Practical guide to living and working in Sicily
Visas, taxes, internet, housing, transport and climate, with official sources and the date we checked them. Coming from outside the EU? Start with the visa chapter.
Photo: Badadaba · CC BY-SA 4.0
The route through the guide
Ten chapters, read in the order you'll need them.
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- 01Italy's digital nomad visa and other ways to stay in SicilyItaly's digital nomad visa explained: real income threshold, insurance, lease, permesso in Sicily, plus Schengen 90/180, EES, ETIAS and EU registration rules.
- 02Taxes and tax residency in Italy for remote workersWhen remote workers become Italian tax residents under the 2024 rules, plus the impatriati regime, €300,000 flat tax, partita IVA forfettario and INPS basics.
- 03Incentives for moving to Sicily: what exists in 2026Sicily's 2026 incentives checked: 50% IRPEF refund for new residents, €30,000 South Working grant, 1-euro houses, town bonuses and the Madonie coworking.
- 04Codice fiscale, bank account and healthcare in SicilyYour first weeks in Sicily step by step: codice fiscale, anagrafe registration, bank account, SSN and tessera sanitaria, insurance, EHIC and card payments.
- 05Internet in Sicily: fibre, SIM cards and backup connectionsFibre, 5G home routers and SIM cards in Sicily: November 2026 prices, ID needed for a SIM, real coworking speeds and how to test a flat before you sign.
- 06Housing in Sicily for 1 to 12 months: platforms, prices, contractsWhere to rent in Sicily for 1–12 months: Spotahome, HousingAnywhere, Flatio, colivings and Italian portals, rents by city and zone, summer spikes, red flags.
- 07Cost of living in Sicily: rents, food and bills by cityRents, cappuccino, meals, groceries, gyms, transport passes and bills in eight Sicilian cities, with Numbeo's caveats and three sample monthly budgets.
- 08Transport in Sicily: airports, trains, buses and ferriesSicily's four airports and how to reach the city, Palermo's airport train works and new stations, Catania's metro, buses, ferries, ZTL zones and Etna ash.
- 09Sicily's climate month by month: what each season means for remote workMonthly highs, lows, sea temperature and rain days for Palermo, Catania, Siracusa, Trapani and Messina, plus summer heat, Etna ash and the best months to come.
- 10Everyday life in Sicily: hours, payments, language and safetyMeal times and shop hours, Ferragosto, coperto and tipping, card and cash rules, Italian schools, language exchanges, emergency numbers: daily life in Sicily.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change: check the official sources linked and talk to a commercialista or immigration lawyer for your case.