Moving from Australia to Italy
A long ocean move where two local steps run your life: the codice fiscale you need for almost everything, and registering residence at your Comune. Here is the honest brief on cost, shipping to Genoa, and settling in.
Costs are indicative ranges for 2026.
The honest summary of this move.
Moving a household from Australia to Italy is a long ocean haul with a friendly customs path for genuine movers and a hands on set of local registrations on arrival. For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared sea container runs roughly 5,200 to 10,500 US dollars in 2026, arriving in about six to ten weeks door to door from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane to Genoa, La Spezia, or Naples.
The two local steps that shape everything are the codice fiscale and your residence registration. The codice fiscale is your Italian tax code from the Agenzia delle Entrate, and you need it to rent, open a bank account, sign a utility contract, or start most paperwork. Once settled, you register your residence at the anagrafe office of your Comune, the local town hall, which formally records you as a resident.
Customs is generous to people transferring residence into the European Union. If you have lived outside the Union for at least twelve months and are moving your main home to Italy, used personal belongings owned and used for a reasonable period can generally enter free of duty and value added tax, assessed by Italian customs, the Agenzia delle Dogane, against your inventory. Goods should arrive within twelve months of your move.
Australians also need the right entry visa and, after arrival, the permesso di soggiorno, the residence permit you apply for through the post office kit and your local Questura. You then obtain your tessera sanitaria health card once registered. Budget in euros, and expect a deposit and agency fees when you rent.
What it costs, by home size and method.
The numbers below are indicative ranges for Australia to Italy in 2026. It is a long ocean lane, so volume and your Italian port and onward delivery distance drive the price most.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars. The main drivers are volume in cubic metres, your Australian port, your Italian port and onward delivery, packing scope, and the season. Demand peaks over the southern summer around the new year, which tightens space.
- + Best value for a 2 to 3 bedroom home
- + You pay only for the space you use
- - Long transit and fixed sailings
- + Sealed, your goods only, fewer handoffs
- + Pays off for a 3 bedroom home or larger
- - Expensive for smaller loads
- + Fastest by far over the long ocean route
- + Ideal for essentials during the long wait
- - Very expensive by volume
A sane timeline for this move.
With six to ten weeks at sea and local registrations to line up, the plan is about the visa, the codice fiscale, and the order of your first weeks in Italy.
Sort your visa
Confirm your route, such as an elective residence visa, a work visa within the annual quotas, the digital nomad route, or a family visa, and apply for the long stay national visa before departure.
Get three surveys
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume and a binding quote that names the Italian port and delivery address. Confirm your sailing from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane.
Prepare customs papers
Build a valued inventory and gather proof of your prior home in Australia so your agent can claim transfer of residence relief with the Agenzia delle Dogane.
Pack and load
The packing crew comes one to two days before collection. Goods are inventoried, sealed, and trucked to your Australian port for the ocean voyage to Italy.
Get the codice fiscale
Obtain your codice fiscale from the Agenzia delle Entrate, and within eight days of arrival start your permesso di soggiorno application through the post office kit and your Questura.
Register and settle
Register your residence at the anagrafe of your Comune, obtain your tessera sanitaria, open a bank account, and arrange utilities as your shipment clears customs.
Bringing your household goods into Italy.
Italy welcomes the household goods of genuine movers transferring their main home from outside the European Union, with relief assessed against a careful inventory.
If you have lived outside the European Union for at least twelve months and are transferring your principal residence to Italy, used personal belongings that you have owned and used for a reasonable period can generally be imported free of customs duty and value added tax. Italian customs, the Agenzia delle Dogane, assess the claim against your detailed inventory and proof of your prior home, and your goods should normally arrive within twelve months of your move.
Your destination agent prepares the import declaration and the transfer of residence relief, supported by your inventory, your passport, and your proof of address or residence in Italy. The codice fiscale is often needed in the process, which is one more reason to obtain it early. A clear, valued inventory keeps clearance at the Italian port moving.
Restricted and prohibited categories include weapons, certain foods and plants, and protected species products, while new goods and commercial quantities can attract duty and tax. Pets from Australia must meet European Union entry rules, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and the correct paperwork. An Australian car can be imported but must be made compliant and registered in Italy, and it drives on the left, so many movers sell before leaving.
Verify before you move. The twelve month residence rule, the ownership condition, and the transfer of residence process with the Agenzia delle Dogane change. Confirm the current position with Italian customs and your destination agent before your goods ship.The realistic routes for this corridor.
Australians need an entry visa to live in Italy and then a permesso di soggiorno after arrival. These are the routes movers on this lane use most.
For people with stable income from outside Italy who will not work locally. Popular with retirees and those living on pensions or investments.
Employment routes that fall under Italy's annual entry planning, the decreto flussi, plus certain roles outside the quotas. The employer drives the process.
A route for qualifying remote workers and highly skilled freelancers earning from outside Italy, allowing residence while you work for clients abroad.
For spouses and family of Italian citizens or residents, subject to relationship, housing, and income conditions.
How to choose a mover for Australia to Italy.
We never name, rank, or recommend a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that matters on this exact lane. Apply it to any quote, then request comparable quotes through the form below.
FIDI or IAM affiliation
Membership of the FIDI Global Alliance or the International Association of Movers signals audited financial stability and a complaints process you can lean on if something goes wrong.
Real corridor experience
Ask how many households the company has shipped from Australia to Italy in the past year. A mover that runs the lane often knows the ports, the customs broker, and the paperwork by heart.
A binding pre move survey
Insist on a video or in home survey and a binding or not to exceed quote. A price built from a real volume estimate is the only quote you can compare like for like.
Clear insurance terms
Read how transit cover is calculated, what the deductible is, and whether valuation is by replacement value. Vague cover is the most common regret on an international move.
Verifiable reviews
Look for recent, specific reviews that name the destination, not just star ratings. Patterns in how a company handles claims tell you more than any single glowing note.
Written scope and timeline
Everything that matters belongs in writing: packing, customs clearance, delivery, unpacking, and debris removal, with who pays destination charges spelled out.
Get moving quotes for Australia to Italy.
One short form, shared with vetted international movers who run this exact ocean lane from the Australian ports to Italy. No call centre roulette and no obligation.
One useful email a month for people moving countries.
Real cost movements, customs rule changes, and corridor notes. No spam, and you can leave whenever you like.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Australia to Italy?
For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared container typically costs from about 5,200 to 10,500 US dollars in 2026. Volume, your Italian port, and onward delivery drive the price. Base your budget on a binding pre move survey.
How long does shipping take from Australia to Italy?
Plan on roughly six to ten weeks door to door for a shared container from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane to Genoa, La Spezia, or Naples, including consolidation, the voyage, customs, and delivery. Air freight lands in one to two weeks at a much higher cost.
Do I pay duty on my furniture moving to Italy?
If you have lived outside the European Union for at least a year and are transferring your main home, used household goods generally enter free of duty and value added tax, assessed by the Agenzia delle Dogane against your inventory. Confirm current rules before shipping.
What is the codice fiscale and why do I need it early?
The codice fiscale is your Italian tax code from the Agenzia delle Entrate. You need it to rent, open a bank account, sign utility contracts, and complete most paperwork, including parts of customs clearance, so obtain it as soon as you can.
What is the permesso di soggiorno?
It is the Italian residence permit. After arriving on your visa you apply through the post office kit and your local Questura, usually within eight days of arrival, then register your residence at the anagrafe of your Comune.
Should I ship my car from Australia?
Often not. An Australian car must be made compliant and registered in Italy, it drives on the left, and the long shipping cost is significant. Many movers sell before leaving and buy locally.