Do You Need a Lawyer to Move to Italy? My Honest Experience

Su Guillory
Sep 26
2 min read

I get asked often whether I handled the visa and permesso di soggiorno process on my own when I moved to Italy, or whether I hired a lawyer.

I did hire a law firm, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to. Here's how to know whether you can DIY your move to Italy or whether you're better off with help.

It Depends on the Visa You're Applying For

I applied for the lavoro autonomo visa, which is renowned for being difficult to get. So I felt like I needed all the help I could find.

There are other visas that are easier to apply for on your own. I have a friend who moved to Soverato who applied for the Elective Residency visa on her own, and she had no trouble.

I've also heard that the Digital Nomad visa is easy to apply for. It requires a fraction of the paperwork I had to submit for my visa.

There are other visas that are more complicated, like the Representative Office visa that one of my clients applied for. In these cases, it's much better to have a professional help you.

It Depends on How DIY You Are

I actually prefer to do things on my own, but when faced with the mountain of requirements for my visa, on top of planning the move, looking for a place to live, and figuring out how to ship cats, I simply didn't want the additional stress. So I got help.

But maybe you're okay with taking it all on. In that case, save the money you would have spent on a lawyer and use it to buy a really nice bottle of Prosecco when you arrive in Italy!

It Depends on Your Budget

While costs will vary, depending on who you hire and how complicated your situation is, you can expect to pay $5,000 to $10,000 for a lawyer or immigration specialist. That's a pretty big chunk of your moving to Italy budget.

If you don't have it or don't want to spend that kind of money, start researching how to do it yourself. But I will say that it's a small price for peace of mind and knowing you have experts to help you.