Planning to Move to Italy? Explore Your Options and Get Support

Are you thinking about moving to Italy from the United States, reconnecting with your Italian ancestry, spending an extended period in Italy, or planning a meaningful trip? Antonov & Partners helps international clients turn a broad idea into a practical plan, with personalized guidance and coordination for the next steps.

Whether you are researching how to move to Italy from the USA, checking whether you may qualify for Italian citizenship by descent, exploring residence options, or planning a trip to discover your family’s hometown, start by understanding which questions matter in your situation.

Book a consultation with Antonov & Partners: https://antonovandpartners.com/contact

How can you move to Italy?

The right route depends on your citizenship, family circumstances, purpose of stay, income, work plans and intended length of residence. There is no single visa or relocation pathway that works for everyone.

Depending on your circumstances, routes to investigate may include:

• EU citizenship: EU citizens generally have rights to move to Italy, subject to applicable registration and residence formalities.
• Study in Italy: university admission and the relevant student entry and residence procedures.
• Employment or self-employment: routes that may apply when the relevant legal and eligibility requirements are met.
• Family-based options: residence routes for qualifying family circumstances.
• Elective residence: potentially relevant for people who meet the specific requirements, including financial and other conditions.
• Digital nomad or remote-worker visa: a route to investigate if you meet the current eligibility criteria. See our guide to the Italy digital nomad visa: requirements, documents and how to apply.
• Other long-stay routes: depending on your nationality and individual circumstances.

Antonov & Partners can help you organize your questions, identify the requirements to verify, prepare a practical checklist and coordinate with relevant local or specialist partners where appropriate. We do not guarantee visa approval or provide a substitute for a decision by Italian authorities.

Italian citizenship by descent: could your ancestry matter?

Many people in the United States and elsewhere search for Italian citizenship by descent, Italian dual citizenship, or how to trace an Italian ancestor. If a parent, grandparent or another ancestor was Italian, you may want to explore whether your family history is relevant.

Eligibility is not automatic. It can depend on your family line, dates, citizenship history, records, and the law applicable to your circumstances. Italian citizenship legislation changed in 2025, introducing additional statutory conditions for many people born abroad who hold another citizenship. Having an Italian ancestor alone does not establish eligibility.

We can help you take an organized first step by:

• mapping the key facts in your family history;
• identifying birth, marriage, naturalization and other records that may need to be located;
• preparing a document-gathering checklist;
• highlighting questions that require formal legal assessment; and
• coordinating with qualified professionals where specialist legal advice or representation is needed.

Before paying for translations, certificates or extensive record searches, consider booking a consultation to identify the main questions that should be checked first. We cannot guarantee citizenship recognition, and the competent authorities make the official decisions.

Moving to Italy from the USA: what should you plan?

A move involves more than a visa application. Depending on your situation, your preparation checklist may include:

• checking entry and residence requirements for your nationality and purpose;
• budgeting for housing, deposits, transport and initial living expenses;
• preparing civil records and arranging translations or legalization when required (our apostille and document legalisation checklist shows what each country expects);
• researching the city or region where you plan to live;
• understanding healthcare, local registration and practical arrival tasks;
• reviewing banking and tax questions with appropriately qualified professionals; and
• setting a realistic timeline for applications and appointments.

We help you put these tasks in order so you can see what to investigate before making expensive commitments. Our support is tailored to your objectives and may include coordination with local partners for specialist matters.

Want to visit Italy before relocating?

You do not have to be ready for a permanent move to benefit from planning support. You may want to visit Italy for the first time, trace your family roots, return to your ancestors’ town, compare cities before choosing where to live, or plan a longer cultural trip.

Antonov & Partners can assist with practical travel planning based on your interests, dates and travel style. Depending on the agreed scope, this may include destination research, itinerary planning, preparation checklists and organizing the details of a heritage or exploratory trip.

Entry rules depend on nationality, purpose and length of stay. A tourist visit does not by itself authorize long-term residence or employment. We can help you identify official requirements to check before you travel.

Why work with Antonov & Partners?

International relocation can involve unfamiliar rules, multiple institutions and documents from different countries. We focus on helping you understand the next steps and coordinate the process. If you are comparing advisers, our checklist for choosing a relocation consultant and avoiding visa scams explains what to look for.

• Personalized planning: discuss your goals, nationality, family background and timeline.
• Clear priorities: identify the most important questions to resolve first.
• Practical coordination: organize preparation tasks and coordinate with local or specialist partners when appropriate.
• International perspective: support for clients planning across borders, including English-speaking clients in the United States and other countries.
• Transparent expectations: no promises of citizenship, visas, residence permits or official outcomes.

How the consultation works

1. Tell us your goal: relocation, Italian citizenship by descent, study, a longer stay or tourism.
2. Explain your circumstances: your current country, citizenship, family connection to Italy and approximate timeline, where relevant.
3. Review the next questions: identify the routes and requirements that need to be checked for your situation.
4. Discuss support options: if you want to proceed, we can agree on the service scope, coordination and fees before additional work begins.

You do not need to have every document ready or know the legal terminology. Bring your questions and the information you already have.

Frequently asked questions

Can an American move to Italy permanently?

Potentially, but the appropriate route depends on the person’s circumstances and the relevant immigration requirements. A tourist stay alone does not provide a right to settle or work in Italy.

Can I get Italian citizenship if my grandfather was Italian?

Possibly, but ancestry alone does not guarantee eligibility. Family history, dates, citizenship events, documentation and current law all matter. A case-specific assessment is important.

Can Antonov & Partners guarantee an Italian visa or citizenship?

No. Decisions are made by the competent authorities. We help clients understand options, prepare and organize next steps, and coordinate relevant specialist support where appropriate.

Can you help if I only want to visit Italy?

Yes. We can discuss practical travel planning and help organize a trip around your interests, including heritage travel or exploring places you might later consider for relocation.

When should I book a consultation?

Ideally, before committing substantial time or money to a route you have not checked. A consultation can help you identify the key questions and practical next steps.

Start planning your move to Italy

Whether you are exploring moving to Italy from the USA, Italian citizenship by descent, a long-stay option or a trip to Italy, you do not have to work through every question alone.

Book a personalized consultation: Antonov & Partners

Tell us where you are based, what you hope to do in Italy and your approximate timeline. We will help you clarify the next steps and discuss what support may be appropriate.

Important: This article provides general information, not legal, immigration, tax or citizenship advice. Rules and procedures can change and vary by individual circumstances. Official decisions on citizenship, visas, residence permits, admission and entry are made by competent authorities. Specialist legal work should be handled by appropriately qualified professionals.