https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The EU has moved to tighten rules on pet passports, closing a loophole that has been used by many British second-home owners since Brexit. https://www.thelocal.it/20260422/eu-tightens-rules-for-brits-travelling-to-europe-with-pets Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:29:35 +0200 eu-tightens-rules-for-brits-travelling-to-europe-with-pets If you're a non-resident in Italy, there are certain services and rights you will have access to and others that you won't. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering taking up residency. https://www.thelocal.it/20250625/what-you-can-and-cannot-do-as-a-non-resident-in-italy Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:40:18 +0200 what-you-can-and-cannot-do-as-a-non-resident-in-italy It's not uncommon for second-home owners to decide that they want to move to Italy full-time - but what are the practical steps that you need to take to make this happen? https://www.thelocal.it/20250326/explained-how-to-convert-an-italian-second-home-into-your-main-residence Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:04:55 +0100 explained-how-to-convert-an-italian-second-home-into-your-main-residence Owning a second home in Italy is a dream for many – but there are some key things you should consider before you dive into the Italian property market. https://www.thelocal.it/20250530/five-questions-to-ask-before-buying-a-second-home-in-italy Fri, 30 May 2025 18:01:21 +0200 five-questions-to-ask-before-buying-a-second-home-in-italy Regular visitors who spend extended periods of time in Italy, own property in the country, or have dual citizenship are sometimes unsure of their healthcare rights or the type of policy they’ll need. Here's a look at the available options. https://www.thelocal.it/20240206/second-home-owners-what-are-the-options-for-healthcare-in-italy Tue, 06 Feb 2024 11:29:46 +0100 second-home-owners-what-are-the-options-for-healthcare-in-italy Italy’s tax season begins in mid-June, with the first deadline affecting owners of a second home or luxury residence in the country. https://www.thelocal.it/20250609/key-tax-deadline-nears-for-second-home-owners-in-italy Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:03:57 +0200 key-tax-deadline-nears-for-second-home-owners-in-italy Does that social media post about a rural cottage on sale for under €50,000 look too good to be true? It may be genuine but be careful – there are reasons why no property in Italy ever really comes cheap. https://www.thelocal.it/20241113/why-cheap-italian-properties-will-cost-you-more-than-you-bargained-for Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:39:57 +0100 why-cheap-italian-properties-will-cost-you-more-than-you-bargained-for Owning a second home in Italy is the dream of a lifetime for many. But if you have a 'seconda casa' in the country, you should make sure you stay out of trouble with the Italian taxman. https://www.thelocal.it/20211026/what-taxes-do-you-need-to-pay-if-you-own-a-second-home-in-italy Tue, 26 Oct 2021 19:43:49 +0200 what-taxes-do-you-need-to-pay-if-you-own-a-second-home-in-italy From prices, new trends and the most popular regions to buy next year, here's the lowdown on what to expect if you're buying property in Italy in 2025. https://www.thelocal.it/20250108/what-should-property-buyers-in-italy-expect-in-the-year-ahead Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:17:13 +0100 what-should-property-buyers-in-italy-expect-in-the-year-ahead From the enforcement of new rules for holiday rentals to planned changes to popular renovation bonuses, here's what second-home owners in Italy can expect in 2025. https://www.thelocal.it/20241211/explained-what-changes-for-second-home-owners-in-italy-in-2025 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:51:19 +0100 explained-what-changes-for-second-home-owners-in-italy-in-2025 Buying a cheap home in Italy as a foreigner is often the easy part, it's the renovation where things get complicated. But one American financial advisor explains how it can be done, albeit at a cost, and that the worst thing to do would be to wait. https://www.thelocal.it/20241009/dont-wait-my-advice-for-buying-and-renovating-a-cheap-italian-home Wed, 09 Oct 2024 13:51:23 +0200 dont-wait-my-advice-for-buying-and-renovating-a-cheap-italian-home Buying a house in Italy may sound like a dream come true, but it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve got some pointers from the experts. https://www.thelocal.it/20240530/step-by-step-a-beginners-guide-to-buying-a-house-in-italy Thu, 30 May 2024 16:36:23 +0200 step-by-step-a-beginners-guide-to-buying-a-house-in-italy It's human nature to look for a loophole, shortcut or workaround to the rules, but most of the advertised 'dodges' to the EU's 90-day rule are nothing of the sort. https://www.thelocal.it/20230531/mythbuster-can-you-really-cheat-the-eus-90-day-rule Wed, 31 May 2023 14:48:44 +0200 mythbuster-can-you-really-cheat-the-eus-90-day-rule Buying property in Italy and spending long holidays in the Tuscan countryside, by the sea or in cities like Florence or Rome is the dream for many. https://www.thelocal.it/20221018/everything-you-need-to-know-about-having-a-second-home-in-italy Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:09:38 +0200 everything-you-need-to-know-about-having-a-second-home-in-italy Following reports that Spanish authorities are under pressure to extend the time Brits can now stay in Spain, readers with second homes in Italy have asked whether the same thing could happen here. https://www.thelocal.it/20211109/brexit-will-brits-be-allowed-to-spend-more-than-90-days-in-italy Tue, 09 Nov 2021 14:13:48 +0100 brexit-will-brits-be-allowed-to-spend-more-than-90-days-in-italy As borders around Europe gradually open, travellers from the UK find themselves in the odd position of being allowed to travel but officially advised against it by the government. Here's what that means for people with family in different countries, second-home owners and tourists. https://www.thelocal.it/20210518/what-does-uks-new-travel-advice-for-europes-amber-countries-mean Tue, 18 May 2021 13:24:36 +0200 what-does-uks-new-travel-advice-for-europes-amber-countries-mean There have been a lot of Brexit deadlines over the last four years - many of them missed - but March 31st is an important one for some UK nationals if they don't want to end up in trouble with immigration authorities. https://www.thelocal.it/20210324/why-some-britons-will-have-to-leave-their-eu-countries-by-march-31st Wed, 24 Mar 2021 18:23:41 +0100 why-some-britons-will-have-to-leave-their-eu-countries-by-march-31st With most of Italy in lockdown, local authorities are resorting to tourist bans, testing requirements and quarantine to discourage second-home owners from visiting. https://www.thelocal.it/20210318/dont-come-italian-regions-seek-to-stop-second-home-owners-visiting Thu, 18 Mar 2021 14:04:54 +0100 dont-come-italian-regions-seek-to-stop-second-home-owners-visiting Brits in Italy now need to sit an Italian driving test if they wish to continue driving in Italy. But what about Brits who own a home in Italy, but aren’t residents? https://www.thelocal.it/20210304/reader-question-do-british-second-home-owners-in-italy-need-to-get-an-italian-driving-licence Thu, 04 Mar 2021 17:14:00 +0100 reader-question-do-british-second-home-owners-in-italy-need-to-get-an-italian-driving-licence While Brexit is throwing up many complications for British people who live full-time in Italy (or plan to), there is another group who will be impacted by the changes in 2021 - second home owners. https://www.thelocal.it/20201207/how-can-british-second-home-owners-spend-more-than-90-days-in-italy-after-brexit Mon, 07 Dec 2020 15:23:02 +0100 how-can-british-second-home-owners-spend-more-than-90-days-in-italy-after-brexit