🇺🇸 → 🇮🇹
Moving from United States to Italy as a digital nomad
Here's what it takes on the Digital Nomad Visa — the income bar, how tax compares with staying in United States, and what a typical remote salary actually leaves you each month.
Sample: a solo remote worker on $6,000/month
Qualifies — the bar is $2,252/mo.
Tax in Italy
22.8%
vs 22.8% at home
Take-home / mo
$4,633
after tax & contributions
Left after costs
$2,451
$2,182 living costs
Your money goes about 1.8× further in Bologna than in New York (PPP-adjusted).
Updated June 2026 · sample figures in USD for a solo employee.
Tax here vs. United States, by income
All-in effective rate for a solo employee who is tax-resident in each place.
| Monthly income | 🇮🇹 Italy | 🇺🇸 United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000/mo | 22.8% | 19.0% | −$114/mo |
| $6,000/mo | 22.8% | 22.8% | −$1/mo |
| $12,000/mo | 22.8% | 26.8% | +$483/mo |
What United States nomads should know
Italy finally joined the nomad club in 2024, pairing la dolce vita with a conditional impatriate tax break — best for skilled professionals who can handle the bureaucracy.
For tax, what matters is where you're resident, not your passport: stay under 183 days and most United States nomads avoid Italy tax residency; a longer move brings Italy's rules into play. Check for a tax treaty or totalization agreement between United States and Italy first, and remember US citizens are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live.
- An impatriate regime can halve taxable income for five years — if you qualify.
- Unmatched culture, food and regional diversity.
- Heavy paperwork and slow consulates.
- 'Highly-skilled' eligibility is stricter than most DNVs.
Model your move to Italy
Your income, household and costs — compared against United States.
Optional — unlocks age- and savings-gated visas (retirement, youth-mobility, golden visas).
Staying more than ~183 days?
Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.
Your monthly life in Italy
Pre-filled with typical costs in Bologna. Drag or type to match your life.
A nice place in a popular area
Power, water, gas
Home fibre + data
Food at home
Transit, rideshare, fuel
Private cover nomads usually need
Eating out, coffee, going out
Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.
You meet the income requirement
Needs $2,252/mo.
Your qualifying income
$6,000
$4,633
$2,182
$2,451
Tax in Italy
Effective rate
22.8%
- Income tax / mo
- $1,290
- Regional & municipal surtax / mo
- $77
- Social security / mo
- Not charged
- Total deductions / mo
- $1,367
- Take-home / mo
- $4,633
Typically covered by your home country under a totalization agreement, so €0 locally.
Private health insurance is mandatory for this visa — it's already counted in your living costs above.
Italy's impatriate regime can exempt 50% of qualifying income (60% with a minor child) for five years, capped at €600k/yr — but it requires no Italian tax residency in the prior 3 years, a 4-year stay commitment, high qualification and work performed mainly in Italy. Eligibility for nomads on foreign-employer income is debated, so treat it as conditional, not automatic.
vs. United States
Tax
22.8% at home → 22.8% here
Same lifestyle costs
$3,967 at home → $2,182 here
Money left over
$666 at home → $2,451 here
Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.
FAQ
Can United States citizens get Italy's Digital Nomad Visa?
Yes — it's open to remote workers regardless of nationality (subject to the usual checks). A single applicant needs about $2,252/month.
Will I pay tax in Italy or United States?
Regional and municipal surcharges add 1–3% on top of national IRPEF. On a sample $6,000/month, that's an effective 22.8% in Italy vs roughly 22.8% at home.
Does this visa lead to citizenship?
Citizenship after 10 years; Italy freely allows dual nationality.
Full requirements, citizenship timeline and cost breakdown for Italy.
Italy guideIllustrative 2026 estimates in USD; your result depends on treaties, residency and circumstances — confirm with official sources before applying.