January

New Year’s Day: The first public holiday of 2024 takes place on the first day of 2024. A Monday off work isn’t a bad way to start the year. See a full guide to the year’s public holiday dates here.

Budget: From January, all the changes outlined in Italy’s 2024 budget plan – which in mid-December is still going through the lengthy debate and amendment process – should come into force. That is, of course, if the government manages to pass the budget bill by the end of December deadline.

The plan so far includes changes to IRPEF (income tax) brackets, a reduction in the TV licencing fee, and a controversial plan to charge some foreign residents up to 2,000 euros a year for healthcare. These plans are not set in stone yet and The Local will continue to report any updates as we get them.

Energy contracts: Some customers in Italy will need to switch their energy provider or contract by January 10th as new rules come in from this date.

Trains and planes: From early 2024 several new ‘tourist train’ routes are set to launch in Italy, and dozens of new short- and long-haul flights to Italian airports have also been announced. Find details of these and next year’s other Italian travel-related news here.

Winter sales: Bargain hunters, on your marks. The winter sales begin across almost all of Italy on January 5th or 6th.

March

Daylight savings time will begin on March 31st, when we set our clocks forward one hour and lose an hour of sleep.

Easter Sunday this year also falls on March 31st.

April

Venice’s 60th Biennale Arte: This year’s major arts event in the floating city is to open on Saturday 20th April, running until Sunday November 24th.

May

Tax: The online platform for income tax declarations in Italy opens this month.

Vasari Corridor: The 16th-century corridor above Florence’s River Arno is set to open its doors to the public for the first time since 2016 after extensive renovation work.

June:

School’s out:  The long summer holidays officially begin for students in most parts of Italy on June 8th, for those schools which have Saturday classes, and June 7th for those finishing on a Friday.

Second-home tax deadline: Owners of second homes in Italy need to pay the first instalment of their IMU property tax by mid-June. The second payment deadline is in December.

Italy hosts G7: The Italian government plans to host this year’s G7 meeting in the southern region of Puglia, at a luxury resort better known for celebrity weddings.

July:

Milan traffic limits: The mayor of Milan has announced new limits on cars in the city centre which are set to come into force from July.

Tampon tax: The Italian government announced in its draft budget plan that VAT on essential sanitary and baby products will be increased from 5 to 10 percent, with this and several other tax changes set to come in from July.

August

Holiday time: Not really a change, more a reminder of how things work in Italy – it’s best to get any important appointments and paperwork out of the way before the end of July. After that point, public officials and even legal and medical professionals may be hard to reach until September.

September

Rientro: Cities come back to life as seemingly everyone returns from their summer holidays: pupils head back to school from the beginning of September, and many adults will be going back to work after a summer break, too.

New passport rules – the EU’s long-delayed EES (Entry & Exit System) is now due to be introduced in the ‘second half’ of 2024, once the Paris Olympics and the summer holiday peak travel season are over. 

The exact date is still TBC, but the changes will affect how passports are scanned at the border and how the 90-day rule is applied.

The second EU border change – which involves all visitors getting a €7 ‘ETIAS visa waiver’ before travel – is due to be implemented in the first half of 2025. See full details on what those changes will mean for you HERE. 

October:

Winter tires: Motorists will need to check when the rules for switching to winter tires apply in their region – in most areas, it’s from the 15th.

Daylight savings time will end on October 29th, with clocks turned back one hour meaning there will be more light in the morning.

November

Income tax: The deadline for filing income taxes for most people is on November 30th.

December:

New public holiday? There could be an extra day off work for employees this year as the government says it plans to make Armed Forces Day on November 4th a public holiday.