Great topic. I would add that if you want to drive in Italy after you establish residency, make sure you go to an autoscuola course and get the Italian 'patente di guida' before 12 months unless your home issuing country is one that is allowed to transfer the foreign driver license to an Italian license. The U.S. international permit is technically only valid for 12 months for dual U.S./Italian citizens residing in Italy.
Great feedback. While I believe you are correct, one must also consider age limits (old guy here 😊). I’ve read age limit is 70 or 80. Not clear. Also not clear if for the practical exam one can use a vehicle that has manual shift or automatic shift. So I believe a video on license plate conversions would be very useful.
@@lucchese20 I can confirm from experience as a dual citizen residing permanently in Italy the issue of the US license: You have a one-year grace period from the moment you establish residency, then the US license is no longer consider valid. In order to get an Italian license you must obligatorily sign up to a driving school (this wasn't the case a few years ago, so you might hear conflicting accounts!) Unlike in the US you cannot use your own car from the exam; you use the autoscuola's. While it is technically allowed to do the exam with an automatic transmission - if your driving school happens to have that kinda of vehicle - your license will be limited to a "codice 78", limiting you to only driving automatic vehicle, which are not very common in Italy.
@@chrisdalessandro2546 I am hearing rumors that the car manufacturers are thinking about dropping manual transmission cars soon since automatic is now more gas efficient than the stick shift with modern systems. If this holds true, then it probably won't be too big an issue to have a codice 78.
@@PaulFromCHGO You're right, little by little manufacturers are transitioning towards automatic transmissions, which no longer present the disadvantages they presented 20-30 years ago. Still, at the present most driving schools don't offer codice78 as a possibility since that would require actually having an automatic vehicle on hand! I imagine in a decade or so it will be more common to have that option though, yes.
Thank you for explaining in more depth the way we can purchase a car. I have dual citizenship, so for me to buy a car is much easier. Both my husband and I are going to practice the online driving test before we get to Italy so that it is much more likely for us to pass the test.
I don't think this is the whole story. There is still the hurdle of getting an Italian Driver's License, correct? It is my understanding that if you are coming from America, even as a dual citizen, Italy will not allow you to drive long term on a US license and you need to go though driver's education in Italy and start from scratch.
@@AlessandroS-v8g I think you are right. Of course if I am moving there permanently, then I still have to enroll in driver's education and do the classes and exams in Italian (i'm not fluent yet). Too bad they don't do it like Austria where they let you convert your US license to an Austrian one but oh well.
I will be a dual citizen very soon thanks to Rafael’s referral to ICA and Marco. Thank you for the clarification on vehicle ownership. However, you did not cover the drivers license requirement. My challenge would be to be fluent enough in Italian to pass what I hear is a difficult exam. After my citizenship is recognized will I still have to be fluent in Italian to obtain a drivers license and have the car registered ?
Great discussion. My wife and I are both dual citizens, own a home here in Italy and have been renting a car for years in the belief we cannot purchase one. What documents are required to purchase a car?
I have a question, I lived in Italy for 15 years with Italian Citizenship (which i recieved with residency and im registered with A.I.R.E.) before moving to England with my family in 2015, if i were to get a uk nationality despite having a Italian one, would that terminate my italian one or would it stay. also im a dual national, Italy and my home country. Thank you for your content I appriciate it
Italy allows dual citizenship so you should be ok there. But also check your other citizenships to see if they are ok with it. In my case, I know Austria allowed me to keep multiple citizenships when I got it but they said if I get another citizenship in the future, I can lose the Austrian one.
It’s really not. I find everyone there helpful. In government offices I’ve found the officials genuinely invested in getting you over the line. Now, France? That is complicated…
This is far from a complete story concerning vehicle purchases in Italy. For example, US drivers license is only valid for ONE YEAR, after which you need to acquire an Italian driver’s license, which means you need to study and prepare for a 30 question, T/F exam written in Italian. But before you can sit for the exam you need a Carte di identità and before you can acquire a Carte di identità you will need your certificato di residenza and your Permesso di soggiorno. Then go buy your car. It a very layered approach to buying a car. Typical Italian bureaucracy.
This is far from a complete story concerning vehicle purchases in Italy. For example, US drivers license is only valid for ONE YEAR, after which you need to acquire an Italian driver’s license, which means you need to study and prepare for a 30 question, T/F exam written in Italian. But before you can sit for the exam you need a Carte di identità and before you can acquire a Carte di identità you will need your Permesso di soggiorno. It a very layered approach to buying a car. Typical Italian bureaucracy.
Great topic. I would add that if you want to drive in Italy after you establish residency, make sure you go to an autoscuola course and get the Italian 'patente di guida' before 12 months unless your home issuing country is one that is allowed to transfer the foreign driver license to an Italian license. The U.S. international permit is technically only valid for 12 months for dual U.S./Italian citizens residing in Italy.
Great feedback.
While I believe you are correct, one must also consider age limits (old guy here 😊). I’ve read age limit is 70 or 80. Not clear.
Also not clear if for the practical exam one can use a vehicle that has manual shift or automatic shift.
So I believe a video on license plate conversions would be very useful.
@@lucchese20 I can confirm from experience as a dual citizen residing permanently in Italy the issue of the US license: You have a one-year grace period from the moment you establish residency, then the US license is no longer consider valid. In order to get an Italian license you must obligatorily sign up to a driving school (this wasn't the case a few years ago, so you might hear conflicting accounts!) Unlike in the US you cannot use your own car from the exam; you use the autoscuola's. While it is technically allowed to do the exam with an automatic transmission - if your driving school happens to have that kinda of vehicle - your license will be limited to a "codice 78", limiting you to only driving automatic vehicle, which are not very common in Italy.
@@chrisdalessandro2546 I am hearing rumors that the car manufacturers are thinking about dropping manual transmission cars soon since automatic is now more gas efficient than the stick shift with modern systems. If this holds true, then it probably won't be too big an issue to have a codice 78.
@@PaulFromCHGO You're right, little by little manufacturers are transitioning towards automatic transmissions, which no longer present the disadvantages they presented 20-30 years ago. Still, at the present most driving schools don't offer codice78 as a possibility since that would require actually having an automatic vehicle on hand! I imagine in a decade or so it will be more common to have that option though, yes.
Thank you for explaining in more depth the way we can purchase a car. I have dual citizenship, so for me to buy a car is much easier. Both my husband and I are going to practice the online driving test before we get to Italy so that it is much more likely for us to pass the test.
I don't think this is the whole story. There is still the hurdle of getting an Italian Driver's License, correct? It is my understanding that if you are coming from America, even as a dual citizen, Italy will not allow you to drive long term on a US license and you need to go though driver's education in Italy and start from scratch.
Pretty sure you can drive for a year on a foreign license
@@AlessandroS-v8g I think you are right. Of course if I am moving there permanently, then I still have to enroll in driver's education and do the classes and exams in Italian (i'm not fluent yet). Too bad they don't do it like Austria where they let you convert your US license to an Austrian one but oh well.
I will be a dual citizen very soon thanks to Rafael’s referral to ICA and Marco. Thank you for the clarification on vehicle ownership. However, you did not cover the drivers license requirement. My challenge would be to be fluent enough in Italian to pass what I hear is a difficult exam. After my citizenship is recognized will I still have to be fluent in Italian to obtain a drivers license and have the car registered ?
If you don't need to be fluent in Italian to get Italian citizenship, Italy grants citizenship too easily
You have one year after obtaining residency to get an Italian driver license. You can use an international driver’s permit for the first year
Great discussion. My wife and I are both dual citizens, own a home here in Italy and have been renting a car for years in the belief we cannot purchase one. What documents are required to purchase a car?
I have a question, I lived in Italy for 15 years with Italian Citizenship (which i recieved with residency and im registered with A.I.R.E.) before moving to England with my family in 2015, if i were to get a uk nationality despite having a Italian one, would that terminate my italian one or would it stay. also im a dual national, Italy and my home country. Thank you for your content I appriciate it
Italy allows dual citizenship so you should be ok there. But also check your other citizenships to see if they are ok with it. In my case, I know Austria allowed me to keep multiple citizenships when I got it but they said if I get another citizenship in the future, I can lose the Austrian one.
Insurance will be expensive at first till you earn experience...
I always feel that Italy is so complicated....very discouraging place
What you “Feel” doesn’t mean it’s factual.
It’s really not. I find everyone there helpful. In government offices I’ve found the officials genuinely invested in getting you over the line. Now, France? That is complicated…
Nothing is given for free. If you really want something, you have to at least learn to make an effort and be patient.
This is far from a complete story concerning vehicle purchases in Italy.
For example, US drivers license is only valid for ONE YEAR, after which you need to acquire an Italian driver’s license, which means you need to study and prepare for a 30 question, T/F exam written in Italian.
But before you can sit for the exam you need a Carte di identità and before you can acquire a Carte di identità you will need your certificato di residenza and your Permesso di soggiorno.
Then go buy your car.
It a very layered approach to buying a car. Typical Italian bureaucracy.
This video was not very informative. There was so much which was not covered.
This is far from a complete story concerning vehicle purchases in Italy.
For example, US drivers license is only valid for ONE YEAR, after which you need to acquire an Italian driver’s license, which means you need to study and prepare for a 30 question, T/F exam written in Italian.
But before you can sit for the exam you need a Carte di identità and before you can acquire a Carte di identità you will need your Permesso di soggiorno.
It a very layered approach to buying a car. Typical Italian bureaucracy.
Why are so many Italian properties owned by Thai citizens, while foreigners are not allowed to own properties or companies in Thailand?