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Welcome to our regular look at everything you need to know about life in Italy for The Local’s readers from the US. This newsletter is published monthly and you can receive it directly to your inbox before we publish by going to newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’ or following the instructions in the newsletter box below.
Italy isn’t usually the first country people associate with career opportunities, especially when it comes to international residents.
It consistently ranks poorly in job market rankings and worker surveys, with low pay, language barriers and lack of job security all reported as making it difficult for foreign nationals to find the right fit.
But that doesn’t mean that being employed in Italy has no advantages to speak of.
From generous paid leave policies to employee-friendly rules on dismissals and healthcare rights, we rounded up five reasons why working in Italy is better than the US.
Remember: you can share your own views on the pros and cons of working in Italy compared to the US in the comments section below the article.
Five ways working in Italy is better than working in the US
Italy is an increasingly appealing destination for foreign freelancers, not least because it offers a favourable ‘flat-tax regime’ for some categories of self-employed workers.
With the introduction of a digital nomad visa (DNV) earlier this year, freelancers have another option to move to Italy besides the notoriously difficult self-employment visa.
One of the biggest advantages of the DNV is that there’s no limit to the number of visas the government can issue, whereas self-employment visas are capped under Italy’s decreto flussi quota system (only 700 self-employment visas were made available in 2024).
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But the differences between the two visa options don’t end there. We looked at how the two visas differ to help you decide which one’s best for you.
And if you’re looking for some key insights into what applying for a DNV in the US entails, we recently interviewed Aurelia Lugo – an American garment designer who was granted one of Italy’s first-ever digital nomad visas after her self-employment visa application was rejected.
Self-employed vs digital nomad visa: Which one should you choose to move to Italy?
Finally, if you moved to Italy from the US, and have now added a baby to your exciting Italian life, you’ll want to secure their American citizenship and passport straight away.
We outlined all the experience-based information and tips American parents in Italy should know about in the article below.
How to quickly get a US passport for a child born in Italy
Have your say: if you’d like to share your opinion or tell us about an experience you’ve had while living in Italy, please leave a comment below this article or get in touch by email.
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And if you have any advice for other American readers who are considering moving to Italy, or questions of your own, you can add them to our ongoing survey here.
Thanks for reading and please get in touch with us by email if you have any feedback on this newsletter.