Teaching English in Italy can be a tremendously rewarding experience, especially as Italian adults are generally very rewarding students. However, there are some practices and situations to be aware of that will help you avoid the most common traps and frustrations of being a ESL teacher in the 'bel paese'.
The following are some FAQs that we hope will help make your time in Italy as professionally and personally rewarding as possible.
What should I look out for when applying for a teaching job in Italy?
What questions should I ask to see if the school is reputable and professional?
Do I need a TEFL or CELTA certificate?
How is the job market for teachers in Italy?
What about residency
permits and work visas?
As mentioned earlier, bureaucracy in Italy is designed to make life difficult. There are 4 main things you need to do - apply for a work visa (permesso di soggiorno - though no longer necessary for EU citizens), register your address with the local commune, apply for your tax number (codice fiscale), and get your national health card. EU citizens will have to spend at least a couple of mornings visiting the various offices, queuing, photocopying passports, and filling out forms.
As a non-EU citizen, getting a work permit after you have arrived in Italy is almost impossible unless you marry an Italian. Very few companies are willing or able to sponsor teachers coming from outside the EU due to the cost, time and uncertainty involved. There are a limited number of visas available if your company sponsors you and offers you a 'contratto a tempo indeterminato' (see the FAQ below on employment contracts in Italy) and even fewer available for 'lavoro autonomo' (the second, third and fourth options in the FAQ below).
Non-EU citizens must start this process in their home country - as this topic is constantly changing and has so many ifs and buts and exceptions we cannot even hope to give much detailed advice on this topic. Please check at your local Italian Consulate or Embassy for details of the application process, and as a first step you can consult the Immigration section of the Italian Ministry of Home Affairs.
Some schools offer to pay salaries into a foreign bank account or encourage teachers to register as a freelance teacher, though this is in order to keep any immigration problems at arm's length from the school, rather than as a solution, and overstaying the date of a passport stamp is obviously not recommended.
If you don't have family connections in Italy, the best route for Americans or other non-EU citizens to get a visa is to apply to study at an accredited university or college. If your application is successful, and with some conditions attached, you will receive a study visa which allows you to work up to a maximum of 20 hours a week - which is not far from a full teaching schedule of 25 hours a week.
What exactly is the difference between a freelance and an independent teacher?
What are the tax rates in Italy? How do I know what my net salary will be?
What are the four types of employment contract for teachers?
What Italian words do I need to know when it comes to teaching and employment?