🇬🇧 United Kingdom → 🇮🇹 Italy
Emigrating from the UK to Italy: the real cost
Beautiful and bureaucratic. Workers usually need a slot in the annual 'decreto flussi' quota or a Blue Card; retirees and the self-sufficient use the elective-residence visa — and Italy's flat-tax regimes can be a major draw.
Difficulty
Harder
Timeline
3–9 mo
Currency
EUR
Cost-to-leave estimator
🇬🇧 United Kingdom → 🇮🇹 Italy. Indicative ranges, not a quote.
Estimated total cost to leave
€7,948 – €21,848
Fees reviewed 2026-06. Indicative FX. Not financial, tax or migration advice. Official fees ↗
Your pension
As with France, an EEA QROPS transfer can attract HMRC's 25% Overseas Transfer Charge unless you're resident where the QROPS is based, so most keep the pension in the UK. The headline opportunity is Italy's regimes for new residents — notably a 7% flat tax on foreign income (including pensions) for retirees who move to qualifying southern towns, plus a separate flat-tax regime for high earners. Valuable but condition-heavy: get Italian-UK cross-border advice before relying on them.
Dig deeper on Italy
Frequently asked
How much does it cost to emigrate from the UK to Italy?
It varies by family size and route, but most households should budget across visa fees, medical and police checks, flights, cross-border tax/pension advice and a landing fund. Use the estimator on this page for a personalised range. Beautiful and bureaucratic. Workers usually need a slot in the annual 'decreto flussi' quota or a Blue Card; retirees and the self-sufficient use the elective-residence visa — and Italy's flat-tax regimes can be a major draw.
Can I transfer my UK pension to Italy?
As with France, an EEA QROPS transfer can attract HMRC's 25% Overseas Transfer Charge unless you're resident where the QROPS is based, so most keep the pension in the UK. The headline opportunity is Italy's regimes for new residents — notably a 7% flat tax on foreign income (including pensions) for retirees who move to qualifying southern towns, plus a separate flat-tax regime for high earners. Valuable but condition-heavy: get Italian-UK cross-border advice before relying on them.
How long does the move to Italy take?
Typically 3–9 months. Work visas are quota-limited (decreto flussi); elective-residence and EU Blue Card are alternatives.
Get the Italy financial-emigration playbook
Step-by-step checklist for UK tax residency, your pension, moving money and banking. Join the list for launch pricing.
Educational information only — not financial, tax, legal or migration advice. Fees reviewed 2026-06; verify current figures via the official links above before acting.