Want To Live In Italy? Tuscany Will Pay You $32,000 To Move There
3 min read
Have you ever imagined living under the Tuscan sun? If so, your dream could become a reality—thanks to a new initiative by this pretty region of Italy that is offering financial incentives to people willing to move to its charming, less-populated towns.
With the program, “Residenzialità in Montagna 2024” (Residentiality in the Mountains 2024), Tuscany is trying to lure new residents to its rural mountain communities with grants ranging from €10,000 (around $10,715) to €30,000 (around $32,145) to help cover the costs of purchasing and renovating a home.
According to the real estate site, Idealista, the average cost to buy a home in Tuscany’s least expensive province, Pistoia, was €1,472 per square meter in 2022. That worked out to about $136 per square f00t. So you might pay $163,200 for a 1,200-square-foot home. Compare that to the United States, where the median price per square foot was around $222, according to 2022 data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, putting the average 1,200-square-foot home at $266,400.
This initiative aims to rejuvenate and stabilize the population in these areas, which have seen a significant decline over the years. “The purpose of the intervention is to favor and encourage the repopulation and socio-economic revitalization of mountain areas, acting in contrast to the marginalization of these areas,” said the authors of the program (translated by Google).
According to The New York Times, Italy’s Ministry of Environment released a study in 2016 showing that almost 2,500 towns were so depopulated that they wouldn’t survive more than 25 years.
With a total fund of €2,800,000 allocated to revitalize these mountain communities, Tuscany is committed to infusing new life into its beautiful landscapes.
It’s a concept that has been used in other parts of Italy, including the island of Sardinia (which offered around $15,000), the village of Presicce (about $30,000), the region of Calabria (about $33,000) and the village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio (up to $52,500).
So what do you need to know? As with any of these programs, there are parameters. Tuscany’s grants are designed to cover up to 50% of the costs associated with purchasing and renovating a home in a town with fewer than 5,000 residents. This means not only buying a property but also transforming it into a permanent residence—no vacation homes allowed.
There are 76 towns to choose from, and the locations are appealing. Built on a steep rock, Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina is a small medieval village in the foothills of the Maremma. The spa town of San Casciano dei Bagni—known for its therapeutic thermal baths—is perfect for residents in search of relaxation and wellness. Art lovers might be drawn to Caprese Michelangelo, the birthplace of the artist, Michelangelo. The ancient Castel San Niccolo, in the Arezzo Province, is convenient to Florence. Or perhaps you want to live on an island? Capraia Isola is located in heart of the Tuscan Archipelago.
Capraia Island in Tuscany, Italy.
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Another stipulation: Applicants must be either Italian citizens, EU citizens or non-EU citizens holding a long-term residence permit, and they need to commit to registering as residents in an Italian town—and they can’t currently reside in a mountain community.
For U.S. citizens interested in this opportunity, the process involves a few more steps compared to EU nationals. Americans must first obtain a long-term residence permit, which typically requires demonstrating financial stability or an Italian job offer. The permit must last no less than 10 years, aligning with the initiative’s goal of fostering long-term residency and community integration. Once this is secured, applicants need to register as residents in their new Italian locale, ensuring they are fully integrated into the local infrastructure and eligible for the grant.
This could be your new home: Bagnone, a village in Tuscany.
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However, anyone interested should act swiftly. The application window is tight, closing by 1 p.m. (local Tuscan time) on July 27.
To apply, prospective movers can visit the Tuscany region’s official website and complete the necessary forms online.
If ever there was a time to make a bold move and embrace “la dolce vita,” this could well be it. But even if you don’t make the deadline on this one, let this be the inspiration to get started, since there are sure to be more offers like this around the corner.
