Everyday life
Things people miss
Documents to bring from home, family paperwork, heating rules, pets, insurance and other things newcomers find out too late.
Checked November 2026 · rules change, so confirm fees and deadlines on the linked official pages
Things people often miss
- Bring documents with an apostille and sworn Italian translation from home: marriage certificate, children's birth certificates, degree certificates (for professional recognition). Getting them later from India or Indonesia is slow.
- Family reunification (ricongiungimento familiare) needs proof of income and suitable housing size (an idoneità alloggiativa certificate).
- Spouse's right to work depends on their permit type; a family permit usually allows work.
- Heating: central heating in Milan runs from mid-October to mid-April by municipal rule. Winters are damp and grey; summers hot and humid. Air conditioning is not standard in rentals.
- Pets: dogs must be microchipped and registered with the regional pet registry.
- Home insurance is cheap and worth having for liability to neighbours (leaks are common in old buildings).
- Sending money home: compare Wise and banks; keep records for the Quadro RW declaration.
- Voting and Indian documents: keep Aadhaar/PAN mobile numbers active (roaming or eSIM) to receive OTPs; losing them is a common expat headache.
- Mental load: the first winter is often the hardest. Joining one regular activity (a class, a sports club) helps more than anything.