International Living Community

Dear NROLO,
I dont want to seem flip at all but "FASTTRACK" and Italy don't really belong in the same sentence. I dont know anyone who did not take less than 1.5 to 2.5 years to do it. I will say this: those who have their paperwork in hand, completed and know where they want to live, seem to have greater control over what happens than those trying to compete the work in the States. ought)
We have a close friend who moved near us, with his paperwork compete (or so he thought) moved here, applied for citizenship in the same town he lived in and then needed a court approval for one of the documents from a US court. That alone took about eight months but after 2.5 years of living here he was warded his citizenship.
I dont know of a "Fast Track" method of doing this but I can send you to an attorney who can hellp you avoid the mistakes of others. Her name is M. Grazia Colombo and her email address is mgrazia.colombo@leexe.it. there will be things she will know about the process that I do not. Send her an email. Ask her for her charges for your specific needs and go from there. My best to you: Chip Stites, IL Italian Correspondent.

ok a I am happy.

Hi Aaron,

Your existing credit and debit cards will likely work in Thailand, but using them can be costly.

When you withdraw cash using a foreign card, you’ll be charged an ATM fee of about 220 THB (around $6.12; it will likely appear as part of the withdrawal amount and not as a separate fee on your statement).

Your bank back home may charge its own fees on top of this. Plus, many institutions may give a poor exchange rate and/or charge fees up to as much as 5%.

Credit cards can be used at larger businesses, but some add a fee or surcharge of up to 1.5% , and your bank may apply additional fees and charges.

Before leaving home, tell your bank representative that you’re planning on spending time in Thailand and discuss these fees. You may find that opening an account in a different bank in the U.S., Canada, or wherever home may be, can save you money when you get to Thailand.

Some banks—like Charles Schwab—have special offers for things like foreign ATM fee reimbursement, or better bill paying options, while others (like Capital One) may offer credit cards with no foreign currency fees. You’ll find it well worth your while to research these options exhaustively.

Be sure to check out our dedicated Thailand resource page before you visit.

One thing to add to the previous answer that my wife and I discovered the hard way when we first moved to Ecuador. Plumbed gas lines deliver at a higher pressure in Ecuador than in the US, so if you have a gas appliance made in the US make sure a qualified tech installs it and adds an adaptor to correct the pressure. We allowed one of the guardians in our building to do the installation, and we melted some polyester clothing in the first load!

Hi Gary,

Great choice on visiting Lima. It’s Peru’s business, culinary, and retail hub and is also home to the country’s largest concentration of expats.

Using taxis overseas can be daunting. We all heard stories of people getting ripped off because they don’t know how to navigate the system. But you just need to follow a few simple rules.

First off, it seems that anybody who is unemployed in Peru attaches a taxi sign to the top of their car and becomes a cab driver. Although most are both safe and fairly priced, you should take precautions, especially late at night.

Taxis are not metered so if the price is not already fixed for specific distances, you will need to negotiate. Be sure to agree on a price before you set off in the taxi.

Registered taxis can be recognized by the yellow stripe across the top of their license plates. It’s always better to have your hotel summon a taxi for you, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the system.

And the taxis available from the airport desks are the best option when you arrive. Unlike other countries, prices are more competitive than the ones you will find outside.

Learn more about Peru on the dedicated pages of our website here.