One problem at a time.

So here’s where we are as of today, Jan. 22nd.

Let’s talk about the private charter for Vannah:

We have FINALLY received a reasonable quote from a flight broker. We decided to go with Mark Garza with Air Charter Service. Two weeks ago, we had 11 seats “sold”, and then slowly we lost one person who was going to purchase four seats, we lost a couple whose travel dates changed, and last night we lost another. So now we are down to 5 “confirmed”. Our broker advised us that we need to sign the contract and pay in full by March 1st in order to guarantee this quote. So we have a month to find 6 more eager souls. If not, we are not signing a contract, which would leave us liable for any balance. The quote is for $113,900…. This part of the process makes my eye twitch.

As a backup, we have found another flight, leaving at the end of June from New Jersey and arriving in Milan. This would require a lot of driving on our part, but we would not be the organizers, so we would pay our part and be done. Usually, in everything else in life, I am eager to be the planner, but this is a whole new ballgame. Stay tuned for what happens here, the clock is ticking.

On to the Visas:

Per my last blog entry, you will see that we have booked a number of Airbnbs, 2+ months at a time in a number of regions from Sicily, moving north to the Dolomites. We have since been advised that our chances of obtaining a Visa are ZERO without one single address, registered with Agenzia delle Entrate, the Italian tax authorities. No AirBnBs. Upon our visit to the Italian Consulate in Miami in just two weeks, we need to provide proof of this one residence, with a 12-month lease, registered with the gov’t. We figure we have two options here:

A) Cancel everything and book a single residence. I spent 12 hours yesterday looking for this potential property and emailing agents. We have found places that we like in the following cities: Palermo, Rome, Florence, and Bologna. Although the apartment in Bologna is the only one that is has offered us a contract, and with the perfect timing (June 2024 - May 2025). This morning I woke up to an inbox filled with “no dogs allowed” and “this property isn’t available until Fall”, and more….

B) We have been offered a very inexpensive lease on a place for 15 months (would have to start paying now in order to secure it). We would not live in this place, but actually live down the street for our first two months. The issue here is the Permesso di Soggiorno requirments. Here’s what is involved in this process:

Within the first 8 days of arriving in Italy, you have to find a post office with a Sportello Amico counter.

Here, you will pick up an application kit (required forms that you must fill out). After you pick up the application kit, you can leave the post office and head to somewhere quiet so you can complete it. The forms will be in Italian, yay.

Next, you have to buy a Marca da Bollo stamp, which you have to attach to your application before submitting.  This is a “duty stamp” which you can find at a tabaccheria (yep, that’s a tobacco shop).

You have to buy the kind of Marca da Bollo stamp which is stated on your application kit. This costs around € 16.

Once you have your completed application kit as well as all other required documents, you have to submit them at the Sportello Amico where you first received them. You won’t have to submit the originals of any documents, but bring them just in case they need to see them, along with photocopies for each.

Make sure not to sign the application or close the envelope, since the officers handling your application have to review them first. If they find that everything is in order, they will give you your appointment date for when you have to appear at the Questura (local police headquarters) for the second part of your Italian residence permit application.

They will also give you a receipt, which will serve as a temporary residence permit because the Questura appointment is usually 1-2 months away (or longer). You must keep this receipt with you in case someone asks to see your residence permit, to let them know you are in the process of getting one.

Go to the Questura (police headquarters)

On the date of your appointment at the Questura, you must bring the originals of all the documents that you need (see below), along with the receipt and the letter containing your appointment date that you received at the post office.

There, they will take your fingerprints, and may ask you some questions.

They will also let you know when you can come back in order to pick up your Italian residence permit card.

*Not noted on any government page that I have found (that doesn’t mean that it’s not out there), but confirmed by many people who have been through this process, as well as a couple of Italian citizens, there will be a random police visit to the home, where they will come in, look around to see that you do in fact live there, ask a couple of questions, and have you sign a form confirming the visit was completed.

Questions we have about this:

Can we go to the police station and request certain dates for them to come by, because we need to travel around so I can shoot photos. Being under house arrest is not an option…. One person said this may be acceptable with the police, but you never know, every municipality is different.

It is possible that our appointment given by the post office could be only a couple of weeks out, but it could also be many months out… what if we are in Milan, for example, when we need to be there for the visit, or fingerprinting? What a mess…

This complicated process applies to both options A and B, making the decision challenging. Option A is certainly the safer (and more “legal” route). Our original goal of exploring various regions in Italy now clashes with the necessity of a fixed address. That sucks (lol, no better word).

The dilemma persists: Which route do we take? Do we opt for a single city, and if so, which one? Will we secure the remaining 6 seats on the flight within the month? The urgency is palpable, but, as Mike wisely says, "One problem at a time." Today's problem is the 12-month lease. We have 2 weeks to unravel this puzzle. Stay tuned!