Have you ever scrolled past a gorgeous old stone house in Italy and thought, “I could live like that”? Our guest Debbie Levitt did more than dream. An American who now lives full-time on the island of Sardinia, Debbie is an Italian citizen who calls herself the Italian Inpat: an immigrant who came to Italy and found home, not an American who left.
In this candid conversation on Big Blend Radio, Debbie shares what it really takes to make the move. She talks about how two days added to a 2017 vacation turned into a self-employment visa, five suitcases and a new life, and why she kept her move easy to undo for the first two years.
You’ll hear about:
- The difference between an “expat” and an “inpat”
- The visa paths Debbie mentions, from self-employment to investment, retirement and digital nomad visas
- Why citizenship takes years, and what Debbie understands about recent changes to citizenship by ancestry
- Paperwork stories, including the flight to Rome to swear she is really herself
- Why a geometra (a local surveyor) belongs on your team before you buy, and how zoning can surprise you
- The truth about one-euro houses: distressed properties, hidden costs and villages with no grocery store
- The residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) wait
- Everyday life in rural Sardinia, from the village butcher to the driving school saga
Today closes out Italian American Heritage Month, and we’re marking it with the real story of moving to Italy.
Debbie shares her personal experience and general information. This is not legal or immigration advice, so check current rules with an immigration attorney or official sources.
Links:
- Debbie Levitt, Italian Inpat (the first call is free): https://ItalianInpat.com
- Follow Big Blend Radio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BigBlendRadio
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