There is still not much information out there to help digital nomads apply for the new Italian visa.
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00:00I just feel extremely honored and excited that I could be one of the first people to receive this visa.
00:07I knew it was something that I had to pursue and pursue aggressively.
00:11And I feel so fortunate that I get to start this new chapter over here in Milan.
00:17So I have been working remotely since 2020 and started my own business back in 2022.
00:25And ever since I came to Italy in 2017 for the first time, I've had this deep desire and longing to live here.
00:33And there's been no easy pathway.
00:35And when I found out this past April that the Digital Nomad Visa had been launched,
00:41I was just so excited and I knew it was something that I had to pursue and pursue aggressively.
00:47I tried to do as much research as I could.
00:50However, because this is such a new visa, there literally is not any information out there besides just stating that the visa exists.
00:58Each consulate in the United States should have a list of requirements on their website is what I found out.
01:05And so to the best of my ability, I just followed their online checklist and then supplemented it with a few additional items on my own end,
01:13because I'm someone who always tries to arrive at a situation overprepared versus underprepared.
01:19So I think my packet when I came to the consulate back in June was easily 150 pages deep.
01:28My top three tips. My first one would definitively be come overprepared versus underprepared.
01:35You want to have all the ammunition at your disposal versus being told that you have a piece of documentation missing
01:42and you have to come back and redo the whole process from the beginning.
01:46I brought documentation showing that I've been working remotely, as I mentioned, since 2020.
01:52Another huge sticking point, to my understanding, is proof of accommodation in Italy for at least a minimum duration of a year.
02:01And Italy is notoriously hard when it comes to renting apartments.
02:07Personally, I found the idea of signing a lease before I knew that I would actually get a visa pretty daunting.
02:13But after doing a little bit of research on my own, I've learned that the Italian rental laws are pretty pro-tenant.
02:22So if for some reason that your visa didn't come through, or even if you arrived at your apartment and it wasn't to your satisfaction
02:30or exactly what you were looking for, make sure when you're signing your lease, there's typically some sort of out clause
02:36that if you provide three months' notice or six months' notice, you can actually get out of the lease versus being stuck into it for years.
02:45The traditional Italian leases can be for three or four years.
02:49You need to get your degree accredited by CIMEA, which is the Italian education system.
02:55You have to upload your proof of degree there. You have to upload your transcripts.
03:01And then it goes through an internal review process, which can take days or it can take months.
03:06My second tip would be to seek resources here in Italy that can be helpful.
03:13I would also recommend if you have the opportunity to come over to Italy, if you have time between when you receive your appointment
03:20and when the actual appointment will be at the consulate.
03:24And my third piece of recommendation would just be to stay flexible and to come financially prepared.
03:33The whole process definitely cost a little bit more than I was anticipating.
03:38And I think, you know, again, if you do go through this process and you don't get approved the first time, I would just encourage you not to give up.
03:45Use the information that was provided to you. You can always go back. You can reapply.
03:50And I do feel that Italy is extremely receptive and excited for this new type of visa.
03:55And so I hope that, you know, my story can inspire others.
03:59No one had seen someone successfully get approved for this visa yet.
04:04And so I just feel extremely honored and excited that I could be one of the first people to receive this visa.
04:11It means so much to me.
04:13And I hope that I'll be able to, you know, continue to share my experience so that others can follow their dreams like I did.