I am a 31 year old female who just made

Kimba,I live in Basilicata. Have you spent extended periods of time in Italy, specifically Basilicata? Life here is different than in the US and unless you are prepared for this the allure of life in Italy can wear off after time for some people.Moving will also require a PdiS, unless you have Italian or EU citizenship. Bryan

Are you moving alone Kimba? Basilicata is in the sticks and maybe not the best place to move to. I'd be more inclined to test the water further north.Wish you all the best with your move whatever you decide. (We are in Puglia by the way.) Ciao Billy&Martine

Kimba,Have you been to Basilicata before or are you just looking at pictures in books and the web?  You say you are going to get a passport....is this a first time passport?  Which would mean you have never been to Italy before?  If you have not already done so, I would suggest spending some time in the area you are considering.  You will need to get a visa to move and live in Italy.  This is not easy as you will need to prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while living there.  You will also need to prove that you do not have a criminal background...and that you have sufficient health insurance in the US to cover yourself in case of medical needs.  Once you have received a visa, you need to apply for a Permesso within 8 days of arrival to Italy.  Again, not an easy procedure.  How do you plan to support yourself while living there?  You can not work in Italy without a work visa. This would mean that a company over in Italy (while you are living in the US), must hire you first.  With unemplyment levels so high in Italy and even higher in this particular region, it would be quite difficult.  The priority is for jobs to go to Italians first.  You will need to think of things like transportation (car?), utilities (which you can not get until you have a CF), day to day living...Vacationing is one thing, living in another country is another.  Especially if you do not speak the language well.  Good luck. 

One word......Maratea        

Kimba, if you figure out how a US citizen can move to Italy please let me know.  The research I have done is pretty daunting.  I'm a RN and in order for me to work as a RN in Italy there are other classes that I would have to take and be profiecent in oral and written Italian.  My husband and I have taken Italian language classes, but I am far from being profiecent in the language, and  have traveled multiple times to Italy and have stayed for longer than a month each time.  In fact we love the country so much we were married in Positano.  Lots of paperwork just to get married there, but so worth it.  As others have commented, the ideal situation is to be hired by a company in the US that has offices in Italy and be transferred to the Italy offices. 

Hi Kimba,We moved from UK to Basilicata some years ago and have never regretted it.  The people are amazingly friendly, the food, the climate, scenery, history.. blah blah...But - it is a very rural, traditional community - about as different from NYC as you can get ;), and you do need to be clear about visa's etc. It was easier for us as European Union citizens, but even so, arranging residency permits etc.  whas quite complex.Do you intend to work here? Unemployment is high, and getting a job (like most things down South) is about WHO you know, not WHAT you know.  Getting a network of friends and supporters is important.But don't let me put you off -  it will certainly be a challenge... and good luck!