Italian Dual Citizenship Changed My Life FOREVER

Gaining Italian dual citizenship has completely transformed my life, offering incredible opportunities for moving to Italy, living in Europe, and embracing the expat lifestyle. With the freedom to travel across Europe without restrictions, dual citizenship has opened doors to new experiences and deeper connections to my Italian heritage. From the advantages of living abroad to the benefits of being an Italian dual citizen, this journey has provided unique opportunities that have made expat life in Europe more rewarding than I ever imagined. In this living abroad podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, hosted by dual citizen expat Rafael Di Furia, we’ll go over the personal and practical impacts of gaining Italian citizenship, from healthcare and education in Europe to the freedom of movement that comes with an EU passport.

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Topics & Timestamps:
00:00 - Opening Thoughts & Intro
00:22 - Moving To Italy & Living in Italy
01:13 - Considerations about the future of Europe
01:59 - Pizza Pasta Amore
05:02 - Stressing About Healthcare
06:47 - Going To University in Europe
08:36 - The Freedom of Movement
11:17 - What if your don’t want to live in Italy or live in Europe?
12:39 - A unique change in my life….
13:58 - Final thoughts & Outro

[michaelpedicinjr]

Where can I find the real estate podcast? Name?

[gigisummer]

I feel really privileged to be an Italian citizen through JS and I agree with you that it`s important to spend some time living in Italy, It only seems right and respectful to learn more about the country which has recognised us as citizens.

[jerryriccio]

I have dual citizenship and I am selling my condo in the US to move to Italy.❤🇮🇹❤️

[anonymous]

Have you ever considered renouncing your U.S. citizenship? If not, why not? Please do a video.

[pdemp]

I was recognized August 2022. My wife decided to do some not so good things so we got divorced and last month (August 2024) I moved to Paris for work. Hope to live in Italy at some point but it surely has changed my life since it gave me a new opportunity

[PersonalNotPrivate-rldv]

I finally got my EU passport very recently because my father was an EU citizen, so I didn't have to apply per se. Anyway, I know what you mean. I have been much more attuned to what is going in Europe since then.

[JohnCash]

I'm a big fan. I started the process in February and will be applying in Italy next year.. I can't wait. After spending years visiting I know it is a better place for me than the U.S., my only regret is not knowing it was even possible much earlier. I could have got this 15 years ago but didn't know about it. Even more recently I thought it was close to impossible to get. Now I know it is very doable for me and I have no broken ancestral lines. Grazie mille.

[LeonSkye-bjjx]

I got my portuguese citizenship by descent and moved to Portugal, living here for 1 year now. My life changed completely

[timlinator]

I received my Italian citizenship/passport recently and used it just last month on a visit to Italy. Not my first visit there but my visit there using my Italian passport.

[paolovincis]

I hope that by obtaining Italian citizenship you will learn the language (I mean, seriously), and what being an Italian really means. I know you will enjoy many advantages when possessing one of the strongest passports in the world but, you know, it's also a form of respect for your ancestry and the culture you should be eager to reconnect.

[PaulFromCHGO]

Having EU citizenship has certainly changed my outlook on life not just for myself but my children as well.

I grew up in Chicago's little Italy neighborhood and so I was never too far from the culture.

All 4 great grandparents on my paternal side were from southern Italy and this helped me to gain Italian citizenship by descent.

But soon after I obtained Italian citizenship, I found out that Austria relaxed their citizenship laws in 2020 for Nazi persecuted descendants of which is the case for my maternal side, so I went for it and also got Austrian citizenship. Why go for 2 EU citizenships? Brexit victims came to mind but it also gives me more rights so now I can live in either Italy or Austria with zero restrictions, even if I could no longer work for some reason. The rest of the EU might ask financial questions and I cannot retire yet, so no passive income yet.

So after visiting both Italy and Austria and staying over the summer for 3 months in the EU, my family and I are now planing to move to the EU soon after my youngest kid finishes high school and the plan is for my children to attend University in the EU instead of paying the price of a house for an education in the US. Also, maybe I too can now go for a degree I never could afford to get in the past!

Despite working in IT for over 30 years, since I never could afford a University degree, it has cost me in terms of lower salary with brutal hours and on-call while getting passed over for promotions or other jobs. So for me, I hope to gain more meaningful employment with a much better work / life balance or since I will have healthcare access, maybe I can take a risk and start a business now! I could never, ever take that risk in the US as I would have to pay over $2500 / month for private health care insurance plus co-pays and deductibles for my family if I wanted to be self employed.

So as you can see, having this precious EU citizenship promises a better life for my children and I. I am grateful to have it and to some degree, I don't really look at myself as a future expat... more like I am returning my bloodline back to Europe where it always belonged.

[relocatetoItaly]

Getting Italian citizenship made me more secure that having lived here 23 years Im now an Italian citizen. Also I can travel around Europe with my ID card.

[andreadimatteo]

Alto Adige is not a region of Italy. I try to explain to you. Trentino Alto Adige is a region of Italy, of course. Trentino is the province of Trento, Alto Adige is the province of Bolzano. If you talk about Alto Adige you are speaking about the province of Bolzano, it is not a region, it is a province. In that case you are right telling that the majority of the population speaks german, or better the local version of german (and the standard german learnt at school). Viceversa if you talk about the region as a whole, the Trentino Alto Adige, it has 1.043.000 inhabitants (538.000 in Trentino and 505.000 in Alto Adige). The italian speakers are 95, 8% in Trentino and 26% in Alto Adige. In total there are 515.000 italian speakers in Trentino and 131.000 in Alto Adige. The sum is 646.000 italian speakers in Trentino Alto Adige, that is the 62% of the total population.

[robertrosini]

Visiting Italy for my first time next week. My appointment in Detroit is shortly after I return. Thanks for all the great content!

[huapehucristovao]

My grandfather came from Monte Cassino, I love the italian food and the people, so I ended up with three citizenship and would not renounce any of them, because I am a piece of each of them.

[pennypeyton]

My husband's father and mother were born in Italy, therefore, the children, aka, my hubby, were first born Italian-Americans. Are "we" eligible for dual citizenship based on our family line??

[A_Corte]

Recently got my dual citizenship (just need to get my passport) and I'm wondering what I'll do with it outside of continuing to visit Italy. Maybe I won't seriously use it until retirement, but I love knowing I have the option and it also inspires me to keep practicing my Italian.

[catedarpino]

Rafael, In regards to the hospital care for your burned hand, you could have gotten medical care, even if you were not an Italian citizen. I've had the misfortune of needing emergency care in Italy 2 times and I did not have to pay even 1 Euro, , so you would have gotten medical care regardless of your residency or citizenship status.

[jenniferlindorff]

I just found out about the “minor child” ruling from last year and now I don’t think I qualify for citizenship. From what I understand the consulates are potentially still allowing this. But the Boston consulate is impossible to get an appointment with. So… I’m sad, but life will go on.
It was great to hear your perspective.

[HopeLaFleur]

So my husband was born in Italy and he wants to reclaim his citizenship. He came to Canada as a baby. But they are giving him a hard time. Any suggestions 🤷‍♀️