Modern Vespa

We were in Italy last year for holidays after a business trip to the UK and North America.

Like a lot of people we were blown away by the people and the country.

Since then we have talked about moving over for a year.

I hold a dual British and Australian passport.

Has anyone on this forum made the move and lived and worked in Italy for any period of time?

My best friend lived over in Milan for two years. A few blocks away from the Galleria. I was fortunate to make a couple of trips over to visit. My friend loved it, but it did take about 3-4 months to get sorted out and comfortable. Especially if you go in the summer when many towns or shops are on holiday.

Living the life of an ex pat for a few years was wonderful although my friend had the advantage of being relocated by an employer, so there was someone helping to manage the move. You are off to a good start in doing research. Ciao!

Thanks Luna...any advice or tips are helpful...many thanks.

Hoping I can take my Vespa...will anyone notice it is an "Aussie"?

Regards,

David

David-

Bringing a non-EU vehicle into the Eu can be difficult, as you would need resident papers and an EC compliance certificate to register it. Might very well be easier to buy a new one in Italy. We brought our Malaguti and Derbi (bought in the US) to Greece, and even though they were manufactured in Europe, we had to have a full blown compliance inspection to register them. Fortunately, we had a very good customs broker who knew the inspecting engineer. Taxes and duty, however, ran 600 Euro per scooter.

It is possible to bring a vehicle in as a "tourist" vehicle, using current and paid up number plates from outside the EU, but that is only good for 6 months, and then the vehicle has to be put into storage for 6 months before you can use it again, and then it's 6 months, etc.

Al

thanks Al...sounds like a plan.

Do you and your partner speak Italian?

My wife speaks Italian (dialect) and we are both in our 1st term with the Dante Aligheri Society Italian school.

This leads to a Certificate of Italian language proficiency.

We can teach English in Italy maybe...?

I've worked in various countries (but not Italy). So far I have always had a job waiting there for me so it was never a difficult move. Without a job waiting for you then you'll have to compete with other Italians and Europeans - current unemployment in Italy is 8% - then remember you don't speak the language and I'm guessing you don't have a TEFL qualification. I guess you have to work out what you have to offer and whether it's in demand.

But good luck!

Mike