• Apply for your visa. I’ve written a detailed post about this.

• Get passport photos from the post office or a chemist.

• Print bank statements in preparation for your visa appointment.

• Book travel insurance.

• Book your flight! Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, and Singapore Airlines are my go-to.

• If you don’t have family or friends to crash with, book an Airbnb for a few weeks. You can often score a decent discount if staying for a few weeks, and it’s a great way to explore different regions. Check out our other post for more info.

• Contact your mobile provider and enquire about the costs of international roaming. I am with Amaysim, and they have some excellent, affordable options for international roaming, which means I get to keep my Aussie phone number while in Italy. This has been SO helpful, as so many apps require your mobile number for two-factor authentication (e.g. PayPal, Airbnb). If international roaming isn’t possible, I’d advise paying your Australian provider to keep your phone number active (this often involves switching to prepaid and adding some money to your SIM) and getting an eSIM in Italy (e.g. Holafly).

• If, for whatever reason, you are unable to keep your Aussie phone number, you will need to set up two-factor authentication apps or alternative options for myGov, Airbnb, PayPal, Google, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, banking, etc. This can be very time consuming…

• Register your holiday destination with the banks you have accounts with.

• Contact the AEC to enrol as an overseas voter.

• Cancel streaming services that aren’t available in the country you’re moving to e.g. Stan, Binge, Optus Sport / Kayo.

• Waterproof your shoes.

• Update your will.

• Start learning the language! If you like to learn on apps, Duolingo, Memrise, and Pimsleur are popular. I like italki, which involves one-to-one online lessons. Unless you plan on staying in Rome, Florence, Venice, or Milan for the entire year, you will need to learn some Italian. I’ve written a post about learning the language.

• If you plan on signing up for Italian apps, these may not be available on your App Store. To change regions on your app store, you will need an Italian method of payment - the easiest of these to set up is PayPal. However, this is definitely worth setting up before you travel, as you can easily be locked out of your account. Also important to note that you can only change locations in your App Store once every 12 months… so if you’re only moving for six months it may not be worth it.

What to pack:

• Australian power board.

• Multiple adapters - some with thin round pegs and some with thick round pegs (see below) as every place we’ve stayed in Italy requires different adapters.

• Electronics and chargers.

• Summer clothes (denim shorts, shirts, dresses, etc.).

• Togs.

• Light towel.

• Winter clothes (denim jacket, puffer jacket, beanie, scarf, thermals, jeans).

• Puffer jacket.

• Sneakers (I wear Bared).

• Comfortable walking shoes (I wear Birkinstocks Arizona).

• Comfortable and waterproof beach shoes (I wear Birkinstocks Eva).

• Hiking boots, if you like hiking.

What I wished I packed:

• My Blunt umbrella.

• Trigger ball for long hours sitting at the desk with less-than-ideal posture…

Short answer: no. Not right now, anyway.

Why? For starters, it is so unbelievably expensive. I couldn’t believe it - back in 2019 I was living in a three-bedroom flat in Clapham South and paying approximately £650 a month in rent. Nowadays, I have friends in old four-bedroom share houses paying £1,200 a month. Almost double! 

Sadly, it’s not just rent that’s blown out. Eating out at pubs will set you back at least £30 for a meal and drink (which, when accounting for Aussie exchange rate, is crazy). I find there are two generations of Aussies that move to London now – the first gen are early career health workers who move across to locum and travel on a shoestring. The second gen are in their late 20s / early 30s and have transferred to London through their corporate job or are moving for a promotion. Nowadays, I think it would be really tricky to move in your early 20s without substantial savings behind you, but definitely not impossible!

Also, the grind. London is SO fun, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a hustle culture. Everyone is in a constant rush. There’s no smiling at strangers, etc. After living there for two years, I found myself getting really cold emotionally. It took a while to recover from this mentality, and it’s certainly not something I want to experience again.

This is not meant to discourage anyone from making the move to London in any way, but for me, especially on an Australian salary, there is no way I could afford to live in London comfortably. If you’re earning big bucks at a big London company, you’ll have an absolute blast. London is unparalleled in terms of its live events, gigs, festivals, eating, and not to mention the proximity to Europe.

5 years on

Disclaimer: It’s important to note this is our experience only, and different people have reported varying success. If in doubt, contact the Consulate.

Our process of getting the WHV visa and Permesso di Soggiorno (residence permit):

Before you move: Applying for the Working Holiday Visa

Step 1. Make an appointment at an Italian consulate in Australia (often you need to wait a few months). If there is no consulate in your state, you have to travel to the closest consulate (e.g. as we were living in Tasmania, and we had to travel to Melbourne).

Step 2. Attend your appointment, ensuring you bring: 

• Your passport (which you will leave with the Consulate until your visa is approved).

• Proof of address in Australia (e.g., driver’s licence).

• Bank statements from the past 90 days showing proof of funds.

• Health insurance if staying longer than six months (importantly, you will need to have unlimited medical cover; we elected for Bupa).

• At least two passport photos.

• A prepaid A4 envelope, if you would like your visa and passport posted back to you.

The appointment didn’t take very long (maybe 20 minutes), but be prepared to experience your first taste of Italian culture - you may have to wait a while after your allocated time (especially if it is around lunchtime).

Step 3. Wait for the Consulate to process your visa. In our experience, the Melbourne Consulate posted our passports with the visa back to us in three working days (!!)

With the visa pasted in your passport, you are all set to travel to Italy, woohoo! 

When you get to Italy: Permesso di Soggiorno

Within eight days of arriving in Italy, you must apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno (residence permit). This can be VERY difficult if (a) you are living in a smaller town, and (b) you don’t speak Italian. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the Australian WHV doesn’t seem to exist on official immigration computer systems, i.e. doesn’t come up as a visa option. But don’t worry - it’s not impossible! 

Step 1. Go to Poste Italia to get an official application kits for Permesso di Soggiorno (note: you only need the payment form, don’t bother filling out the entire application form).

Poste Italia post offices hold official application kits for Permesso di Soggiorno, which you can receive over the counter. No need to make an appointment. When you arrive, you need to go to the machine near the entrance, change the language to English, then follow the prompts on the machine to get a ticket number. Once your ticket number is called, you can ask for an application kit. The kit includes an application form, as well as a payment form.

When we arrived, we went to the post office and got a kit to fill out. Where we ran into issues was where to submit this.

We tried to submit the kit back to the post office, hoping the next step would be to get an appointment at the Questura (i.e. Police Headquarters), but they wouldn’t take it.

Permesso di Soggiorno’s for all visas BESIDES the WHV are processed at the post office. We didn’t know this when we arrived. However, you still need to go to the post office to get the official application kit for Permesso di Soggiorno, as these have the PAYMENT FORM you will be asked for at Police Headquarters (see below).

According to this website, the residence permit for a WHV must be processed exclusively by the Questura (Police Headquarters) and not by a post office.

Step 2. Go to the local Questura to request an appointment for Permesso di Soggiorno.

We then went to Immigration at Police Headquarters to have our residence permit processed. This was quite confronting. There were approximately 50 people waiting outside just trying to get in the door. We waited an hour or so and finally asked someone if they could process our residence permit. They tried to send us back to the post office, but we showed them the website above (save this on your phone!), and while they did not accept our application, they begrudgingly agreed to make us an appointment. The appointment was for one week later. We didn’t ask to have the date changed - it may be possible to request a date but based on our experience I wouldn’t dare - they were already very grumpy with us!!

Step 3. Attend your appointment at the Questura.

You must prepare the following before your Questura appointment:

• Marca da bollo (stamp) - you can buy these at a tobacco shop for €16.

• Payment form from the post office application kit (below) - you will need to fill out all three sections on this form with your full name, address in Italy, and the payment of €70.46 (2024 price). This will need to be paid at the post office, and the proof of payment taken to the Questura.

What to bring with you to the Questura appointment:

• Your passport and a photocopy of your passport.

• A photocopy of your visa.

• Proof of address in Italy (e.g., rental contract, government invoice for Airbnb, etc.).

• Proof of health insurance (if staying in Italy longer than six months).

• Marca da bollo (stamp).

• Completed payment form.

What to expect at the Questura:

We returned on the appointment date with the above documents. Very few of the staff in the Questura in Lecce could speak English, so there was some confusion around the process, but they were able to manually apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno on the computer using the information we provided. 

We had our fingerprints taken and received our residence permit receipt / temporary permit on the spot, same day as our appointment at the Questura. They said nothing to us when we left about next steps, but based on information I’ve read online, it can take 3-6 months to get your physical residence permit card. You can track the progress by entering your numbers in the top left corner into this website.

It was very unclear if you can travel in and out of Italy waiting for your physical residence permit card, but the general consensus was if you have a valid visa and temporary residence permit, it should be fine. We never had any issues entering / leaving Italy in the ten months we lived there.

Boy, was this process stressful and confusing, but so worth it. Happy to answer any questions or help in any way I can - information online is the only way we managed!

The move

To do before moving:

• UK visa application.

• Update your CV.

• Make photocopies of ALL important documents and get them certified by a Justice of the Peace (passport, birth certificate, degree, current registration, driver’s licence, three concurrent bank statements showing equivalent of £1,600 saved), then scan them onto Google Drive.

• Get passport-sized photos (required for visa and locum agencies).

• Complete UK and Australian police checks.

• Book your flights.

• Contact your Australian mobile provider and ask if you can keep / dock your mobile number for two years (there is usually a fee).

• (Health professionals) HCPC application – this can take up to six months to get approved, get the forms off the website.

• (Health professionals) Email your university to get the Course Information Form filled out for HCPC (costs $165 for UQ).

• (Health professionals) Book a doctor’s appointment to get immunisations for the NHS.

• (Health professionals) Register with allied health agencies and begin the compliance process – PSL, Your World, Just Physio/OT, Piers Meadow, Sugarman, Rig (I recommend registering with 3-4).

What to pack:

• Australian power board.

• Adapters (don’t forget European ones too for any holidays).

• Passport.

• Copies of important documents.

• Driver’s licence.

• Debit / credit cards.

• A pen.

• Electronics.

• Chargers.

• Fave clothes / shoes.

Don’t overpack - everything else can be bought in the UK!

When you arrive:

• Download City Mapper.

• Get an appointment for a National Insurance Number.

• Set up a bank account – online is easiest (Monzo, Revolut) but I also got a HSBC account at the Paddington branch (need proof of address – a letter from my agent worked for me).

• Get a UK SIM card (Giffgaff, Vodafone, O2, Virgin, EE, 3) – 3 is cheaper, but coverage is patchy in busy areas of London.

• Find a sublet for 4-6 weeks in the area you want to live in – this gives you up to six weeks to do viewings and find a place you’re happy to sign a lease for.

• Buy towels, linen, pillows, blankets, and other homewares from Primark.

• Download Wise to move funds from your Australian account to your UK account.

Traveling with Carry-On 101

Packing tips:

• All liquids must be under 100mL and must fit in the small zip lock bag provided by the airport - this INCLUDES mascara, foundation, lip balms, lipsticks, lip glosses (airports in London and Spain are really strict on this).

• Use contact lens cases and small make-up sample pots for foundation, moisturisers, etc.

Airlines (these rules are subject to change):

• Ryanair - you must buy priority to take a standard 56cm x 36cm x 23cm carry-on bag (you can also take a small bag to keep under your seat); they DO NOT weigh carry-on. You used to have to print your boarding pass and get it signed at customer service at the airport before passing through security, but this has now changed and you can have your boarding pass on your phone (updated June 2024).

• easyJet - you must buy priority or a seat with extra leg room to take a standard 56cm x 36cm x 23cm carry-on bag (you can also take a small bag to keep under your seat); they DO NOT weigh carry-on in my experience.

• Wizz Air - you must buy priority to take a standard 56cm x 36cm x 23cm carry-on bag (you can also take a small bag to keep under your seat); they DO NOT weigh carry-on in my experience.

• Vueling - they DO weigh carry-on bags.

Traveling on a budget

Tips:

• Travel at night (overnight buses are your friend).

• Fly mid-week.

• Use public transport everywhere.

• Make a daily budget and stick with it.

• Stay somewhere with a kitchen.

• Look for breakfast-included deals.

• Look for volunteer arrangements (Workaway etc.).

• Pack light.

• Ask for a discount.

Places to see:

• Kings Cross platform 9 3/4

• Ally Pally

• Tower of London

• Go to a Football game (Craven Cottage, Selhurst Park, Stamford Bridge, Emirates, Tottenham Stadium)

• Abbey Road

• Wembley Stadium

• Kew Gardens

• Neal’s Yard 

• Vinegar Yard

• Bermondsey Beer Mile

• Portobello Road

• Royal Albert Hall

• Emirates Air Rail

• Primrose Hill

• Somerset House

• Columbia Road Flower Market

• Pop Brixton

• Hyde Park

• White Chapel Road/Brick Lane

• Regent Street

• Piccadilly Circus

• Covent Garden

• Trafalgar Square

• Notting Hill

• Carnaby Street

• Kingly Court

• Buckingham Palace

• Westminster

• Tower Bridge

• China Town

• St. Paul’s Cathedral

• Harrods

• The Shard

• Chelsea

• Kensington Garden and Palace

• Hampstead Heath

• Box Park

• Richmond Park

• O2

• The Globe

• Wimbledon

Museums:

• V and A

• Churchill War Rooms

• Imperial War Museum

• Natural History Museum

• British Museum

• Tate Modern

• Museum of London

• Science Museum

Markets:

• Borough Market

• Maltby Street Market

• Mercato Metropolitan

• Tooting Market

• Spitalfields Market

• Greenwich Market

• Chelsea Market

• Seven Dials Market

• Camden Market

• Victoria Market Hall

• Winter Wonderland

• Trafalgar Square Xmas Market

• Winterville

• Hackney Xmas Market

• Leicester Square Xmas Market

• Southbank Xmas Market

Fun things:

• Proseccoville

• Bounce

• Silent disco - many locations around London

• Alcotraz

• Four Thieves

• Ballie Ballison

• Flight Club

• God’s Own Junkyard

• Swingers

• Top Secret Comedy Club

• Bogan Bingo

• Bongo’s Bingo

• Clapham Grand Singalongs

• The Cauldron

Brunch:

• Today in Tooting

• Sunday’s Cafe near Finsbury Park

• Providores

• Dishoom

• Farm Girl in Chelsea

• Breakfast Club

• Circolo Popolare

• Barge House (breakfast in bread)

• Milk in Balham

• Megan’s

• Granger and Co

• Minnow

• Tanner and Co

• No 33 Abbeville

Restaurants:

• The Ivy

• Flour and Grape

• Pick and Cheese

• Gunpowder

• Kiln Thai

• Honey and Co

• Palomar

• Homeslice

• Nopi

• Social Eating House

• No. 32 Clapham

• The Dairy

• Mommi

• Berber and Q

• Marie’s Cafe Waterloo – BYO Thai

• Franco Manca

• Sushi Samba

• Patty and Bun

• Shoryu

• Polpo

• Disshoom

• Breddos Tacos

• Senor Ceviche

• Lima

• Duck and Waffle

• The Churchill Arms

• Sketch

• Pho and Bun

• Coal Office

• Hoppers

• Padella

• Eat Tokyo

• Flat Iron

• The Good Egg (Soho)

• The Smoking Goat

• Pachamama

• Kricket

• Flesh and Buns

• Koya

• Pergola on the Roof

• Beigel Bake

• Crust Bros

• Hawksmoor

• Three Stags

• Steam Engine

• Dans Le Noir - eating in the dark, from About Time the movie

• Circolo Popolare

• Gloria Trattoria

• Lobos Meat and Tapas

• Gaucho

• Bunga Bunga

• Coal Rooms

• Hamyard Hotel

• El Camion

• Wolesey 

• Barrafina

• Bala baya

• Rambla

• Goodmans

• Gymkana

• Coya

• Roka

• Pizza Pilgrim

• Dozo

Sweets:

• Marley’s Cupcakes

• Dum Dum Donuts

• Hummingbird Bakery

• Hotel Chocolat Restaurant

• Crumbs & Doilies

• Cutter and Squidge

• Chin Chin Lab for Hot Choc

• Cross Town Donuts

• Blondies Kitchen

• Peggy Porschen

• Bens Cookies

• Lola’s Cupcakes

• Flavour Town bakery

• Soft Serve Society

• Bread Ahead

• Bubble Waffle China Town

Bars/Cocktails:

• The Dandelion

• Henrietta Hotel

• The Bletchley

• Prosecco House

• Book Club

• Cellar Room (toilet themed bar)

• The Prince

• The Ned

• Cahoots (tube themed bar)

• London Cocktail Club

• Alchemist

• Coppa Club

• Breakfast Club

• The Blind Pig

• Dirty Martini

• Gordon’s Wine Bar

• Barrio

• Sky Garden

• Mr Foggs

• Northcoate Records

• Tonight Josephine

• Madison’s Rooftop Bar

• The Ship

• Franks Cafe

• WC

• Bar Elba

• Vaulty Towers

• Piano Works

• Katzenjammers

• Gremio