RANJITH KANNANKATTIL
Expat Life Saver
Milano · Lombardia · a guide for expats

Living in Milan

Permits, tax, homes, transport, driving, health, schools, gyms, apps, communities and customs. Each topic is one short page. Start with the first 90 days, or search for what you need.

Start hereFirst 90 days, in orderPermit, tax code, residence, health card, digital ID and bank, with a checklist that remembers your progress. Tonight in MilanEnglish Cinema in ItalyEvery original-version film in Milan today and this week, with show times, halls and a direct booking link for each show at Anteo, CityLife and the Cineteca.
112Any emergency
116117Doctor out of hours
+39 02 8057691Consulate of India
+39 02 290351US Consulate

Public holidays

Next 12 months ·

Banks, offices and most shops close; museums and many restaurants stay open. Italy doesn't move a holiday that falls on a weekend.

  1. Sant'Ambrogio Milan onlyPatron saint of MilanCity offices, schools and many shops close; La Scala opens its season4-day weekend
  2. Immaculate ConceptionImmacolata Concezione4-day weekend
  3. Christmas DayNataleLong weekend
All 14 holidays to November 2027
  1. St Stephen's DaySanto StefanoSaturday · no extra day off
  2. New Year's DayCapodannoLong weekend
  3. EpiphanyEpifania
  4. Easter SundayPasqua
  5. Easter MondayLunedì dell'Angelo · PasquettaLong weekend
  6. Liberation DayFesta della LiberazioneSunday · no extra day off
  7. Labour DayFesta dei LavoratoriSaturday · no extra day off
  8. Republic DayFesta della Repubblica
  9. FerragostoAssunzione di MariaThe city empties for 2–3 weeks around itSunday · no extra day off
  10. St Francis of AssisiSan Francesco d'AssisiNational holiday again from 2026Long weekend
  11. All Saints' DayOgnissantiLong weekend

Papers & money

First 90 daysThe ten things to do after you land, in the order that works, with a checklist that remembers your progress and the offices you'll visit.Visas & permitsWhich permesso di soggiorno you hold, the post-office kit, renewals, family reunification, the long-term EU permit and citizenship.Tax & moneyTax residence, the 50% impatriati regime, declaring foreign assets, the yearly tax calendar and opening a bank account.Moving from the USVisa routes for US citizens, filing US taxes from Italy (FBAR, FATCA, PFIC), Social Security, Medicare and the US Consulate in Milan.

Home

Where to liveRent per square metre across Milan and the hinterland, and what each neighbourhood is like for singles, couples and families.Renting a flatContract types (4+4, 3+2, transitorio), deposits, scams to avoid, setting up utilities and TARI, and moving out.Documents from your landlordThe papers only the flat's owner can give you, for residence, the housing-suitability certificate your family's visas need, and the 48-hour hosting declaration.

Getting around

Public transportATM fares and passes, tapping in with your card, airports, regional and high-speed trains, strikes and night service.Driving & licenceWhich foreign licences convert, getting an Italian licence step by step, Area B and Area C, and the costs of owning a car.

Health & family

Health card & hospitalsEmergency numbers, joining the SSN and getting the tessera sanitaria, choosing a GP, pharmacies, and Milan's main hospitals.Private insurance & CignaHow Cigna direct billing works in Milan, employer health funds, other international and Italian insurers, and visa cover rules.SchoolsInternational schools with addresses and fees, Italian state schools, nurseries and how enrolment works.GymsGyms open 24/7 with ratings, budget and premium chains, public sports centres, and the medical certificate gyms ask for.

Everyday life

Apps to installDigital identity, health, transport, money, shopping and phone apps, with direct App Store, Google Play and official links.CommunitiesWhere to meet people: expat networks, nationality associations, chambers of commerce and free Italian classes.Restaurants & foodRestaurants rated 4.5 or higher on Google across every cuisine, from Indian, Kerala and Sri Lankan to Milanese, pizza, Japanese and Lebanese, plus groceries from home.Language & customsSurvival Italian with pronunciation, how to learn Italian for free, and the unwritten rules of daily life in Milan.Things people missDocuments to bring from home, family paperwork, heating rules, pets, insurance and other things newcomers find out too late.

Checked November 2026. All sources