If you’ve ever considered moving to Italy, you might have heard of codice fiscale. Moving to Italy to live, study, or work, you will need one.

But what is codice fiscale and why would you even need one as a foreigner in Italy? How to request it and how much do you need to pay for it? Read below.

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WHAT IS CODICE FISCALE?

Codice fiscale (fiscal code) is the tax code in Italy. This personal identification number consists of 16 letters and numbers generated from your name and surname, date, and place of birth.

The fiscal code looks something like this (randomly generated by computer):

DFBVTG59S59D651G

WHY DO I NEED CODICE FISCALE?

You will need codice fiscale to enter into any legal relationship in Italy. You will also need it for most administration procedures, which Italy is quite famous for!

In short, codice fiscale is needed to:

open a bank account in Italy
sign a rent contract
work or study in Italy
buy or inherit property in Italy
get a mortgage
file taxes in Italy
enroll in the healthcare system
get Residenza

And these are just some of the many! Other examples when I was asked to provide codice fiscale, for example, are: to purchase medicine or sanitary items, create an ATM public transport subscription in Milan or with online purchases.

oKAY, BUT HOW CAN I REQUEST CODICE FISCALE?

I would recommend you to request codice fiscale prior to your arrival to Italy. Not only will that solve a bureaucratic headache but the process will be simply faster.

Requesting codice fiscale is easy and completely free.

There are several options on how to do it:

Prior to your arrival at the Italian Embassy in your home country.
When you arrive in Italy directly at Agenzia delle Entrate, the Italian body for taxes and revenues. You can file the request at any local Agenzia Delle Entrate office.
Online by filling in the module AA4/8 (download it here). Once filled in, send the module together with an attached ID document to the email of Agenzia delle Entrate. Mind that the form needs to be filled in correctly (Italy is very strict) and the signature on the passport needs to match the one on the form.

You will need to present a valid identification document with your request in all three cases.

Note: If you decide to fill in the online module, don’t worry if you do not receive an immediate response. The tax code will be generated for you within 14 days. If there’s been a mistake in the request, the Agenzia delle Entrate office will inform you. If you don’t hear back, everything is okay and you will receive your tax code soon (yes, this is how Italy works :D).

Your codice fiscale certificate should look like this:

What if i am a student in italy?

If you’re a student in Italy, your university might provide you with a tax code. Mind that the code university gives you for free is completely randomly generated (just like the example above) and is not registered with the Italian tax agency. You will not be able to use it.

If your university offers to request one for you against payment, the code will result as valid and registered. I do not suggest you get one through your university unless you’re not at all tech-savvy.

How do I know if my tax code is valid? Simple, check on this link.

That’s all you need to know about codice fiscale. What was the weirdest situation you’ve been asked to present your fiscal code in? I’m curious.

If you have questions about traveling or moving to Italy, the administration here or you would just like to chat about life in Italy in general, you can drop me a message.

Hi, it's Neja

I am an expat from Slovenia,
living in Milan since 2021 and writing a travel blog for all of you who are curious about life in Italy or traveling in Europe.

Follow me on my journey and learn everything about Italy and the European destinations.