Learning Italian in Rome: why it's worth it, even if work is in English

Rome runs on paperwork, phone calls and personal relationships, and all three happen in Italian.

The short version

• An international office or a UN agency may work in English. The questura, the anagrafe, your GP, the condominium and the plumber mostly don't.
• Non-EU newcomers applying for a permit of a year or more sign an integration agreement and commit to spoken Italian at A2 [3]. The EU long-term permit needs an A2 test or certificate [2].
• Italian citizenship needs a B1 certificate (or an equivalent route) after, for Brits, normally ten years' residence [4]. Italy recognises dual citizenship with the UK [1].
• Italian is Category I for English speakers: the US Foreign Service Institute estimates 24 weeks of full-time study [6].
• Lazio's CPIA adult education centres run free Italian courses for non-EU residents, from beginner to B1 [5].

Why bother if work is in English?

Italians are generous with foreigners who try. They're less patient with forms filled in wrongly.

Landlords, the condominium and tradespeople. Your lease, the condominio minutes and a builder's quote (preventivo) are in Italian. Understanding the deposit (deposito cauzionale), the notice period and who pays for what is your best protection against "tourist prices" and nasty surprises.

Healthcare. Once you're in the SSN, you choose a family doctor (medico di base). Some speak English, many don't, and the booking line, the prescriptions and the hospital forms are all in Italian. Pharmacists are a great first stop for minor problems, if you can explain them.

Officials. The questura, the anagrafe and the Agenzia delle Entrate don't do English as a rule. A polite buongiorno and a clear sentence get you further than an exasperated sigh.

Safety. The European emergency number 112 works in Rome. You'll still need to give your address, say what happened and follow instructions, and road and building-site signs are in Italian too.

Friends and respect. Romans warm to anyone who makes the effort. A few words at the market, the bar or the school gate turn you from a passing straniero into a regular, and get you friends well beyond the expat crowd.

Where Italian is actually required

The integration agreement. Non-EU citizens applying for a permit of at least one year sign the accordo di integrazione, committing to reach spoken Italian at A2 at least, learn the basics of the Constitution and civic life, and send their children to school [3]. If you hold a Withdrawal Agreement card because you lived in Italy before 2021, you're on a different footing [1]; it's newcomers on elective residence, digital nomad or work permits who meet the agreement.

The long-term permit. Applicants for the EU long-term residence permit must show Italian at A2. You can sit a computer-based test at the prefecture, booked online, with a pass mark of 80%, or show a certificate from one of the recognised bodies: the universities for foreigners in Perugia, Siena and Reggio Calabria, Roma Tre or the Società Dante Alighieri. An Italian school or university qualification also counts, as does an A2 course certificate from an adult education centre [2].

Citizenship. For citizenship by residence or marriage you need a B1 certificate, an Italian qualification, or a long-term permit [4]. EU citizens need a certificate too [4]. The usual certificates are the CILS (Siena), the CELI (Perugia), the PLIDA (Dante Alighieri) and the CERT.IT (Roma Tre).

Your first week: the basics

Greet everyone. Buongiorno runs until early afternoon, then buonasera; Romans start saying it surprisingly early. Ciao is for friends, children and people your own age who've used it first. With officials, shopkeepers and anyone older, use the formal Lei and signora or signore.

At the bar, the Roman way is often to pay at the till first, then hand your receipt (scontrino) to the barista. Un caffè is an espresso. A cornetto is the breakfast croissant.

Pronunciation traps

• Double consonants. Hold them. Pena (sorrow) and penna (pen) differ only in length, and anno (year) and ano (anus) are a classic, mortifying mix-up. Say "Buon anno" with feeling.
• C and g go soft before e and i (ciao "chow", gelato "jeh-LA-toh") and hard with an h (chiesa "KYEH-za", spaghetti).
• Gli and gn: figlio is roughly "FEEL-yo", gnocchi "NYOK-kee".
• Every vowel counts. Italian has no silent e; nome is "NO-meh".

Roman Italian

Romans clip their words and swallow endings: andare becomes anna', mangiare becomes magna'. You'll hear daje! (come on, let's go) at every football match and in every office, anvedi! (look at that!) and ammazza! (wow). The double r gets softened, and gli can come out closer to a plain "i". Learn standard Italian for the questura; enjoy Romanesco at the bar.

How hard, and how long?

The US Foreign Service Institute puts Italian in Category I, "languages close to English", with 24 weeks of full-time study for professional working ability, the short end of the category's 552 to 690 class hours at 23 hours a week [6]. Spelling is regular and the sounds are friendly; the grammar, especially the subjunctive (congiuntivo), takes longer.

A routine that fits a working week:

1. Two classes a week, at a CPIA, a school or online.
2. Fifteen minutes a day of vocabulary, with the morning moka pot or a proper cuppa.
3. Italian radio, podcasts or the football on the way to work.
4. One real conversation a week: a tandem partner, the barista, your neighbour.
5. A target exam. A2 in your first year is realistic for most people. B1 for citizenship takes longer, but you have years.

Ways to learn in Rome

CPIA adult education centres. Lazio's Centri provinciali per l'istruzione degli adulti run free courses for people from outside the EU: A1 (about 100 hours), A2 (about 80 hours, the level for the long-term permit) and B1 (80 to 100 hours, the level for citizenship), with a placement test and a certificate at the end [5]. Ask the Lazio information line or your nearest CPIA what's running this year.

Universities. Roma Tre is one of the recognised certifying bodies for the long-term permit [2], and Rome's universities run Italian courses for foreigners. Compare hours, group size and exam preparation.

Private language schools. Rome has dozens. Check whether they prepare for the CILS, CELI or PLIDA and whether they're an exam centre.

Tandem partners. Plenty of Romans want to practise English. Half an hour each way over a coffee works wonders.

Live online lessons. One-to-one fits round a busy diary, small groups are cheaper and more sociable, and kids' classes keep children's Italian moving over the summer.

Ask our community group for Brits in Italy which teachers got people through B1.

Italian and your kids

All children aged 6 to 16 must go to school or be home-schooled in Italy [1]. Italian state schools teach in Italian, and younger children usually pick it up fast. Support for newcomers varies from school to school, so ask what Italian as a second language (L2) help is on offer before you enrol. Teenagers arriving with no Italian need more time, and some families start them at an international school.

If your children go to a British or international school, keep their Italian going with sport, scouts and summer camps. It's what lets them feel Roman, not just live in Rome.

If you'd rather learn with a live teacher online, our language partner is below.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Italy (last updated 28 October 2026)
2. Integrazione Migranti (Italian government): Italian test for the long-term residence permit (18 February 2022)
3. Prefetture (Ministero dell'Interno): Primi passi in Italia, the integration agreement (PDF) (September 2024)
4. Prefetture (Ministero dell'Interno): Guida alla cittadinanza italiana (PDF) (March 2024)
5. Regione Lazio: PRILS Italian courses for foreign nationals (updated 24 March 2022)
6. US Department of State: Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories) (checked 11 November 2026)

Keep reading

• Italian citizenship for Brits: residence, marriage and descent
• Codice fiscale, residenza and the permesso di soggiorno
• Schools in Rome: British and international schools
• Brits in the EU after Brexit: residence rights and the 90/180-day rule