Our previous articles have analysed the various paths to relocating to Italy and acquiring Italian citizenship, the eligibility requirements and the documentation needed to apply. This article instead will focus on the benefits of acquiring Italian citizenship, such as the possibility of travelling to a number of countries without any restrictions, working, studying and residing anywhere in the Europe Union, and accessing Italy’s high-quality universal healthcare service, education system and competitive real estate market, to name a few.
However, before we dig deeper into the benefits of acquiring Italian citizenship, it is worth mentioning that you can file an application for Italian citizenship if you are of Italian descent, if you are married to an Italian citizen, or if you have lived in Italy for a specific amount of time.
Italy is one of the most appealing European countries to move to due to the high work prospects as well as the numerous investment opportunities this nation provides. In fact, Italian citizenship can create incredible opportunities and it can open the doors to a number of benefits, namely:
- Travel Benefits: as an Italian citizen you have the ability to work, reside and study in Italy and across the whole European Union for however long you desire without the hassle of dealing with long and expensive visa applications. In fact, if you hold an Italian passport no visa is required to travel to any of the EU’s member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden).
Furthermore, Italy has one of the world’s most powerful passports, which allows its holders to access a number of non-EU countries without applying for a visa in advance. The Italian passport has also been in the top five in the Henley Passport Index since the index began in 2006, ranking higher than the British and US passports.
- Employment Benefits: upon gaining Italian citizenship, you will have the same rights to live and work in Italy as any other Italian citizen. This means that you will have easy access to jobs and other employment opportunities in Italy and throughout the rest of Europe. In fact, Europe is home to some of the world’s largest companies, which make it an attractive career destination. European countries also provide their residents with numerous unemployment benefits and a number of social security schemes.
- Educational Benefits: the education system in Italy is very affordable, and being a citizen of the country means that you and your children can enroll in schools or programs both in Italy and in any other EU country. Many prestigious universities that have an excellent international reputation are located in Italy, where tuition fees are also considerably lower than in the United States. In fact, in some cases Italian students may even be exempt from paying their tuition fees depending on their academic performance and financial circumstances. Furthermore, many universities in Italy participate in the Erasmus Program, which is an EU student exchange program that allows students to study in another European country as part of their degree.
- Property Purchasing Benefits: it will be much easier for you to purchase property and establish a business if you are an Italian citizen, along with having the opportunity to make certain investments that are only available to European citizens.
Compared to many northern European countries and to North America, the Italian real estate market is very accessible and Italy has a great variety of choice of properties, ranging from small apartments to villas, farm houses, bungalows and detached houses. Prices for an average property are considerably lower compared to prices in the Unites States or the United Kingdom. Generally speaking, prices in northern Italy are higher, however, this is proportionate to the cost of living. There are also other variables to take into account such as where the property is located specifically (on the coast, in a small town or in a big city), its size and condition, among others.
Finally, it is worth specifying that tax benefits apply if you hold Italian citizenship and purchase a property in Italy.
- Voting Rights: as an Italian citizen you will have the right to vote in the Italian Parliament elections. Furthermore, all citizens of the EU are entitled to vote in the European Parliament elections.
- Healthcare Benefits: Italy’s healthcare system is one of the best and most affordable in the world. In particular, Italy has a public-based health care system that is supported by tax income, and health expenses are on average much lower compared to other states. Once you have a “Tessera Sanitaria” (Italian National Healthcare Card), you can receive treatment in any health care facility in the country. In addition to this, the Italian National Healthcare Card entitles you to apply for a European Health Insurance Card, which covers medical expenses in other EU countries.
- A legacy for your children: once you obtain Italian citizenship, you can hold it forever and pass it down to future generations. In particular, once your application for Italian citizenship is approved, any child under the age of 18 is automatically granted citizenship. Therefore, if you include your minor children in your application they will not need to go through the entire process of filing an application individually, and they will be able to pass on citizenship to their children provided that they register their children’s births through the AIRE (Registry of Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) before they turn 18.
- Protection Benefits: if you hold an EU passport you are permitted access to any embassy of European Union member states which can provide assistance for you if you are traveling in a location where the Italian government does not have representation. Finally, you are also covered under The European Convention on Human Rights.
In conclusion, this article has sought to analyze a number of benefits and opportunities you can enjoy as an Italian citizen. If you are interested in applying for citizenship and you would like learn more about the benefits of Italian citizenship or about the eligibility requirements to apply, do not hesitate to contact us at info@italiancitizenshipassistance.com. We will be happy to help you.