BolognaCost of Living, Salary & Rent (2026)

NHS → Local healthcare

Italy's SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) provides universal healthcare to residents. Register at your local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) with your permesso di soggiorno and codice fiscale. GP visits are free; specialist co-pays are modest (€36 ticket). Quality varies by region — north is generally better resourced. Waits for non-urgent specialists: 1–6 months. GHIC covers emergency tourist care only. S1 form gives UK pensioners full SSN access. Private insurance (€50–€150/month) is common for faster specialist access.

Buying property post-Brexit

Italian banks lend to non-EU residents at 50–60% LTV (residents get 70–80%). Post-Brexit, UK buyers are third-country nationals. No foreign-buyer surtax. Imposta di registro (registration tax) is 2% for primary residences, 9% for second homes. Notary fees add 1–2.5%. Italian mortgage rates: 3–4.5% fixed. The process is notoriously bureaucratic — expect 2–3 months from application to disbursement.

UK pension portability

Italy accepts QROPS transfers to qualifying Italian pension products. The 25% OTC position is complex post-Brexit. UK state pension is paid in Italy with full annual uprating (Withdrawal Agreement covers pre-2021 movers; post-2021 arrivals rely on the UK-Italy bilateral agreement). Italy's flat tax regime for new residents (imposta sostitutiva) taxes all foreign income at €100,000/year for 15 years — this can be highly advantageous for pension drawdowns. The UK-Italy totalization agreement combines NI and Italian contribution periods.

CGT on your UK home

The 5-year non-residence rule applies for UK property. Italy taxes residents on worldwide capital gains at 26% (substitute tax) for financial assets. Property gains are taxed at marginal income rates unless held over 5 years (then exempt). Credit for UK CGT paid. Italian primary residence held over 5 years is fully exempt from capital gains.

Double taxation treaty

The UK-Italy Double Taxation Convention (1988) covers income, pensions, and gains. UK government pensions: taxed only in the UK. Private pensions: taxable only in Italy once resident. The Italian flat tax (€100K on all foreign income) can override standard treaty rates for qualifying new residents — making Italy highly tax-efficient for UK pension holders with significant drawdowns.

Getting EU mobility back

After 5 years of continuous legal residence, apply for EU Long-Term Resident status (permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo). Italian citizenship requires 10 years of legal residence — one of the longest in the EU. Italy allows dual nationality. The 10-year wait makes Italy a slower path back to EU mobility compared to Portugal (5 years) or France (5 years).