Apartments

A few more questions...
What area or neighbourhood in Milan will our apartments be located in? Also, would it be possible to get pictures of the apartments to get a better idea of what they look like?
Thanks again,
Antonella

A few more things

Here is some more info on phones, dvd's, and internet.

As for cd's and dvd's, i brought both. I play my dvd's on my computer or else you have to buy an international dvd player to play multiregion codes. Most of the teachers use their computers to watch dvd's and if you use the program VLC, that is free on the internet, you can watch dvd's from any region. As for cell phones, wait until you get here as it is very easy and we will help you get set up. Internet is the same in Italy as in Toronto. You have to call the internet company and set up an installation appointment for them to come and give you equipment. The school helps you do this as the company only speaks Italian. You have to pay for the internet so you can decide what plan to get.

Banking and Salary

Hi there,
Do we need to get Italian bank accounts or can we use accounts set up here in Canada? Also, will we be paid monthly or biweekly? Will our salaries be directly deposited or will we receive cheques?
Thanks,
Antonella

Timeline for visas

I will send the timeline for visa application to your personal e-mail accounts.

Next set of questions

Hi everyone!

Jesse and I have written down enough questions that we have a complete set to post. Here they are, in no particular order:

- What should our next step be, with respect to the visa process? We now have passports that are valid for the next five years, and we have read all the visa instructions that we received via email. Is there something that should be a priority right now though?

- How many classes are there at each grade level?

- Does BES host parent-teacher interviews? If so, how often? And what is the process like?

- Do we need adapters for electronics that have a three-prong plug? We will be bringing some items that have plugs like that, and it would be great to be able to use them in our apartment right away.

Thank you for any guidance you can provide. We're on our last March Break for a while. Next year, Settimana Bianca!

Visas, Beginning of School, Apartments

Just to clarify, I won't need a student visa as I am applying for citizenship, right? My understanding is that all I'll need is an EU passport.

Also, does our school year begin in September or August? I know that you had mentioned that we will be getting flights around August 25th. Does this mean we are in school at that time? If we want to arrive a week earlier to get settled can we arrange this as well? Will our apartments be available in August?

Antonella

Dear Antonella,

If you hold an EU passport you have the legal right to work in any EU country. The procedure to be followed is short and easy and does not require that special authorizations be obtained prior to arriving in Italy. If you hold an Italian passport, you don't need any special authorization, of course, to work in Italy.

I you intend to come to Italy as an Italian citizen, please make 100% sure that you have your citizenship and Italian passport in hand by the time you arrive in Milan. I don't know how long it takes to get Italian citizenship, but I will be (pleasantly) surprised if it is doable in five months.

If you do not have an EU passport, you must jump through all the nonsensical hoops that I have outlined to obtain a student visa which will eventually morph into a work visa.

Cheers,

Day

P.S. Friday, glorious Friday! It has rained for two days, but they say we should see the sun again this weekend.

Photos, Autentica di Foto, and Medical Insurance

1. Do the passport-sized photos that are needed along with the application form and the Autentica di Foto need to be official passport photos from a recognized photographer, or can they be our own photos so long as they meet the size requirements of a passport-size picture? 

2. What is the Autentica di Foto? Where and how do we get this form? 

3. What's the story with health insurance? We were under the impression that the Blue Cross coverage was going to be minimal. At what point will Italian health coverage kick in?

Thanks.

Jesse Grosman

Dear Jesse,

1. Passport sized pictures should do the trick. The one that I used most recently for my US passport renewal came out of a coin operated machine they had in the US Consulate.

2. The Autentica di Foto form will be sent to you by BES. It has your picture on it and someone at the consulate signs it to verify that you are who you say you are! Make sure you look like the photo you place on the form. :-)

3. It will take a while, probably months, to get you on the Italian National Health system. For that reason it is important to buy a private health policy that has the maximum length possible. The school will reimburse you for this expense, but keep all receipts. The business office cannot reimburse payment without receipts. The private insurance policy is to ensure that you are covered in case of serious illness or injury. Routine medical visits will be reimbursed by the school from the day you arrive.

Day