Work in Rome

How to Work in Rome

There are differing views on how easy it is to work in Rome, but, as already said, a lot depends on you and your qualifications. It is true that in Italy there is high unemployment and most jobs seem to go to family members and friends, but do not despair ‘cause English speaking people are often required and obviously, knowing also a bit of Italian helps a lot. If your Italian level is not very good, or virtually zero and you want to work in Rome, you can ask around at the hostels, hotels and restaurants. Another good possibility for working in Rome, especially for young, unmarried women, is to go as an au pair to a Roman family. Normally an au pair is a young foreign girl in charge of childcare and sometimes light housework in the household, carrying out her duties in exchange for housing and a small allowance (generally €350 or more per month,) and interpersonal experience in a foreign country. If you’re interested in this valuable experience of life and work in Rome, you can check the site Roma Au Pair. Those who are planning to work in Rome for a little bit more than a few months and have a degree in English, can try and turn to the numerous English language schools, trying to find a teaching job, this may be the best opportunity of picking up part-time work in Rome. You can try to go in person to the schools or look at the TEFL website that provides jobs teaching abroad as summer school managers and EFL teachers, TEFL will give you details of qualifying before travelling. For further information you can also check our page Teaching Rome. If you’re going to live and work in Rome for a while and you’re not a EU citizen, you will also need a permesso di soggiorno (permanent residence card), legally, you are also required to have a working visa, although it is very easy to work and live without one, if you want more information about it check our page Italian Visas. The Italian work permit is administered by regional labor offices, hence differing according to the exact location within Italy. Work permits must be sponsored by an Italian company and cannot be applied for directly by an employee or agency. In order to obtain a work permit, the applicant must produce a residence permit. Expect no less than 2 months for processing time. Last but not least, if you’re going to work in Rome you should be wary about making any financial commitments before you've actually been paid -- late and non-payment is unfortunately pretty common, and you may find as a non-Roman, you are more likely to be seen as an easy target for this.