to establish residency in the property, i.e. forbidding the use of it as a second home for vacation or rentals. And most of the municipalities participating are in rural areas, so if your dream is to live in Rome or Florence, you most likely won’t find a 1 euro property in those places.
As with the regional grants described above, 1 euro home offers can change frequently, so be sure to research thoroughly if this is something you are particularly interested in. Places that have participated include many municipalities in the south, such as Sicily, Campania, Basilicata, and Molise. Tuscany, Abruzzo, and Sardinia have also participated.
In terms of a cost comparison, this is heavily dependent on the kind of property you get and what other expenses might be tied to it. The required renovation work on 1 euro homes, for instance, could be extreme, or they could be lower, particularly if yearly renovation “bonuses” offered by the government are applied for and granted. The relocation grants for certain regions and towns can be quite generous, but they also come with strict regulations on how they can be used. You will carefully need to assess your own overall budget and see if the provided offsets on costs will make much of a difference for you.
Living in Italy legally long term
One other important thing to note is that none of the above imply that you can legally stay in Italy long term. For instance, merely purchasing a 1 euro home or participating in a regional relocation grant does not lead to automatic permanent residence status. In fact, many relocation grants stipulate that you either have EU citizenship or are already in possession of a valid visa/permit of stay to remain longer than 90 days in the territory.
Obtaining an Italian visa can be a complex and daunting process, but is by no means impossible. Many options are available to fit any number of situations, including the new and popular Digital Nomad Visa, which went into effect in early 2024. The primary qualification for this is to be an experienced remote worker, whether freelance or employed at a company. There is also an Investor Visa, an Elective Residency Visa, a Student Visa, and more.
So…is Italy really paying foreigners to move there?
No. Relocation grants and 1 euro properties can be great decisions for many people, but the incentives offered are primarily ways of lowering costs or offsetting expenses. These can be quite valuable and appealing ways to move to the country, but it is still important to look at all the stipulations and extra expenses involved to see what the actual costs are.
Conclusion
The primary reason Italy offers these incentives is to revitalize small towns that have been facing a sharp decrease in population due to many young people relocating to the cities for work. If your dream is to live in a quiet, rural area, then one of these offerings might be perfect for you. As always, assess your own condition and carefully review the guidelines with a trusted expert. That’s why Italian Real Estate Lawyers is here to help. Contact us today at info@italianrealestatelawyers.com.
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