Page 75 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

laundry, where you’ll be able to get your washing done for €10 or so. Many B&Bs

offer a laundry service as well. Although you can usually get away with it, washing
clothes in your room can be problematic – simply because the ancient plumbing often
can’t cope with all the water. It’s better to ask if there’s somewhere you can wash
your clothes.

Living and working in Sicily

Unemployment in Sicily is at a distressingly high level, so it is extremely unlikely that
you will find a job that does not depend on your ability to speak English. All EU
citizens are eligible to work and study in Italy. Work permits are pretty impossible for

non-EU citizens to obtain: you must have the firm promise of a job that no Italian could
do before you can even apply to the Italian embassy in your home country.

Red tape

The main bureaucratic requirements to stay legally in Italy are a Permesso di

Soggiorno and a codice fiscale, respectively a piece of paper proving your right to be
in the country and a tax number. Available from the questura (police station), a
Permesso di Soggiorno requires you to produce a letter from your employer or place
of study, or prove you have funds to maintain yourself. In reality, EU citizens can
simply apply on the grounds of looking for work (attesa di lavoro), for which you’ll
need your passport and a copy of it, four passport photos, and a lot of patience. A

codice fiscale is essential for most things in Italy including buying a transport season
pass, a SIM card, opening a bank account or renting a flat. It can be obtained from the
local Ufficio delle Entrate, although you can start the process online at
www.agenziaentrate.gov.it.

Work options

One obvious option is to teach English, for which the demand has expanded
enormously in recent years. You can do this in two ways: freelance private lessons, or
through a language school. For the less reputable schools, you can get away without
any qualifications, but you’ll need to show a TEFL (Teaching of English as a Foreign
Language) certificate for the more professional – and better-paid – establishments. For

the main language schools, it’s best to apply in writing before you leave (look for the
ads in British newspapers), preferably before the summer. If you’re looking on the
spot, sift through the local English-language press and phone books and do the rounds
on foot, but don’t bother to try in August when everything is closed. Italian high
schools are also required by law to have mother-tongue language assistants – another
good source of work, though the best teaching jobs of all are with a university as a

lettore, a job requiring fewer hours than the language schools and generally providing