Italy (IT)

The Italian tax identification number — a 16-character alphanumeric code assigned to every person in Italy. Essential for everything: opening a bank account, signing a rental contract, registering with the SSN (healthcare), starting employment, registering a business, buying a car, obtaining a SIM card, and virtually every interaction with Italian public administration. Non-residents can obtain it from the Agenzia delle Entrate (in Italy) or an Italian consulate abroad. Free to obtain. Without it, nothing in Italy works.

Non-EU citizens must apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno within 8 working days of arrival. Applications are filed at the Questura (police headquarters) or via Sportello Amico post offices (Poste Italiane). The type of permit depends on your visa: work, study, family, elective residency, or digital nomad. The physical permit card (elettronico) is issued 2–6 months after application; the postal receipt serves as provisional proof of status in the interim.

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens planning to stay in Italy for more than 3 months must register at the local Comune (municipality — Anagrafe office) and obtain the Attestato/Certificato di Soggiorno. Required for: opening a bank account, renting long-term, registering with the GP, and accessing the SSN. Iscrizione anagrafica gives you full rights as an EU resident.

The official Italian national identity card (CIE — Carta di Identità Elettronica since 2016). Issued by the Comune to Italian citizens and legally resident foreigners. Contains a chip with biometric data and digital signature. Doubles as a travel document within the EU/Schengen. Application at the Comune with a recent passport photo and €16.79 fee. Valid 3 years (under 3), 5 years (3–17), 10 years (adults).

Valid passport required for all non-Italian residents. Must have 6+ months validity beyond intended stay for visa applications and some government procedures. Bring the original plus 2–3 photocopies for administrative procedures. Non-EU arrivals need a stamp page for border entry.

Italy's national digital identity system. Required to access virtually all Italian online government services: Agenzia delle Entrate (730 tax returns), INPS (pension and benefits), your comune, the IO app, PagoPA, Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico. Issued by authorised identity providers (Poste Italiane, TIM, Infocert, Aruba, Namirial) for free (Poste) or small fee. Requires Italian Codice Fiscale and identity document.

Issued by the ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) after registration with the SSN. Serves as your public health card, prescription card, and from 2020 also contains the Italian tax number on the reverse side. Required at every medical appointment, GP surgery, pharmacy (for prescription dispensing) and hospital admission. Renewable every 6 years.

Required for iscrizione anagrafica at the Comune, family reunification visas, marriage registration, school enrolment, inheritance, and citizenship applications. Must be recent (under 6 months old for administrative purposes). Foreign birth certificates must be apostilled and translated into Italian by a sworn translator (traduttore giurato).

Required for family reunion visa (ricongiungimento familiare), registering a spouse on your residence permit, joint tax returns, property purchases as spouses, and inheritance. Foreign certificates must be apostilled and sworn-translated into Italian.

Required for non-EU long-stay visas, Permesso di Soggiorno applications, and some regulated-profession licensing. Must cover all countries where you lived in the past 5 years, be under 3–6 months old, apostilled and sworn-translated into Italian. Italian citizens and residents can request their Italian criminal record (certificato del casellario) from the Ministero della Giustizia online.

Degree certificates and transcripts required for regulated-profession recognition (medici, ingegneri, avvocati, architetti, insegnanti, infermieri). Submit for riconoscimento professionale via the relevant Ministero (Salute, Giustizia, Istruzione). For academic equivalency (dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA recognition), contact the Italian embassy or CIMEA directly.

Required for iscrizione anagrafica at the Comune, Permesso di Soggiorno applications, Codice Fiscale registration, school enrolment, and the SSN registration. A rental contract (contratto di locazione registrato) or property deed (atto di compravendita). Short-term stay: a letter of welcome (dichiarazione di ospitalità) from the host plus their identity document and proof of property ownership.

Bank statements (last 6–12 months) required for elective residency visa, digital nomad visa, and some long-stay permits. The Visto per Residenza Elettiva requires proof of passive income ≥ €31,000/year (pensioners) or ≥ €38,000/year (others) — 2026 thresholds. Non-EU Permesso di Soggiorno renewals may require income evidence.

EU/EEA licences are valid and can be used directly in Italy. Under Italian law (Codice della Strada), EU licence holders who establish residency in Italy should exchange for an Italian patente within 1 year at the Motorizzazione Civile (MCTC). Non-EU licences must also be exchanged within 1 year — bilateral exchange agreements exist with some countries (USA, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland); other nationalities must sit the full Italian theory and practical exams.

Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) + rabies vaccination required for EU pet travel. EU pet passport issued by an authorised vet. For non-EU arrivals: EU Animal Health Certificate issued within 10 days of travel. Italy follows EU Regulation 576/2013 on pet movement. Register with a local vet (medico veterinario) upon arrival and obtain Italian rabies booster if needed.