Visa Update
Can we live and work in Italy for a year? Only time will tell.
Today we had a call with a lawyer in Italy and he basically said that our best bet for obtaining a visa would be to apply for an Elective Resident Visa (aka retirement visa). If this is the case, we have to prove that we will NOT be working while in Italy, and have the approved amount of income. Not money in the bank, but INCOME. Something like a pension.
If we say that Mike is retired and pulling money from his business account, and I am not working at all, here’s another wrench: Italian Consulates don't accept hotels bookings, Airbnb, or similar. We have already booked houses in Castellabate, Sicily, and Rome for the first five months. One through the owner directly, one through Airbnb, and one through VRBO.
Our other option is a self employment visa (as a freelance). It is extremely difficult to obtain because it is subject to the availability of yearly quotas (less than 500 quotas available for 2023) and in practice most applicants receive a denial from the Consulate after having obtained the necessary clearances in Italy. The lawyer we spoke with today high discourages us from even wasting our time on this one… but I think I’m going to apply anyway.
Our next thought was, perhaps we could stay in Italy for 90 days, then Croatia for 90 days, then go back to Italy for another 90, and so on…. Nope. Enter the The Schengen Agreement.
The Schengen Area consists of 26 European countries that have abolished internal border controls and share a common visa policy. When you enter the Schengen Area, you are usually granted a total of 90 days within a 180-day period to travel across these countries.
During these 90 days, you can travel freely between the Schengen countries without passing through border checks. This means you can spend some time in Italy, for example, and then move on to Croatia, or any other Schengen country, as long as the total number of days you spend in all Schengen countries combined does not exceed 90 days within any consecutive 180-day period.
However, it's important to note that this rule applies to your entire stay within the Schengen Area. For instance, if you spend 60 days in Italy, you will have 30 days left to spend in other Schengen countries within the same 180-day period. Once you reach the 90-day limit, you must leave the Schengen Area for at least 90 days before you can reenter.
This area includes literally every European country that we would be interested in spending an extended time in.
So, what’s next? Obtain the passports, schedule the visa interview at the consulate, and just assume that it will all work out.