Canadian nationals can move to Italy from Canada following the rules on immigration which have been established between the immigration authorities of the two nations. Here, Canadians must be aware of the fact that the Italian law distinguishes between two main scenarios – arrivals for short-term and long-term relocation.
For each particular case, one can move to Italy by following the basic immigration regulations (there are different legal requirements to be met when arriving here for short-term stays compared to the ones applied for long-term stays). For short-term stays, the Italian legislation provides two main rules: the one where the foreigner is required to apply for a visa, and the one where the foreigner can simply arrive here without completing any visa formalities.
In the latter situation, it must be noted that one can immigrate to Italy from Canada without any visa requirements; our team of immigration lawyers in Italy can present more information on the subject and how this rule can apply to Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents. We invite you to discover more details on this subject in this article.
Table of Contents
What are the basic visa rules when you immigrate to Italy from Canada?
According to the General Consulate of Italy in Toronto, Canadian citizens and persons who have obtained permanent residency in Canada can benefit from visa exemptions for some of the basic visa categories that are currently applicable under the Italian immigration law.
Please mind that there is a legal distinction between persons who are Canadian citizens and those who are Canadian permanent residents and this distinction can create differences in the visa requirements applied to such persons. This can imply that a Canadian citizen can immigrate to Italy from Canada without the need to apply for a visa, while a person who is a Canadian permanent resident, who will arrive here for the same purpose and the same duration of stay, may need to obtain a visa.
The latter requirement is influenced by the nationality of the person who has become a Canadian permanent resident. For instance, Italy requires transit visas for the nationals of certain countries – this visa is not necessary for Canadian citizens, but for foreigners who are the holders of a Canadian Permanent Residence Card, this requirement can still apply.
The rule is always applied based on the nationality of the foreigner and this is why we recommend you to address to our immigration lawyer in Italy, who is qualified to advise on the latest modifications appeared in this sense (for example, certain nationalities have recently become visa-free for transits in Italy and this can be the case of Colombian nationals, Nigerians and others).
For short-term stays, Canadians moving from Canada to Italy can arrive here without a visa as well, and they are entitled to stay in the country for a period of 90 days in a period of 180 days. The purpose of the arrival is of no importance in offering this right, thus business reasons, short-term studies, traveling and so on, are all allowed.
If you need a digital nomad visa in Italy, contact us for legal assistance.
Can Canadians move to Italy from Canada for Work Holiday Program?
Yes, Canadians are entitled to relocate to Italy for the purpose of entering the Work Holiday Program, an immigration program that aims at youth exchange amongst the nations that have entered this program. Through it, foreigners can arrive here and visit Italy while working for a limited period of time here. Our immigration lawyer in Italy has prepared a short description of the Work Holiday Program:
- the possibility of immigrating to Italy from Canada under this program appeared in 2006, when the two states signed a memorandum for a youth exchange program;
- through this, a total of 1250 Canadians can relocate to Italy for a limited period of time;
- the program is addressed solely to young persons who have an age of 18 to 35 years old;
- Canadians have to apply for a visa that will grant the right to live in Italy for a period of 12 months;
- given that the duration of stay is longer than 90 days, if the applicant receives the visa, after the arrival, in a period of maximum 8 days, the person must apply for a residency permit.
The Working Holiday Visa is included in the D visa category, which refers to visas that are issued for stays longer than 90 days. Here, regardless if the applicant is a Canadian national or a permanent resident, the Italian authorities will require the issuance of the visa when moving from Canada to Italy. If you want to apply for a D visa, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in Italy. He will present you all the legal formalities you should follow in case you want to immigrate to Italy.
If you live long enough in Italy, you will also have the possibility to apply for citizenship. Citizenship in Italy can be obtained through naturalization in most of the cases, which is a long process that requires the foreigner to live here for a period of minimum 10 years.
The process can be shorter if the foreigner qualifies for other types of citizenships, such as by marriage or by descent.
If you are a Canadian who wants to move to Italy on a permanent basis for the purpose of becoming a citizen, you will first need to obtain a permanent residence permit, which can be issued only after you have been living here for a period of 5 years.
If you qualify for citizenship by descent, the years of minimum residency are reduced to only 3, and the same applies if you are married to an Italian national.
You are also entitled to residency through investments, through the Golden Visa in Italy program. The program can provide permanent residency, as initially it grants the right to residency for 2 years and, if the conditions of the investment are maintained, the investor can renew the visa for other 3 years, meeting the overall time required for permanent residency (5 years).