"You send a tidy email at 10:12, outline the request, add a friendly "when you have a moment," and expect a reply before lunch. In Italy, the moment might be next Tuesday. If you are wired to hit inbox zero, Italy can feel like a slow lane. You write at 09:00, someone opens it at 18:47, and nothing lands until the following week. Then, when the answer arrives, it is complete, polite, and stamped with a protocol number like the matter just entered a courthouse."
"Think of Italian email as paper with a send button. Messages go into shared inboxes, then into software where they are protocollato, given a number, and assigned to a person in sequence. That flow encourages complete replies over instant pings, sign off over speculation, deliverable over back and forth. The silence is not a no. It is the system breathing."
Formal and bureaucratic requests in Italy typically follow a default two-week tempo rather than immediate turnaround. Urgent logistics and quick questions move via WhatsApp or phone calls, while email handles attachments, history, and formal proof. Sent messages often enter shared inboxes, are protocollato, assigned a protocol number, and routed to a person in sequence, which favors complete, signed replies over rapid back-and-forth. Structural factors explain the pace and suggest different follow-up strategies. August and public-office workflows slow responses further. Practical timelines and adapted formats reduce the need to chase replies and keep projects moving.
Read at Gamintraveler
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