Genoa

Rents and house prices lower than Milan, Bologna and Florence, with a sharp gap between Levante and Ponente; public transport with free evening and Sunday travel for residents holding a CityPass; groceries and dining at northern-Italian averages.

A city of nineteenth-century buildings and medieval alleys, with ample supply and low prices in Ponente and the old town, high in Albaro and the Levante. Public housing from ARTE Genova and the municipality; university beds through ALiSEO.

Registry office and CIE by appointment at Municipio offices; waste run by AMIU with street bins, Ecopunti in the old town and collection centres; drinkable water from Iren; Mercato Orientale and via XX Settembre for groceries and shopping; the Berio library and the civic network.

To enter with a dog, cat or ferret you need a microchip, an EU pet passport or health certificate and a valid rabies vaccination. Mandatory registration in the regional pet register, lead at all times and a muzzle to hand. Pets allowed on trains under Trenitalia rules and in apartment buildings by law.

Rules depend on who is arriving: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (no visa, registration with the Comune after three months), non-EU citizens for stays up to 90 days (Schengen rule, type C visa where required) and for long stays (national type D visa and a residence permit within eight working days of arrival).

AMT runs buses, a single light-metro line (Brin-Brignole), two funiculars, the narrow-gauge Genova-Casella railway and the public lifts; regional trains act as a coastal metro. Cristoforo Colombo airport at Sestri Ponente with the Volabus and a shuttle from the station.

Euro, cards accepted almost everywhere, a legal cash limit. Anyone living in Italy for most of the year is tax resident and taxed on worldwide income under three IRPEF brackets; specific regimes exist for the self-employed (forfettario), inbound workers, foreign pensioners and new residents. Contributions go to INPS; annual return with the 730 or Redditi form.

The city is covered by ASL3, organised in six socio-health districts with Case della Comunità in the neighbourhoods. A level-2 emergency department (DEA) at the San Martino Polyclinic and the ASL3 network (Villa Scassi, first-aid points in Sestri Ponente and Pontedecimo). Out-of-hours doctor on the freephone number 800 893 580, bookings via the CUP number 0105383400 or Prenoto Salute.

Non-EU pensioners enter with the elective residence visa, EU pensioners through free movement; public healthcare is accessible by compulsory or voluntary registration. Optional 7% regime on foreign income for those moving to small southern municipalities. Cheap houses in villages, services concentrated in cities.

The port of Genoa and Prà is Italy's leading container port; around it work logistics, freight forwarders, shipbuilding (Fincantieri), energy and rail (Ansaldo Energia, Hitachi Rail), defence (Leonardo), technology (IIT, Erzelli) and cruises (Costa, MSC). An average job market, with demand for engineers and technical profiles.

A VAT number (partita IVA) from the Agenzia delle Entrate for freelancers; for businesses the Comunicazione Unica to the Registro delle Imprese, which also notifies the Agenzia, INPS, INAIL and SUAP. Main forms: sole proprietorship, SNC/SAS, SRL and SRLS, SPA. Compulsory PEC, annual chamber fee, e-invoicing. Invitalia incentives; non-EU citizens need a self-employment permit or the investor visa.

The University of Genoa (1481) is Liguria's only university, with sites spread between via Balbi, Albaro, San Martino, Valletta Puggia and the new Erzelli campus; grants, residences and canteens through ALiSEO; doctorates and research also at IIT.

Municipality and capital of the Metropolitan City of Genoa, organised in nine Municipi from Ponente to Levante. Languages: Italian and Genoese (zeneise), still spoken and sung. Patron Saint John the Baptist on 24 June; the Palazzi dei Rolli are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mild winters and hot but breezy summers; rainfall concentrated in autumn with intense episodes and flood risk in the Bisagno and Polcevera valleys. Allerta Liguria (Region and ARPAL) governs school closures and precautions. Good air thanks to sea and wind.

The medieval old town, the UNESCO-listed Palazzi dei Rolli and Strada Nuova Museums, the Porto Antico with the Aquarium, Boccadasse and Nervi; exhibitions at Palazzo Ducale, the Boat Show in September and Rolli Days in spring and autumn. Growing but manageable visitor numbers; day trips to Camogli, Portofino and the Cinque Terre.

Focaccia, farinata and pesto; urban beaches from Boccadasse to Nervi; trails on the heights among the Forts and the historic aqueduct; the Luigi Ferraris stadium for Genoa and Sampdoria. Evenings between piazza delle Erbe, the caruggi and the Porto Antico.