Moving from Australia to Italy

When choosing where to move to in Europe, why not set your sights on Italy? After all, weren’t they the ones to invent the saying ‘la dolce vita’? It is easier than ever to move to Italy and with the right planning, you could be settled into your new home within weeks!

Pizza, pasta and Aperol spritz are likely to be the first things to come to your mind when you think about Italy, but that is not the only reason people consider it as a potential home. Italy’s perfect coastline and warm summers coupled with friendly locals and beautiful architecture are enough to make anyone want to make the move to the European country.

Italy is the birthplace of many of history’s finest artists, and the Italians have done what is needed in order to showcase this. With museums on every corner, art enthusiasts will be in their own personal heaven in Italy with new places to visit every weekend.

Fashion week and the Italian Grand Prix are just two of the major events that put Italy in the forefront of people's minds every year, as people flock to its cities to catch a glimpse of their favourite designer or race car driver. Italians are famous for their work/life balance, with many saying that quality of life is some of the best in the world.

Due to the large number of expats in Italy, it is a great place for Australians looking to live abroad with families, as you will be able to connect with like-minded people who are in a similar situation to yourself. Larger expat communities also mean that there is likely to be a local international school where you can send your children.

Whether you choose to live in the bustling northern city of Milan or in one of the picturesque coastal towns of the Amalfi Coast, you are sure to be able to find a home to suit your requirements.

If your high school Italian is not as good as it once was, and you are looking for a place where you will be able to get along without speaking Italian, then look towards the major cities. Places like Rome or Milan are great as they attract a larger number of expats and are places where international business is more likely to occur, meaning more people will speak English.

If you intend to continue to work once you arrive, and you do not have the luxury of being able to take your work with you wherever you go, then it is advisable that you focus your home search in the northern parts of the country. Whilst the southern regions are beautiful and are excellent places to holiday, if you wish to work in the corporate space, it is much easier to find work in the larger, northern cities. If you will be moving with your family and young children, then you will find that international schools are more common here also.

Choosing a removalist for an international move is not the same as choosing one for a local move. You need to make sure that your removalist can handle the different logistical challenges such as coordinating ship and road transport and teams in different cities as well as one that takes the proper care to protect your belongings during their long transit.

When moving internationally to Italy, your belongings will be travelling thousands of kilometres over land and sea, so you want to be sure that your belongings are receiving proper care to ensure that they arrive at their destination in original condition.

When choosing your removalist, check that they have industry accreditation. Anyone can buy a van and claim to be a removalist, but it takes more than that to be a quality and trustworthy removalist. Accreditations to look out for are as follows:

• A.I.M.A | Australian International Movers Association
• FIDI | The Voice of the International Moving Industry
• FAIM | FIDI Accredited International Mover
• IAM | International Association of Movers

Another thing to look out for are the extra services that are on offer. A good removalist will not only offer moving services, but will also offer additional services such as the following:

• Household cleaning
• Pet and vehicle transport
• Insurance
• Valet packing and unpacking

Tip: Don’t wait until the last minute to book your removalist. Book in early so that you can be sure that you get a quality removalist. Waiting until the last minute may mean that reputable companies are fully booked, and you may be forced to go with a second-rate provider.

Making sure that you have the correct documentation is important in any overseas move. It is a good idea to contact the Italian Embassy in Australia to guarantee that you know exactly what you will need to do to ensure that you have the rights to live and work in Italy.

Where you can, it is important to get started early on organising any kind of documentation for your move. You will need to allow plenty of time for processing, so that if there are any amendments to be made, you will have plenty of time to adjust and resubmit in time before you leave.

Something to be mindful of when moving internationally is your passport expiry date. Check your passport expiry date in the early stages of planning for your move to ensure that you have sufficient validity prior to leaving. You would be surprised by how often people get caught out with expired passports in the chaos of moving homes and you want to avoid any unnecessary rushing fees as they can be costly.

Allied are Australia’s premier international relocation company. With industry accreditation and a comprehensive list of additional services, along with offices in Australia and across the globe, Allied are perfectly positioned to deliver upon your international moving needs.