Aiming to relocate to sunny Italy or Spain? Take a look at these offers

Use these programs to fund your move overseas and enjoy a fresh start.

Cities throughout Europe that are experiencing population decline have used an unconventional approach to attract new residents: providing large financial incentives to move there.

As young people leave for the metropolis or choose not to have children, rural communities often find themselves with an ageing population. So some governments are trying to attract foreign residents by offering them financial incentives to move there.

Here are all the European countries, from Spain to Italy, that will reimburse you to move there.

Albinen, Switzerland, offers stunning mountain scenery

There are less than 250 people living in Albinen in the Swiss Alps. The little town is providing €50,000 relocation subsidies to families with high incomes in an effort to increase its resident population. The lovely town is located on a mountain in the canton of Valais, not more than an hour's drive from the famous ski resort of Verbier.

Each youngster will get 10,000 Swiss Francs (€10,120), while adults under 45 would receive 25,000 Swiss Francs (€25,300) to relocate.

Only Swiss nationals or foreign nationals who have resided in Switzerland long enough to qualify for a permit C residency may participate in the program. Applicants must also pledge to reside in Albinen for a minimum of 10 years and own a residence valued at at least 200,000 Swiss Francs (€202,310).

The city council claims to get as many as one hundred calls every day, so anybody thinking of applying should be patient.

Get away to Ponga, Spain's highlands

Those who move to Ponga, a town and municipality of 600 people in northwest Spain, would get a monetary incentive of £2,600 (€2,971). Each newborn will get an additional £2,500.

The hamlet is ideal for hikers since it is located near a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Cantabrian Mountains. It is also about an hour's drive from the seashore. British citizens may take advantage of the deal if they relocate to Ponga for a minimum of five years.

Enjoy the tranquility of Rubia, Spain

Expats may get up to €150 monthly in the Galician hamlet of Rubia, Spain. The program is geared at households in an effort to raise enrolment in neighbourhood schools.

The town of Rubia can be found in the north-west of Spain, around 2.5 hours east of Santiago de Compostela by car.

Visit the beaches and picturesque towns of Calabria, Italy

If you move to a town in Calabria, Italy, with 2,000 people or less, you may increase your annual income by up to €28,000. The goal of the program is to stop the population from decreasing.

Applicants must be under the age of 40 and willing to relocate to the area within 90 days after receiving an acceptance notice. They should also start a company or look for work in an area where there is a shortage of labour. This includes eating establishments, lodgings, retail establishments, and more.

Kick back on the pristine beaches of Sardinia, Italy

Sardinia, an Italian island, is paying €15,000 (about $21,000) to everyone who moves there.

The idyllic Mediterranean region, famous for its white sand beaches, clear blue sky, and turquoise seas, is losing young people to urban areas in search of employment. Over €45 million ($50 million) has been allocated by the government as a relocation incentive to stem the flow of people leaving the area. The incentive is only available to those who relocate to a municipality in Sardinia with a population of fewer than 3000.

In addition, the funds have to be used toward the purchase of a house or the completion of home improvements. The grant amount cannot go over €15,000 since it cannot cover more than half of the cost of the home or refurbishment.

Recipients are required to make Sardinia their permanent home within 18 months after arrival and register for permanent residence. Another Sardinian program offers distant workers free housing for three months in the town of Ollolai.

Escape to a secluded Irish island and live off the grid

Ireland is enticing people to relocate to one of its outlying islands with hefty financial incentives.

The program is an element of the government's 'Our Living Islands' strategy, which seeks to increase the population of 30 villages that are isolated from the mainland due to lack of bridges and the ocean's constant movement.

New inhabitants of offshore communities will each get roughly €80,000 from the Irish government as part of the scheme. Prospective inhabitants need to own and possess a property on one of the islands. Construction on the building must have been completed before 1993, and it must have been empty for at least two years.

 

Source: euronews.com