I built a map of 2,528 Italian towns that can qualify for the 7% tax regime, then my family picked a region that isn't on it. This episode is the order of decisions we used to choose where to retire in Italy, and where the 7% belongs in that order.

Summary. Choosing where to retire in Italy is a series of eliminations, and the order matters. The five filters are the care radius, family gravity, the no-car test, the life you actually live, and only then the money, including the 7%. Caesar walks through a fictional couple, Tom and Lisa, to show how a cheaper town in a 7% region can cost more by year eleven.

Key takeaways

1. A town has to work for you at 78, not only at 65. You are choosing for twenty years or more.
2. Pick your emergency-department number before you open a single listing: the most minutes you will accept to the nearest pronto soccorso.
3. Count family distance door to door, in hours and connections, not in kilometers.
4. A train station is a building. A service is a train that arrives when you need it. Check Sundays and evenings.
5. The 7% is a way to compare towns that already passed the first four filters. It is not a reason to choose one, and it lasts up to ten tax years.
6. Now, Next, Not Yet: write down three numbers, run the free Escape Map quiz against them, and stay off the real-estate sites for now.

Sources and facts mentioned. Law 34/2026 (7% regime now covers municipalities up to 30,000 inhabitants, effective April 7, 2026). The regime requires qualifying foreign pension income and no Italian tax residence in the prior five years. U.S. citizens still file U.S. returns and may owe U.S. tax. Tom and Lisa are fictional and their numbers are examples, not a forecast.

Do this next. Take the free quiz on the 7% Escape Map. It gives you ten matched towns, and you don't need Pro for it. Run each one through your three numbers: https://italy7percent.caesartheday.com

Question for you. What is the one thing a town has to have before you'll even look at it? Reply in the Facebook group or the YouTube comments.

Links

• Watch the video: https://youtu.be/VJb2zm9zzJM
• Website: https://www.caesartheday.com
• Free guides: https://www.caesartheday.com/guides
• Free 20-minute call and services: https://www.caesartheday.com/services
• Books: https://www.caesartheday.com/books
• Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caesarthedayretiretoitaly
• Substack: https://caesartheday.substack.com

I'm not a lawyer or tax adviser. This is education, not personal advice. Have qualified professionals check your situation, ideally professionals who understand both countries.

Thinking about retiring in Italy in the next five years? Before an apartment with a terrace makes all your financial decisions for you, let’s work out how you’ll pay for the life attached to it.

In Episode 3 of CaesarTheDay, we walk through a practical five-year financial roadmap: understanding your accounts, building a realistic budget, turning savings into income, and preparing for the costs and paperwork that continue after you arrive.

Simple examples, plain English, and a little humor. No accounting degree required.

YOUR FIVE-YEAR ROADMAP

• Five years out: Take inventory of your retirement accounts, savings, pensions, and future Social Security. Identify your visa route and the income you’ll need to document.
• Four years out: Price everyday life—including healthcare, flights home, and occasional expenses. Keep moving costs separate from your regular budget.
• Three years out: Build your retirement paycheck. Cover the gap before pensions or Social Security begin, and examine taxes, Roth conversions, and Italy’s seven-percent program.
• Two years out: Test the plan against a weaker dollar and disappointing investment returns. Spend time in the towns you’re considering and see what ordinary life actually costs.
• The final year: Confirm account access, money transfers, healthcare, and the documents you’ll need for your residence permit and renewals.

THE VISA NUMBER ISN’T YOUR LIVING BUDGET

We discuss the roughly €31,000 in annual financial resources per applicant referenced in U.S. consular elective residence visa guidance—roughly €62,000 for two applicants. Boston specifies more than €31,000 per person.

Meeting that figure doesn’t guarantee approval. The source and reliability of your income matter, and the ERV does not permit work. Check the consulate serving your home address.

We also briefly cover the digital nomad route and why you’ll need to keep documenting financial support when renewing your permesso di soggiorno, or residence permit.

YOUR FIRST STEP

On one page, write down your intended move date, the income you’ll have by then, your expected spending, and which accounts will cover any gap. Put a question mark beside anything you need to check. That’s your starting point.

EXPLORE THE ITALY 7% ESCAPE MAP

Visit the 7% Escape Map website to explore towns to consider for the seven-percent program and narrow down where you might enjoy living. Confirm eligibility before committing. A tax break is lovely. You still have to like the place.

WATCH THE YOUTUBE COMPANION

Find Episode 3 and subscribe to CaesarTheDay Abroad on YouTube for the more detailed financial roadmap.

Follow the podcast and share this episode with the person who keeps sending you Italian apartment listings.

Educational information, not personal financial, tax, legal, or immigration advice. Examples are illustrative. Rules and policies can change; confirm your plans with the relevant authorities and qualified U.S. and Italian advisers.

I’m about four years away from leaving the U.S. and building the next chapter of my life in Europe, most likely Italy. So what does planning actually look like this far out?

In this episode, I walk through what I’m actively working on now, what I’m deliberately not doing yet, and why timing matters so much when you’re planning a move abroad.

We’ll talk about the financial runway before retirement, tax planning, Roth conversions, language learning, location research, scouting trips, healthcare, residency, and the difference between understanding the process now and collecting documents too early.

I’ll also get into the personal side of the decision: why I’m leaving, what I want life to look like after the move, and why this is less about “escaping” America and more about designing the next phase intentionally.

If you’re a few years away from your own move to Italy or elsewhere in Europe, this episode is about using that time wisely.

Resources:
CaesarTheDay® — https://caesartheday.com
Escape Map 7% — https://italy7percent.caesartheday.com
Visto Facile — https://vistofacile.caesartheday.com
Books — https://caesartheday.com/books

CaesarTheDay® — Retire Abroad. Live Better.