Is healthcare free in Italy for residents?

Yes. Italy's national health service (SSN) provides free emergency care and heavily subsidized specialist visits for residents. The most a resident typically pays for a specialist follow-up is around 36€, with no deductibles, copays, or pre-existing condition exclusions.

Do you need a car to live in Italy?

Not in most Italian cities. Cities like Torino have reliable metro and tram networks. A full-price adult annual transit pass costs just over 200€, making car-free living practical and affordable.

Do you need to pass a B1 Italian exam to get Italian citizenship?

Yes. Applicants for Italian citizenship by marriage (jure matrimonii) are required to pass the CILS B1 Cittadinanza exam. The exam tests listening, reading, writing, and speaking in Italian.

An American in Italy: What Two Years Actually Taught Me

Tiffany
3 days ago
3 min read

I moved from the US to Italy in 2024 with my husband and children. We are now two years in and have learned more than I expected. These are some of my biggest takeaways.

Food

Ok, I know everyone says the food is good in Italy, but I don't think I really got it until I went back to the US for a visit. About a year and a half in, I went back with a list of meals I missed. I ate each and every one. They were expensive and tasted terrible. Nothing like I remembered. The taste of basic ingredients is just drastically different. Tomatoes, strawberries, pork, chicken - everything tasted less flavorful in the US.

Tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 in New York City — Tacos from the famous Los Tacos No. 1 in NYC.

Tacos from Annita Taqueria in Torino Italy with bright red tomatoes — Tacos from our local taqueria, Annita Taqueria, in Torino. Just look at the difference in the color of the tomatoes! And Annita's tacos are cheaper than the ones from the US.

Transportation

I knew I wanted a town with reliable and affordable public transport, but I didn't realize how much freedom it would give me. Car payment? Nope. Car insurance? No need. Price of fuel? No idea. Not owning a car freed up a ton of funds and eliminated an entire category of stress. I take the metro and read or answer emails. A full-price adult annual pass is just over 200€.

Public transport tram on the streets of Torino Italy — A public transport tram in Torino. Plenty of space, reliable, and affordable.

Healthcare

I have had a couple of medical emergencies in Italy, both involving ambulance rides. I got top-notch care and it was completely free. The most I have ever paid for any specialist follow-up is 36€. No pre-existing condition clauses, no copays, no deductibles. My first thought when someone in my family is ill or injured is just getting care. That shift alone has drastically changed my quality of life.

Bureaucracy

I am the only one in my family who is not yet an Italian citizen. When we moved, the only remaining hurdle was the B1 exam. Preparing for that exam as an English speaker with no Italian-language support was its own challenge - it's actually what eventually led me to build Ready Set Italia. I passed my B1 Cittadinanza exam shortly after we moved and submitted my application, but the processing time in Torino is three years. While I wait for citizenship, I maintain a valid permesso di soggiorno. It is a lot of paperwork and a lot of patience but I've learned to come overprepared, assume multiple appointments, and expect something to be wrong the first time. What I've come to appreciate is that the process is the same for everyone. There is no VIP pass. No attorney shortcut. That feels fair.

Taxes

My income tax is higher than it was in the US, but it covers healthcare for my entire family and my children's school and university expenses. When I factor those in, it's a bargain. There are also no property taxes on a primary residence in Italy, which makes owning a home feel like something that can actually last.

Schools

The public schools here are fabulous. I watched friends pay enormous amounts for private English-speaking schools for their kids. Those were out of our budget and I'm so thankful. Our 14-year-old jumped straight into an Italian public scientific high school. Two years in, she is genuinely fluent in Italian. We never could have predicted that when we landed.

Overall, my entire mood is different here. I didn't realize until I moved how much stress I was carrying in the United States.

In the US, everything cost money, everything had to be insured, and I always felt this underlying sense that I could lose it all at any time. One cancer diagnosis, a car accident, or a lawsuit over something as simple as a mail carrier tripping in my front yard could bankrupt me. That weight is gone.

If you're on the path to Italian citizenship and still need to pass the B1 language exam, that's exactly what Ready Set Italia is built for. It's the program I wish had existed when I was preparing.