Want To Live On The Island With Matahari, Passing Coast And Getting IDR 223 Million? Coming To Sardinia

Illustration of one of the docks in Sardonia, Italy. (Wikimedia Commons/trolvag)

JAKARTA - Have you ever dreamed of moving to a warm island and getting money? Try coming to Sardinia that offers 15,000 euros or around Rp. 223,282,585 to move.

Italy's second-largest island of the Mediterranean, offers sandy beaches, blue sky and turquoise waters.

However, the island is facing an decreasing number of rural populations, as local youths moved overseas to work.

To combat this exodus, the government has set aside 45 million euros for relocation grants, enough to cover 3,000 grants.

So, if you've packed your suitcase, here's everything you need to know.

How are the rules? Grant money sounds too good to be true, and there are some warnings.

In order to meet the requirements for a grant, you must move to Sardinia with a population of less than 3,000 people.

The money must also be used to buy or renovate the house. Grants cannot exceed half the total cost of the house or renovation. The government will not always hand over a total of 15,000 euros.

Finally, recipients must stay on new properties in full, and must register for permanent residences in Sardinia within 18 months of arrival.

Why does Sardonia offer people money to move there? Italy's population is aging. The average age of Italians is 45.7 years, the figure that will increase to 50.7 by 2050.

The overall population is projected to decline by almost 20 percent by 2070, from 59.55 million 47.6 million by 2070. The problem is very severe in rural areas of the country, and places like Sardinia are feeling the impact.

The president of the Sardina region, Christian Solinas, said the scheme would encourage young people to live in Sardinia or move to the island.

"Thanks to this contribution to the first house (house buyer), (Sardinia) is fertile ground for those who will move there or decide to build a family," he explained as reported by Euronews August 26.

"There will be no real growth without any real improvements from the region, interior and the areas that are left behind. We have created conditions for young people to decide, to stay and develop the most fragile regional economic structure," said Solinas.

If you move to the island, you can expect to be there for a long time and live a long time. With more than 500 people over the age of 100, Sardonia has one of the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world, roughly 33 for every 100,000 population.