Florence Work & study

Work

It is illegal for non-EU citizens to work in Italy without a work permit (permesso di lavoro), but trying to obtain one through your Italian consulate can be a pain. EU citizens are allowed to work in Italy, but they still need to obtain a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) from a police station. Immigration laws require foreign workers to be ‘legalised’ through their employers. This applies even to cleaners and baby-sitters. The employers then pay pension and health insurance contributions. This doesn’t mean that illegal work can’t still be found.

Opening hours

In general, shops are open 9.30am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday. They may remain closed on Monday morning or Saturday afternoon, or both. Laws on opening hours are fairly flexible so shopkeepers have a large degree of discretion. Many skip the lunchtime break.

Big department stores, such as COIN and La Rinascente, and most supermarkets are open from around 9am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday.

Banks open from 8.30am to 1.30pm and 3.30pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, but hours often vary. A few may open on Saturday morning.

Bars (in the traditional Italian coffee-and-sandwich sense) and cafés generally open from 7.30am to 8pm, although some stay open after 8pm and turn into pub-style drinking and meeting places. Pubs and bars mostly shut by 1am, except on Friday and Saturday nights, when quite a few will kick on until 2 or 3am.

For lunch (pranzo), restaurants usually open from 12.30pm to 3pm, but many prefer taking orders after 2pm. At nights, opening hours for dinner (cena) vary, but people start sitting down to dine at around 8.30pm. It’s difficult to find a place still serving after 10.30pm.

^ Back to top

Doing business

People wishing to make the first moves towards expanding their business into Italy should contact their own country’s trade department. The commercial department of the Italian embassy in your own country should also have information – at least on red tape. In Italy, the trade office of your embassy can provide tips and contacts.

For organising business conventions in Florence, getting temporary accommodation for clients, secretarial services and so on, contact the following.

The Firenze Convention Bureau (055 497 32 01; www.conventionbureau.it; Guardiola del Pratello Orsini 1, 50123 Florence) has many events organisers and support services (such as interpreters) listed on its website. The affiliated Firenzefiera(055 4 97 21; www.firenzefiera.it; Piazza Adua 1, 50123 Florence), runs the three main convention spaces available in the city: the Fortezza da Basso, a 16th-century fortress whose interior has been remodelled for congress space; the Palazzo dei Congressi, located in a 19th-century mansion and with a 1000-capacity auditorium, and Palazzo degli Affari (Piazza Adua 1, 50123 Florence), which has conference halls, seating for almost 2000 people, interpreting and translation services and a buffet area. Various trade fairs are held here throughout the year.

^ Back to top