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All I Wanted for Christmas Was Italy’s Digital Nomad Visa

And I got it!

This is my first time offering a voice over—let me know if it’s something you like. Two warnings: there is a slight delay before it starts and also a garbled point that I couldn’t figure out how to fix as this is my first time using this, but in the garbled part I am saying that the Italian woman was “shocked, then delighted.”

A few months ago CNN ran a story that ricocheted around the Internet about a California woman who had gotten the elusive digital nomad visa to live in Italy as a remote worker. ‘Nothing less than a miracle’: How one California woman snagged Italy’s new digital nomad visa, the CNN headline taunted those of us who dream of living la dolce vita.¹

The Italian government announced this new visa in mid-2022 and finally launched the program in April of 2024 but, as CNN reported, even in October of 2024 many “would-be movers say that there is so little information about the visa out there, they are beginning to doubt it even exists.”

This California woman’s story gave everyone hope.

Including me.

Getting this visa had been my plan since buying land in Italy in late 2023 where I planned to make a new life. But as time ticked on, it was hard to figure out precisely what would be required to obtain said visa. Information was scarce. I had one friend who had applied but got nowhere. She was unable to get any clear guidance even when she physically visited the consulate.

Without a visa, I was still able to stay in Italy, but with the clock ticking.²

As soon as the Italian government announced in April 2024 they would be issuing the visas, I did an introductory call with two Italian women who run a company helping expats relocate to Italy. I loved them immediately and hired them to help me navigate the visa process, for a very reasonable price that was much less than working with an immigration attorney.³

We started our work in early May, gathering what we thought would be needed and updating it as new information became available. By the time I had my appointment at the Washington DC consulate on October 18, I was finally ready.

Yes, it really took me that long. I had to reschedule the appointment twice because it became clear that I needed more documents than I originally thought (including a physical copy of my college diploma that had an apostille certificate,⁴ rather than just an official letter from my university stating that I attended, which I had wrongly assumed would be enough.

I also needed something called a “declaration of value” for my diploma which the Italians refer to as a DoV. Getting this was truly nightmarish.⁵

On December 18, I entered the DC consulate for my appointment with more than a little trepidation. By this point, I still had only heard secondhand of two people who had gotten this visa.

The woman behind the counter asked me what I was applying for, and when I said I wanted the digital nomad visa, she looked at me with more than a little pity. “Okay, well, this is a very complicated visa to get,” she said discouragingly. “We’ve turned away many people.”

I reached into my large tote bag and proudly pulled out the stack of documents I had amassed to prove that I met Italy’s various requirements. My meticulously organized pile stood at around half a foot, with color-coded file folders and documents tagged to take her to the information she would be looking for. She seemed both shocked and delighted at the sight. (My friends in Italy always say there is nothing an Italian bureaucrat loves more than paperwork.)

Her first question to me was: how long do you want to live in Italy?

Forever, I said, immediately wondering if I had said something I shouldn’t have. Maybe they don’t want people who never want to leave, I thought nervously.

She smiled and said, “Good.”

We then worked our way through the list of requirements⁶, and each time I handed her my carefully curated proof that I met the requirement, she offered an approving nod.

The appointment only took about 15 minutes, and then I was left to wait. Italy has 90 days to respond to your application, but I knew the famed California woman had gotten hers approved in seven days.

Still, I was absolutely shocked when, seven days after my visit, I received an email from the Italian consulate informing me I had been approved for the digital nomad visa.

I literally jumped for joy. I may have screamed.

Today, I picked up my visa, and I don’t know if I’ve ever loved any inanimate object more than this ticket to a new life.

I can’t think of a better present or way to start 2025.

Related

1

https://www.cnn.com/travel/italy-digital-nomad-visa-chelsea-waite/index.html

2

Without a visa allowing me to live in Italy for the full year, I would have to follow the rules of the Schengen zone (essentially the EU), which only allows you to stay in the zone for 90 days within 180 days. This comes out to about six months a year, but it has to be broken up throughout the year. If you think this sounds confusing, you are correct, and people often miscalculate their days, which is why I have relied on an online calculator that lets you know how many more days you’re allowed to stay in the zone.

3

The company I hired can be found here.

If you are interested in speaking to an immigration attorney knowledgeable about Italy we used this firm a few times for one off meetings and found them helpful:

4

If this is the first time you have heard that word, you are not alone. Figuring out this process was the most stressful part of the entire ordeal. Essentially, in order for another country to know that the document you are providing is official (and legitimate) you have to get this apostille certificate, which requires the original document taken to the state government that issued it where you will have it notarized, certified by a local court and then the apostille certificate will be applied. (At least that is how it works in Maryland, where my college degree was earned). Here is a state department link for more info:.

5

The “declaration of value,” which the Italians refer to as a DoV, is a document that confirms that the degree you earned in college has the same value as the degree from an Italian university. Everyone who applies for the digital nomad visa does not have to provide this, though I’d suggest getting it done anyway because I have a friend who currently has her paperwork held up because she doesn’t have a DoV even though she is meeting the “professional qualifications” requirement in a different way that technically does not require a DoV. But the bureaucrat who holds her fate in his hands is demanding it. If you email the consulate, you might be told to go to an organization called CIMEA, which can provide you with this info. I know of nobody who has ever received a response from them that is not automated. Your next option is to find someone in the consulate in your area to provide you with the DoV, which is what happened to me. There is a woman named Maria who works at the DC consulate who was nothing short of heroic in helping me get it done in time for my December 18 appointment. But it took me months to figure out that I could go to someone in the consulate and then figure out who that was and then make contact with her.

6

These are the requirements for the DC consulate. Every consulate is different so be sure to follow whatever they tell you. For example, I did not have to have my diploma or college transcript translated but a friend going through a different consulate is required to do so. You should only use official documents to proof you meet the requirements. For example, to prove my experience in journalism I used past 1099s from CNN and past tax returns showing the payments from them. I brought along copies of my contracts as well just to be safe though they probably weren’t necessary.

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© 2024 Kirsten Powers
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
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