British families with homes in Italy say they may have to give them up because of new EU travel rules
Britons with second homes in Italy have said the new EU travel rules could force them to give up their beloved second homes.
A retiree from Brighton told The i Paper he is considering selling the Calabrian farmhouse he bought in 2018 because it will now be far harder for him and his relatives to visit for extended breaks.
“I bought this house in 2018 for €150,000 (£130,000), it’s been my holiday retreat every summer and I love it,” said Paul Anderson (not his real name), 77.
“But these new EU travel rules are a blow, I’m seriously thinking of selling it. And I thought Brexit was bad enough.”
Anderson, a widower who used to work for a local government agency, has spent the past seven years using the four-bedroom home in southern Italy for get-togethers with his extended family, including his four grandchildren.
He and his loved ones enjoyed celebrating Christmases at the 200 square-metre property in the countryside near Tropea, spending quality time together on the panoramic terrace and among the olive groves.
The travel rules mean holidaymakers may need to create a digital record on their first visit to the Schengen area, submit fingerprints and have their photo taken. They may also have to answer questions on their funds, return tickets, medical insurance and accommodation.
Frequent visitors will have to ensure their total stay in the Schengen area is no more than 90 in every 180 days.
Anderson said the extra paperwork and hassle “will make it harder for my sons, daughters and grandchildren to spend summer and other holidays here with me”.
“That was the whole point of buying this property close to the sea and the beautiful coastline, to never be alone since my wife passed away, and enjoy the sunshine together with my family,” added the pensioner.
A 50-year-old interior designer from London said she faces a similar problem and might have to give up her dream of living under the Roman sun.
Anne Johnson (whose real name has also been withheld) has spent the past four years holidaying at a cottage surrounded by a lavish park near the village of Magliano Sabina, in the Tiber Valley countryside.
She rents the three-bedroom home year-round, paying €300 (£260) a month to secure the property, despite only spending a few months there in total.
“My two twin boys of 14 love to play in the garden,” she told The i Paper. “Living in London, full of smog, we get to breathe fresh air.”
Johnson said she has always been “fine” with paying a full year’s rent for the cottage because of the low cost, even though she only spends up to 90 days in every 180 at the property.
But she fears the new checks, questions and requirements may mean it is no longer worthwhile for her.
“I’m divorced and travel alone with the boys, and I find these rules very onerous. It’s a major crackdown,” she explained.
Another option she is considering, alongside ending her rental contract with a private local agency, is sub-letting the property to a British family she knows that has residency and is therefore not subject to post-Brexit travel rules.
“My boys will be heartbroken, and I’m at a deadlock as I really don’t know what to do,” she added.
Despite all the hurdles that came with Brexit, the old stone house was “a dream come true”, she said. Now, that dream could be over.
