Moving to Italy

Planning to move to Italy? Here are your first steps in the right order, the 2026 tax rates, the Italy emergency numbers to save and an address book of agencies and city offices in Rome, Milan, Turin and Florence.

If you are moving to Italy in 2026, one change matters more than most. Since 22 May 2026 (Legislative Decree 83/2026) the Questura (police immigration office) must issue, renew or convert a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) within 90 days, and you must ask for a renewal at least 90 days before your permit expires – older pages still say 60 days. Tax has moved too: from 2026 the middle income-tax rate is 33 per cent, and wealthy newcomers who choose the flat tax pay €300,000 a year. Citizenship by descent, meanwhile, has been restricted since March 2025.

This guide is for anyone about to move to Italy or already living in Italy as a foreigner: EU and British citizens, employees and EU Blue Card holders, students and researchers, families, remote workers, retirees, people seeking protection and descendants of Italians. Choose your profile below, then read the 15 guides in the series; keep this page as your checklist, your tax summary, your list of Italy emergency numbers and your address book. We say when a rule is national and when it differs by region or comune (municipality), with Rome, Milan, Turin and Florence as examples.

Comparing countries or new to Europe? Moving to Europe lists every country guide and explains the rules that apply across Europe – Schengen, EES, ETIAS, the EU Blue Card and free movement.

Who are you? Choose your guide

Choose what fits you best and get your own step-by-step path, the rules that apply to you and which guides to read.

EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

Since 1 January 2024, anyone registered with an anagrafe (registry office) for most of the tax year is presumed tax-resident in Italy unless they prove otherwise, so plan when you register. You need no permesso di soggiorno (residence permit): after 3 months you register with your comune (municipality), free of charge. If you do not work, the 2026 benchmark is €7,101.12 a year in resources, plus health insurance.

Step	What to do
Get your codice fiscale (tax code)	Book an in-person appointment at any Agenzia delle Entrate office and show your ID card or passport. The 16-character code never expires; you need it for a lease, a bank account and healthcare. – Where: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency)
Declare your residence after 3 months	Use the free EU-citizen service of ANPR (national population register) or your comune's channels. Bring ID, codice fiscale, lease data and proof of work – or a self-declaration of resources and insurance. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe; ANPR
Keep the attestation you are given	The comune gives you an attestation with your name, address and the date of your request straight away. Checks take up to 45 days; Rome registers you within 48 hours, Milan within two working days. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe (in Rome, your Municipio)
Sort out healthcare	Working, self-employed or holding an S1 form? Join the SSN (national health service) at your ASL (local health authority) and choose a GP. If not, keep health insurance covering all risks in Italy. – Where: Your ASL (regional health service)
Get a CIE and a digital identity	Once resident, ask your comune for the electronic identity card (CIE): €16.79 state fee plus local fees, making €22.21 in Rome and €22.20 in Milan. It is a free digital identity and gets you SPID. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe
Open a basic bank account	Banks and Poste Italiane must offer a basic account (conto di base) to anyone legally resident. It is free, with no stamp duty, if your ISEE (household means test) is below €11,600. – Where: Any bank or Poste Italiane
Check your driving licence	EU/EEA licences are equivalent to Italian ones and can be used until they expire. A licence with no expiry date must be converted after 2 years of residence (€10.20 plus €32 stamp duty). – Where: Motorizzazione Civile (Ministry of Transport)

Rules that apply to you
The law requires registration once 3 months have passed, but ANPR says EU citizens face no fine for registering late. Register on time to avoid problems.
Rome treats Swiss, EEA, San Marino, Andorra and Vatican citizens like EU citizens for registration; each comune runs its own procedure, so check yours.
Lost your job? After a contract of under a year you keep worker status for one year; after more than a year of work, register at the job centre to keep it.
Permanent residence after 5 years: your comune issues the attestation within 30 days (Turin: €16 stamp plus €16.52). It is lost after more than 2 years in a row abroad.
Income tax (IRPEF) 2026, national rule: 23 % up to €28,000, 33 % to €50,000 (cut from 35 %), 43 % above; surcharges vary by region and comune.

Source: ANPR and Ministry of the Interior, Normattiva, Agenzia delle Entrate, INPS, Banca d'Italia, Roma Capitale, Comune di Milano, Città di Torino, read 23 September 2026

From the UK

Since 12 October 2025 your short visits are logged in the EU Entry/Exit System with fingerprints and a face image instead of passport stamps, and the limit is still 90 days in any 180. To stay longer you need an Italian national (type D) visa before you travel, then a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit). If you lived here by 31 December 2020, the Withdrawal Agreement protects your rights.

Step	What to do
Choose your visa route and apply in the UK	England and Wales residents apply at the Consulate General in London, booking through VFS Global (London, Manchester, Edinburgh). Apply 6 months to 15 days before travel; national visas take up to 90 days. – Where: Italian Consulate General in London; VFS Global
Apply for your permit within 8 working days	Ask the Questura (police immigration office) for your permesso di soggiorno, usually with the kit from a Sportello Amico post office: €16 stamp, €30.46 card, €30 postage plus €40–€100 by permit type. – Where: Questura; Poste Italiane (Sportello Amico counter)
Get your codice fiscale (tax code)	The Questura assigns it with your permit; otherwise book an in-person appointment at the Agenzia delle Entrate, or ask the consulate before you leave. Only codes issued by the Agenzia are valid. – Where: Questura; Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency)
Register as a resident	National rule: register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune (municipality) within 20 days of moving, free. Rome registers you in 48 hours; Florence takes non-EU requests online or by email only. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe
Arrange healthcare	Work and family permits mean compulsory SSN (national health service) registration at your ASL (local health authority). On an elective-residence or study permit, buy cover or join voluntarily. – Where: Your ASL
Convert your UK driving licence	It is valid for one year after you become resident, with an official translation or international permit. The UK agreement runs to 30 March 2028: convert within 6 years (€10.20 plus €32). – Where: Motorizzazione Civile (Ministry of Transport)
Here by 31 December 2020? Get your WA card	Apply at the Questura of your province: €30.46, 4 passport photos, ID and proof of anagrafe registration by 31 December 2020. The card is valid 5 years, or 10 as a permanent card. – Where: Questura of your province

Rules that apply to you
The Withdrawal Agreement card is a right, not an obligation: you can prove your status in other ways. Permanent residence is lost only after more than 5 years in a row away.
Local practice differs by Questura: Siena books 'Appuntamento Brexit' by PEC (certified email) and adds a €16 revenue stamp; Gorizia also takes requests by PEC.
Digital nomads applying in London must show at least three times €8,500 a year (about €25,500), per the consulate; allow up to 120 days.
Elective residence (London): stable passive income, your last 2 years' tax returns and a registered Italian lease or deed. The visa does not allow work.
Family members of Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries get the same visa facilitations as family members of EU citizens.

Source: Consulate General of Italy in London, Ministry of the Interior (vademecum for British citizens), MAECI, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, EUR-Lex, read 23 September 2026

Worker from outside the EU

The decreto flussi (quota decree) for 2026–2028 allows 164,850 entries in 2026, and applications for this year's quotas stay open until 31 December 2026 while places last. Since 22 May 2026 (D.Lgs. 83/2026) permits must be issued within 90 days and renewals requested at least 90 days before expiry; older pages still say 60. Your employer, not you, starts by requesting the nulla osta (work authorisation).

Step	What to do
Your employer checks the job centre	Before applying, your employer asks the job centre (Centro per l'impiego) whether a worker already in Italy is available (not needed for seasonal jobs). No reply within 8 days counts as a negative answer. – Where: Centro per l'impiego (job centre)
Your employer applies for the nulla osta	Online on the Interior Ministry's ALI portal from the 2026 click days: 12 January and 9 February (seasonal), 16 February (non-seasonal), 18 February (family care), with a professional's asseverazione. – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (SUI) at the Prefettura
Receive the nulla osta, then your visa	The SUI issues it within 60 days of the quota being assigned. It is valid for up to 6 months, so apply for your type D work visa at the Italian consulate promptly. – Where: SUI; Italian consulate in your country
Go to the Sportello Unico first	The SUI that issued the nulla osta gives you the permit application and a provisional codice fiscale (tax code). Within 15 days of entry you and your employer sign the contratto di soggiorno (residence contract). – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione
Post your permit application within 8 working days	Send the permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) kit from a Sportello Amico post office: €16 stamp, €30.46 card, €30 postage plus €40 or €50. With the receipt you may start work while you wait. – Where: Poste Italiane (Sportello Amico counter); Questura (police immigration office)
Sign the integration agreement	Over 16 with a permit of at least a year? You sign it when you apply and get 16 credits; take the free 10-hour civic course within 90 days and reach 30 credits, with A2 Italian, in 2 years. – Where: Prefettura or Questura
Register your residence	Register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune (municipality) within 20 days of moving; it is free. In Rome, attach the post-office receipt, nulla osta, contratto di soggiorno and codice fiscale. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe
Register for healthcare and choose a GP	With a work permit, registration with the SSN (national health service) is compulsory. Go to your ASL (local health authority) with ID, codice fiscale, permit or receipt and proof of address. – Where: Your ASL

Rules that apply to you
Permit length (national rule): seasonal up to 9 months, fixed-term contract up to 1 year, permanent contract up to 2 years; each renewal up to 3 years.
Losing your job does not cancel your permit: you can stay for its remaining validity and at least one year (not with a seasonal permit).
Employer test: taxable income or turnover of at least €30,000 a year; for family care €20,000 (one-person household) or €27,000.
2026 quotas: 76,200 non-seasonal jobs (13,600 of them in family care), 650 self-employed places and 88,000 seasonal places.
After 5 years you can apply for the EU long-term permit: income of at least €7,101.12 (2026), an A2 Italian test and a €100 contribution.

Source: Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Labour, Normattiva, Polizia di Stato, Portale Immigrazione, Roma Capitale, read 23 September 2026

Highly qualified (EU Blue Card)

The EU Blue Card sits outside the decreto flussi quotas, and since the 2023 reform a job offer of 6 months is enough (it was 12). By law the Sportello Unico (immigration desk) must decide on your nulla osta within 30 days; an older prefecture FAQ still says 90. Moving your tax residence here can also bring the impatriate regime, which taxes only 50 % of your pay.

Step	What to do
Check that you qualify	You need one of: a degree of at least 3 years (EQF level 6), a regulated-profession qualification, 5 years' relevant experience or, for ICT managers and specialists, 3 years' experience in the last 7. – Where: Your employer; Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione
Agree a contract that meets the pay rule	The offer must last at least 6 months and pay at least the national collective agreement (CCNL) rate and ISTAT's average gross annual salary. No official 2026 euro figure exists: ask the prefecture. – Where: Your employer; Prefettura
Your employer applies with form BC	The employer files the nulla osta request on the Interior Ministry portal with SPID. The job-centre check still applies, unless you already hold a highly qualified permit in Italy. – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (SUI) at the Prefettura
Collect the nulla osta and your visa	The SUI must issue or refuse the nulla osta within 30 days and assigns your codice fiscale (tax code) with it. Then apply for your national (type D) visa at the Italian consulate. – Where: SUI; Italian consulate in your country
Request your Carta blu UE permit	Within 8 working days of entry ask the Questura (police immigration office) for your permesso di soggiorno (residence permit): 2 years with a permanent contract, otherwise the contract plus 3 months. – Where: Questura; Poste Italiane (Sportello Amico counter)
Register your residence and healthcare	Register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune (municipality) within 20 days of moving, then with the SSN (national health service) at your ASL (local health authority) and choose a GP. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe; your ASL
Claim the impatriate tax regime	Not tax-resident in Italy for the last 3 years? Commit to 4 years and only 50 % of your pay is taxed (40 % if you move with a minor child), up to €600,000 a year, for 5 tax years. – Where: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency); your employer

Rules that apply to you
First 12 months: highly qualified work only, and a new employer needs prior labour-inspectorate approval, deemed given after 15 days. Side self-employment is allowed.
Your family can join you whatever the length of your permit; their permits can be issued with yours if you apply together.
Hold another EU state's Blue Card? You can work here up to 90 days in 180, and after 12 months move to Italy without a visa.
Income tax (IRPEF) 2026, national rule: 23 % to €28,000, 33 % to €50,000, 43 % above. Surcharges vary by region and comune (Rome's can reach 0.9 %).
The new income-tax code (D.Lgs. 117/2026) applies only from 1 January 2027; your 2026 income is taxed under the current rules.

Source: Normattiva (Immigration Act, art. 27-quater), Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Labour, Agenzia delle Entrate, MEF, read 23 September 2026

Researcher or PhD student

New rules for 2026–2028: PhD candidates pre-enrol on Universitaly and show €10,179.85 a year, while researchers still enter outside the quotas with a hosting agreement from an institute on the university ministry's (MUR) list. Research can start while your permit is pending. From 1 January 2027 the researchers' tax break moves into the new income-tax code.

Step	What to do
Sign a hosting agreement	You and the institute sign a convenzione di accoglienza setting your role, monthly resources, return travel and health cover. Resources are judged against twice the assegno sociale (social allowance), €14,202.24 in 2026. – Where: Your research institute (on the MUR list)
The institute requests your nulla osta	It applies to the Sportello Unico of the prefecture where you will work, which decides within 30 days. Request your visa within 6 months; it is issued with priority. – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (Prefettura)
Declare your arrival within 8 working days	Declare your presence at the Sportello Unico. The Questura (police immigration office) issues your 'ricercatore' permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) within 30 days, for your project's length. – Where: Sportello Unico; Questura
PhD route: pre-enrol on Universitaly	Need a visa for a PhD? Pre-enrol on Universitaly; once the university validates it, apply for a study visa showing €10,179.85 a year in traceable means and health insurance. – Where: Universitaly (MUR); Italian consulate
Get your tax code and register	The Questura assigns your codice fiscale (tax code). Register, free, at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune (municipality) within 20 days; Rome registers you in 48 hours. – Where: Questura; your comune's anagrafe
Arrange health cover	Your hosting agreement provides insurance or SSN (national health service) registration. PhD students on a study permit can join the SSN voluntarily from €700 a year at the ASL (local health authority). – Where: Your ASL
Check the researchers' tax incentive	After at least 2 years of research or teaching abroad, only 10 % of your pay is taxed in the year you move and the next 5 years, longer with minor children or a home purchase. – Where: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency)

Rules that apply to you
Your permit covers research as an employee, self-employed or on a research grant, plus any teaching your institute allows (national rule).
Your spouse and minor children can join you whatever your permit's length, without the housing suitability check.
After your project you can get a 9–12-month permit to look for work or start a business, then switch to a work permit.
Renew 90 days before expiry: the student circular still says 60, so check with your Questura. PhD study permits can cover the whole course plus one year.
Researchers at universities or MUR-supervised bodies are exempt from the A2 Italian test for the EU long-term permit.

Source: Normattiva (Immigration Act, art. 27-ter), Ministry of University and Research (Universitaly), Agenzia delle Entrate, Ministry of the Interior, read 23 September 2026

Student

New for 2026/27: universities may validate pre-enrolments only up to their places for foreign students plus 20 %, and you must show €10,179.85 a year in traceable funds. Only a validated Universitaly pre-enrolment lets you apply for a study visa; for degree courses the deadline is 30 November 2026. EU students need no visa and enrol directly.

Step	What to do
Pre-enrol on Universitaly	Apply on Universitaly, the free official portal. You can get a temporary codice fiscale (tax code) there and confirm it with the Agenzia delle Entrate after you arrive. – Where: Universitaly (Ministry of University and Research)
Prepare funds, housing and insurance	Show €10,179.85 a year from lawful, traceable sources (a grant counts only with an award letter), suitable accommodation (applying for a residence place is not proof) and health insurance. – Where: Italian consulate in your country
Apply for the type D study visa	File by 30 November 2026 for 2026/27 (31 October 2027 for 2027/28); universities may set earlier dates. Fingerprints have been taken for national visas since 11 January 2025. – Where: Italian consulate in your country
Apply for your permit within 8 working days	Send your study permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) request to the Questura (police immigration office) with the post-office kit or through your university's desk. – Where: Questura; Poste Italiane (Sportello Amico counter)
Join the health service	You can join the SSN (national health service) voluntarily for at least €700 a year. It runs per calendar year, cannot be split and does not cover dependants. – Where: Your ASL (local health authority)
Register your residence	Register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune (municipality); it is free. Channels differ: Rome works through its Municipi, and in Florence non-EU citizens apply online or by email. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe
Ask about fee reductions	National rule since 2021/22: state universities waive the annual fee for a family ISEE (means test) up to €22,000 (credit rules apply from year two). Fees above that are set by each university. – Where: Your university

Rules that apply to you
Work: up to 20 hours a week, cumulable over 52 weeks, within 1,040 hours a year (national rule).
Renewal needs 1 exam passed in the first year and 2 in later years. Request it 90 days before expiry; the circular still says 60, so check with your Questura.
After a degree, master's or PhD you can get a 9–12-month permit to look for work or start a business.
Grants and student housing come from regional right-to-study bodies, so amounts and deadlines differ by region; foreign students have equal access.
EU students enrol like Italians, with no visa or quota, then register with the comune showing enrolment, resources and health insurance.

Source: Ministry of University and Research (Universitaly, 2026–2028 circular), MAECI, Normattiva, Ministry of Health, Roma Capitale, Comune di Firenze, read 23 September 2026

Joining a partner or family

Since 11 December 2024 your sponsor needs 2 years of uninterrupted legal residence before bringing a spouse, a disabled adult child or parents (protection holders are exempt), and since October 2025 the nulla osta can take up to 150 days. In 2026 your sponsor needs at least €10,651.68 a year to bring one person. Joining an EU citizen follows different rules.

Step	What to do
Check your sponsor's permit	Your relative in Italy needs a permit valid at least one year (work, protection, study, religious or family reasons), plus 2 years' legal residence to bring a spouse or parents. – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (SUI) at the Prefettura
Prove the 2026 income	At least €7,101.12 plus €3,550.56 per person joining: €10,651.68 for one, €14,202.24 for two, €17,752.80 for three; €14,202.24 for two or more children under 14. Cohabiting relatives' income counts. – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione
Get the housing certificate	The comune (municipality) certifies that the home meets health and suitability standards: a national rule, but fees and times are local. Turin: within 120 days, two €16 stamps, valid one year. – Where: Your comune's housing office
Your sponsor applies for the nulla osta	Your relative applies online to the Sportello Unico, which issues the nulla osta within 150 days. If civil documents are unreliable, consulates can use DNA tests at your expense. – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione
Apply for your family visa	Take the nulla osta to the Italian consulate and apply for a national (type D) visa; the Paris consulate, for example, charges €116. – Where: Italian consulate in your country
Collect your papers at the Sportello Unico	Go to the Sportello Unico that issued the nulla osta: it hands you the permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) application and assigns your codice fiscale (tax code). – Where: Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione
Post your permit application within 8 working days	Send it from a Sportello Amico post office to the Questura (police immigration office). Adults pay a €16 stamp, €30.46, €30 postage and €40 or €50; under-18s pay only €30.46. – Where: Poste Italiane (Sportello Amico counter); Questura
Register your residence and healthcare	Register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune, then with the SSN (national health service) at your ASL (local health authority); it is compulsory with a family permit. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe; your ASL

Rules that apply to you
A family permit lasts up to 2 years (renewals up to 3) and lets you work as an employee or self-employed without converting it.
Non-EU family of an EU citizen? After 3 months you apply to the Questura for a 5-year residence card, exempt from the €40–€100 permit contribution.
Refugees can bring family without meeting the income and housing rules; asylum seekers and holders of temporary protection cannot sponsor.
Parents over 65 need health insurance covering all risks or a paid SSN registration.
Children can be enrolled at school at any point in the school year, and no residence permit is needed to enrol (national rule).

Source: Normattiva (Immigration Act, art. 29), Ministry of the Interior, Prefettura di Pordenone (2026 income table), INPS, Città di Torino, Polizia di Stato, read 23 September 2026

Digital nomad or remote worker

Italy's digital nomad and remote worker visa has existed since 4 April 2024: no nulla osta and no quota, but you need it even if you are normally visa-exempt. The income rule is three times the health-cost exemption level, and consulates put different euro figures on it, so check with yours. Staying most of the year makes you tax-resident.

Step	What to do
Check that you count as highly qualified	Meet one Blue Card criterion, such as a 3-year degree or 5 years' experience, and have at least 6 months' experience in your remote work. Non-EU degrees need a Dichiarazione di Valore or CIMEA statement. – Where: Italian consulate where you live
Confirm the income figure with your consulate	The London consulate asks for at least three times €8,500 a year, about €25,500; Buenos Aires quoted €28,000 in 2024. There is no single official figure, so ask the consulate where you apply. – Where: Italian consulate where you live
Secure a home and health insurance	You need a registered lease or a deed for a home in Italy, and insurance covering medical care and hospital stays in Italy for your whole stay. – Where: Italian consulate where you live
Remote employee? Check your contract	Your pay must reach the collective-agreement (CCNL) level and ISTAT's average gross annual salary, and your employer must declare no convictions in the last 5 years. – Where: Your employer
Apply for the visa	Allow up to 120 days for digital nomads and 30 days for remote workers (London and Paris figures). The Paris consulate charges €116. – Where: Italian consulate where you live
Apply for your permit within 8 working days	Even if your visa is shorter than 90 days, ask the Questura (police immigration office) for your permesso di soggiorno (residence permit), showing the consulate-stamped originals. It lasts up to a year. – Where: Questura
Get your tax code and register	The Questura assigns your codice fiscale (tax code). Register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune (municipality): within 2 working days by national rule, 48 hours in Rome. – Where: Questura; your comune's anagrafe
Keep your health cover	Stay privately insured or join the SSN (national health service) voluntarily at your ASL (local health authority): at least €2,000 a year since 2024, per calendar year, paid with form F24. – Where: Your ASL

Rules that apply to you
Tax (national rule since 2024): if you live, are domiciled or are present in Italy for most of the year, you are tax-resident and taxed on worldwide income.
Your permit requires you to follow Italian tax and social-security rules for as long as you hold it.
Income tax (IRPEF) 2026: 23 % up to €28,000, 33 % to €50,000, 43 % above, plus surcharges that vary by region and comune.
Voluntary SSN cover gives you the same services as Italians but no European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Source: Consulates General of Italy in London, Paris and Buenos Aires, Normattiva (Immigration Act, art. 27), Ministry of Health, Agenzia delle Entrate, read 23 September 2026

Refugee or protection status

Since August 2026 the Bank of Italy has asked banks to remove obstacles to basic accounts for asylum seekers and people awaiting a permit. Applying for asylum is free and done in person, at the border police or the Questura (police immigration office); the official guide was updated in November 2025. As a recognised refugee you can apply for citizenship after 5 years.

Step	What to do
Say that you want protection	Tell the Border Police when you arrive, or go to the Immigration Office of the nearest Questura. Each adult applies individually, and nobody may ask you for money. – Where: Border Police; Questura
Receive your asylum-application permit	You get a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) for asylum application, valid until the decision and usable as ID. It is exempt from the €40–€100 permit contribution. – Where: Questura
Register for healthcare	Asylum seekers and protection holders must be registered with the SSN (national health service) at the ASL (local health authority); healthcare is free while you are an asylum seeker. – Where: Your ASL
Register your residence	Register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune (municipality) and enrol children at school. Rome's SUAM, Turin's InfoStranieri and Florence's Sportello Immigrazione give local guidance. – Where: Your comune's anagrafe
Open a basic bank account	Banks and Poste Italiane must offer asylum seekers a basic account (conto di base); it is free with an ISEE (means test) below €11,600, and a refusal must be explained within ten working days. – Where: Any bank or Poste Italiane
Start work after two months	You may work two months after lodging your application at the Questura. The asylum-seeker permit cannot be converted into a work permit. – Where: Centro per l'impiego (job centre)
After the decision	Refugee or subsidiary protection: a renewable 5-year permit; refugees also get a travel document. Special protection: 2 years, renewable. Appeal deadlines (30, 15 or 7 days) are on the decision. – Where: Territorial Commission; Questura
Keep the help numbers	112 for emergencies, 1522 anti-violence line, 800 290 290 anti-trafficking line and 800.905.570, the Interior Ministry's free information line for people seeking protection. – Where: Ministry of the Interior

Rules that apply to you
National rule: refugees and subsidiary-protection holders work on the same terms as EU citizens; social-housing criteria are set by each region and comune.
Refugees can bring family without proof of income or housing; asylum seekers awaiting a final decision cannot sponsor family.
EU long-term permit: the 5 years count from your asylum application, with no A2 test, no housing document and no permit contribution.
Citizenship: refugees after 5 years' residence, subsidiary-protection holders after 10. Legal aid for appeals is free if your means are insufficient.
Ukrainians with temporary protection: compulsory SSN registration is guaranteed until 31 December 2026.

Source: Ministry of the Interior (practical guide for asylum seekers), Normattiva, Banca d'Italia, Ministry of Health, Polizia di Stato, Roma Capitale, read 23 September 2026

Italian descent or returning Italian

Since the 2025 reform, anyone born abroad who holds another citizenship is treated as never having been Italian unless an exception applies, and the Constitutional Court upheld this on 30 April 2026 (ruling 63/2026). For children who were minors on 24 May 2025, the parents' declaration deadline is now 31 May 2029. Returning Italians may qualify for the impatriate tax regime.

Step	What to do
Check whether an exception applies	The old rules apply if your application or court case was filed, or an appointment communicated, by 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025, or if a parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship. – Where: Italian consulate; your comune (municipality)
Declare for minor children in time	If your citizenship survived the cut-off, declare for a child who was a minor on 24 May 2025 by 31 May 2029. Italian by birth? Declare for a newborn within 3 years; free since 1 January 2026. – Where: Italian consulate or your comune
Recognition in Italy, if still eligible	The comune where you live handles it. Turin charges €600 per adult plus a €16 stamp and decides within 180 days; consulates also charge €600. – Where: Your comune (e.g. Città di Torino); Italian consulate
Former citizens: reacquire by 2027	Born in Italy, or lived there 2 continuous years, and lost citizenship by 15 August 1992? Declare between 1 July 2025 and 31 December 2027; it takes effect the next day. – Where: Italian consulate; your comune
Not eligible? Naturalise after 2 years	National rule: with a parent or grandparent Italian by birth, 2 years' legal residence now suffice (was 3). You need B1 Italian and the €250 fee; decisions take 24 to 36 months. – Where: Ministry of the Interior (via the Prefettura)
Moving back: update your residence	On the AIRE register of Italians abroad? Declare your new residence online through ANPR with SPID or CIE (Milan uses this route too). Rome charges nothing for AIRE and registry changes. – Where: ANPR; your comune's anagrafe (registry office)
Replace a paper identity card	Paper cards stopped being valid for travel on 3 August 2026; an unexpired one works in Italy until 31 January 2027 for health, social security, public offices, post and banks. Get an electronic CIE. – Where: Your comune
Claim the impatriate tax regime	Highly qualified and abroad for the last 3 tax years (AIRE counts)? Stay 4 years and only 50 % of your work income is taxed (40 % with a minor child), up to €600,000, for 5 tax years. – Where: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency)

Rules that apply to you
Another exception: a parent lived in Italy for 2 continuous years after becoming Italian and before your birth or adoption.
Already recognised, or applied or booked by the cut-off? The Constitutional Court stressed that the reform does not affect you.
Citizenship court cases no longer admit oath or witness evidence, and you must prove that nobody in your line lost citizenship.
Old rules, maternal line: citizenship passes only to descendants born after 1 January 1948.
Work entry outside the quotas for descendants from countries of historic emigration needs a Foreign Ministry decree listing them; check that it exists.

Source: Normattiva (Law 91/1992), Constitutional Court, MAECI and Italian consulates, Città di Torino, Roma Capitale, Agenzia delle Entrate, read 23 September 2026

Retiring to Italy

From 7 April 2026 the 7 % flat tax for foreign pensioners covers small southern comuni (municipalities) of up to 30,000 inhabitants, up from 20,000, and wealthy newcomers moving from 1 January 2026 may opt for a €300,000 flat tax (€200,000 for 2025 movers). Outside the EU you need an elective residence visa, which rules out work.

Step	What to do
Show stable passive income	Pensions, annuities, rents or investments count; work income does not. Paris uses about €31,000 a year only as a starting point and expects more. London also wants your last 2 years' tax returns. – Where: Italian consulate where you live
Secure a home before you apply	Consulates accept only a registered lease or ownership of a home in Italy. Your spouse and children living with you can get the same visa if your resources are adequate. – Where: Italian consulate where you live
Buy health insurance	Paris, for example, asks for international cover of at least €30,000 with unlimited hospital cover and repatriation; its visa fee is €116. – Where: Italian consulate where you live
Apply for your permit within 8 working days	Send the permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) request from a Sportello Amico post office: €16 stamp, €30.46 card, €30 postage plus €40 or €50. Patronati (advice bureaux) and some comuni help free. – Where: Poste Italiane (Sportello Amico counter); Questura (police immigration office)
Get your tax code and register	The Questura assigns your codice fiscale (tax code). Register at the anagrafe (registry office) of your comune within 20 days of moving; it is free. – Where: Questura; your comune's anagrafe
Choose private or public health cover	You are not automatically in the SSN (national health service): keep private insurance or join voluntarily at your ASL (local health authority), from €2,000 a year since 2024, per calendar year. – Where: Your ASL
Choose your tax regime	Foreign pension, no Italian tax residence for 5 years, moving from a country with a cooperation agreement? 7 % on all foreign income for 9 tax years in a qualifying comune. Else normal income tax or the €300,000 option. – Where: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency)
Convert your driving licence	A non-EU licence works for one year after you become resident. Then convert it if your country has an agreement with Italy (the UK does, the US does not) or take the Italian test. – Where: Motorizzazione Civile (Ministry of Transport)

Rules that apply to you
The 7 % regime is regional by design: only comuni in Sicily, Calabria, Sardinia, Campania, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia, or listed earthquake areas, qualify.
Flat tax for new residents: €300,000 a year on foreign income plus €50,000 per family member; you must have lived abroad 9 of the last 10 years; it lasts up to 15 years.
Letting property: cedolare secca flat tax 21 %, or 10 % on agreed-rent leases in comuni such as Rome, Milan, Turin and Florence; short lets 21 % for one home, 26 % for a second.
EU citizens need no visa: after 3 months register with the comune, showing resources (€7,101.12 in 2026) and health insurance covering all risks.
National rule: you can also switch to elective residence later from a work, self-employment or family permit.

Source: Consulates General of Italy in London and Paris, Normattiva (TUIR arts. 24-bis and 24-ter), Agenzia delle Entrate, Ministry of Health, Polizia di Stato, read 23 September 2026

The 15 guides

Move

1. Part 1First 30 days in Italy
2. Part 2Permesso di soggiorno and Italian visas in 2026
3. Part 3Codice fiscale, residenza and CIE
4. Part 6Working in Italy
5. Part 7Tax in Italy for newcomers

Live

1. Part 4SPID and a bank account in Italy
2. Part 5Renting in Italy
3. Part 8Healthcare in Italy
4. Part 10School enrolment in Italy
5. Part 11Italian language test and courses in Italy
6. Part 12Driving licence in Italy
7. Part 13Utilities in Italy

Settle

1. Part 9INPS and family benefits in Italy
2. Part 14Public holidays in Italy 2026
3. Part 15Italian citizenship and the EU long-term permit

Italy in numbers

Official statistics, fetched from the source. Each figure shows where it comes from and which period it covers.

Figure	Latest	Source and period
Population	58.94 million	Eurostat · 1 January 2025
Economy (GDP)	€2,258 billion	Eurostat · 2025
GDP per person	$43,309	World Bank · 2025
GDP growth	+1.0%	Eurostat, compared with a year earlier · Q2 2026
GDP growth, full year	0.5%	World Bank · 2025
Unemployment	5.8%	Eurostat, seasonally adjusted · July 2026
Employment rate	68.2%	Eurostat, age 20–64 · Q2 2026
Inflation	3.2%	Eurostat, EU-harmonised (HICP) · August 2026
Central bank rate	2.50%	European Central Bank deposit facility rate · 23 September 2026
Median income	€22,062 a year	Disposable, per adult equivalent · Eurostat · 2025
Price level	98	EU = 100 · Eurostat · 2024
Born abroad	11.8%	Eurostat · 1 January 2025

Source: Eurostat, World Bank and European Central Bank, read 23 September 2026, 23:40 Paris time (CET).

Pros
Prices below the EU average: price level 98, and housing and energy 7% below average (Eurostat, 2024).
Few people burdened by housing costs: 5.0% spend more than 40% of their income on housing, against 7.7% in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).
Unemployment of 5.8% in July 2026 – below the EU’s 6.1% (Eurostat).
A shorter usual working week for full-time employees: 38.9 hours, against 39.5 in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).

Cons
A low employment rate: 68.2% of 20–64-year-olds are in work, against 76.4% in the EU (Eurostat, Q2 2026).
Incomes below the EU average: median disposable income €22,062, against €22,939 in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).
Slow growth: 0.5% in 2025 (World Bank).

Your first steps in Italy, in order

EU citizens need no visa or permit and can skip steps 1 and 2; everyone else follows all ten. The rules behind every step are national, but residence registration and the identity card (steps 4 and 5) are run by your comune, and healthcare (step 8) by the ASL (local health authority) for your area, so offices, booking methods and waiting times differ from place to place.

Step	What	Where	Typical time
1	Non-EU citizens staying more than 90 days: get a type D national visa. Employment and family-reunification routes first need a nulla osta (authorisation), which your employer or family member requests in Italy. EU citizens need only a valid ID.	Italian consulate where you live; the nulla osta comes from the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (Single Desk for Immigration) at the prefettura (prefecture)	Visa: up to 90 days at the London consulate (minimum 15), and times vary by consulate. Nulla osta: 60 days from quota allocation for work, 30 days for an EU Blue Card, 150 days for family reunification
2	Apply for your permesso di soggiorno, usually by posting the pre-printed kit. If you came with a nulla osta, visit the Sportello Unico first. Keep the post-office receipt: with your ID it lets you stay while you wait.	Post office with a Sportello Amico desk, then the Questura for fingerprints	Apply within 8 working days of arrival. By law the permit is due within 90 days (a single work permit within 30 days of a complete file), and you may stay and work while you wait
3	Get your codice fiscale (tax code), the 16-character code you need for health registration, your ID card and SPID. It never expires, and only a code issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate is valid – not one from an online calculator.	Non-EU work and family entries: the Sportello Unico. Other permit applicants: the Questura. Everyone else: an Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency) office, or an Italian consulate before you leave	A first code needs an in-person appointment; no official processing time found
4	Register your residence (iscrizione anagrafica). Non-EU citizens attach their permit. EU citizens register once they have been here three months; ANPR, the national register, says there is no deadline or fine for them.	The anagrafe (registry office) of your comune – online, by PEC (certified e-mail) or in person, depending on the comune; in Rome, your Municipio	Declare within 20 days of moving. Registered within 2 working days (Rome: 48 hours); checks, typically a local-police visit, take up to 45 days
5	Apply for the CIE (electronic identity card), which also works as a free digital identity for public online services. Bring your permit (or renewal receipt), codice fiscale and a photo.	Your comune; fees differ – €22.21 in Rome and Turin, €22.20 in Milan	Posted within 6 working days
6	Open a bank account. Every bank and Poste Italiane must offer the conto di base (basic account) to anyone legally staying in the EU who has no other Italian account.	Any bank or Poste Italiane	A refusal must be explained within 10 working days
7	Get SPID, the digital identity for online public services (age 18+). You need an Italian ID document – the permit is not accepted – plus your codice fiscale, an e-mail address and a mobile number.	One of nine accredited providers; free identification at authorised public offices such as comune counters	No official processing time found
8	Register with the SSN (national health service) and choose a family doctor or, for children, a paediatrician. Workers, family members and protection holders must register; students and elective-residence holders register voluntarily for a fee (at least €2,000 a year, €700 for students).	The ASL where you live, or the one for the address on your permit	You choose your doctor at registration; cover lasts as long as your permit and continues during renewal
9	Sort out driving. An EU licence stays valid until it expires. A non-EU licence works for one year after you become resident (with an international permit or official translation), then must be converted – possible only if Italy has an agreement with the issuing country, otherwise you take the Italian test. Foreign-registered cars must be re-registered.	Motorizzazione Civile office	Licence: within 1 year of residence. Car: within 3 months of residence
10	Take the free 10-hour civic course and start Italian lessons. Non-EU newcomers over 16 with a first permit of at least one year sign an integration agreement with their permit application and commit to reaching A2 Italian.	CPIA (Provincial Adult Education Centre) in your province	Civic course within 90 days of signing; the agreement runs for 2 years, extendable by 1

Tax at a glance for 2026

These are the key figures for an employee in the 2026 tax year. That year still runs under the old income-tax code; the new code (Legislative Decree 117/2026) applies only from 1 January 2027. Residents are taxed on their worldwide income.

What	2026	National or local
Tax residence	Living, domiciled or present in Italy – or registered at the anagrafe – for most of the tax year: at least 183 days (184 in a leap year)	National
IRPEF (personal income tax) up to €28,000	23%	National
IRPEF from €28,000 to €50,000	33% (was 35%); the cut is neutralised for total income above €200,000	National
IRPEF above €50,000	43%	National
Regional surcharge (addizionale regionale)	1.23% base; regions may add up to 2.1 points (special-statute regions, Trento and Bolzano up to 0.5)	Differs by region
Municipal surcharge (addizionale comunale)	Up to 0.8% (Rome up to 0.9%), with optional exemption thresholds	Differs by comune
Employee tax credit (detrazione lavoro dipendente)	€1,955 if total income is up to €15,000 (never below €690, or €1,380 on fixed-term contracts), tapering to zero at €50,000; €65 more between €25,000 and €35,000	National
Pension contributions (IVS)	33% of pay, shared between you and your employer; the employer pays both and deducts your share from your payslip	National
Productivity bonuses	1% tax on up to €5,000 gross, if your employment income is up to €80,000	National
Impatriate regime (moves from 2024)	Only 50% of Italian work income taxed (40% if you move with a minor child), up to €600,000 a year, for 5 tax years. You must not have been tax resident in the previous 3 years and must stay at least 4	National
Flat tax for new residents	€300,000 a year on foreign income, €50,000 per family member, for moves from 1 January 2026 (€200,000 for moves in 2025)	National
Tax return	Form 730 by 30 September; Redditi PF online by 31 October	National

The Revenue Agency's English page on tax relief for newcomers is out of date, so rely on its Italian pages. The Relocate in Europe salary calculator applies these 2026 rates to your own salary.

Emergency and health numbers

Save these Italy emergency numbers before you arrive. The main ones – 112, 113, 115 and 118 – and the 1522 helpline are free from any phone, and 112 works even without a SIM card, with a locked phone or with no credit.

Number	For what
112	Single European emergency number for police, fire brigade, ambulance and sea rescue. Where your region has a Centrale Unica di Risposta (CUR), calls to 112, 113, 115 and 118 all go there and the Where ARE U app sends your location; elsewhere 112 is answered by the Carabinieri. In Lombardy (Milan) the regional agency AREU runs it
113	Polizia di Stato (state police)
115	Vigili del Fuoco (fire brigade)
118	Medical emergencies, 24 hours a day, nationwide. Say what happened, where (comune, street, house number) and how many people are hurt, give your number and keep the line free
117	Guardia di Finanza (financial police)
1530	Guardia Costiera (coast guard)
1522	National anti-violence and anti-stalking helpline for women
116117	Non-urgent medical help, free, 24/7, in Italian and English. Fully active in Lazio (Rome), Lombardy (Milan), Piedmont (Turin) and Tuscany (Florence), among others; only partly active, or not yet active, in some regions
Guardia medica	Free out-of-hours doctor for urgent needs: Saturdays, Sundays and every night from 20:00 to 08:00. Ask your ASL for the local number
Pronto soccorso	Hospital emergency department. You pay a ticket (co-payment) only for non-urgent white-code cases that are not admitted; the amount differs by region, and under-14s are exempt
800 290 290	Free anti-trafficking line
800 554088	Telefono Verde Fumo, the Ministry of Health's free helpline on smoking
800 632000	Telefono Verde Alcol, the Ministry of Health's free helpline on alcohol

If you have no regular status, any ASL can give you an STP card for urgent and essential care, valid six months and renewable, and using health services is not reported to the authorities.

The address book

Where an agency publishes its number with the country code, we show +39; numbers marked free are free from Italian landlines. We name each website rather than linking it, so search for the name. Where we could not verify a detail, the table says so.

Residence and identity

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Ministero dell'Interno (Ministry of the Interior)	Immigration, asylum, citizenship and the prefetture; online applications for a nulla osta and the A2 Italian test	+39 06 4651 (switchboard)	Ministero dell'Interno	Piazza del Viminale 1, 00184 Roma (head office)
Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione – SUI (Single Desk for Immigration)	Nulla osta for work within the quotas, for the EU Blue Card and for researchers; family reunification; turning study or seasonal permits into work permits	Through your prefettura – Rome: +39 06 67291	Ministero dell'Interno – ALI online portal	In every prefettura. Rome: Via IV Novembre 119/A and Via Stendhal 1 (public entrance in Via della Civiltà Romana)
Questura (police immigration office)	Permesso di soggiorno – fingerprints, issue and renewal; codice fiscale for permit applicants	Rome: +39 06 46861. Interior Ministry line for issuing and renewing residence documents: 800.200.309	Polizia di Stato – Questura di Roma	Rome: Via San Vitale 15, 00184 Roma. Elsewhere, the Questura of your province
Poste Italiane – Sportello Amico	Posting the yellow-band permit kit. A first permit of 1–2 years costs €126.46 in all (EU long-term permit €176.46); the codes on your receipt let you follow the case online	See the agency's website	Portale Immigrazione (Interior Ministry with Poste Italiane)	Any post office with a Sportello Amico desk
Patronati (free assistance offices) and enabled comuni	Free help filling in the permit kit; INPS claims such as the Assegno Unico child benefit	See the agency's website	Each patronato has its own	See the agency's website
Comune – anagrafe	Residence registration, the CIE, certificates; for EU citizens, the residence attestation	See Cities below	Your comune	Your comune's registry office (Rome: your Municipio)
ANPR – Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente (national resident register)	Online change of residence if you are already in the register; an online residence service for EU citizens; certificates free of stamp duty	See the agency's website	ANPR (Ministry of the Interior)	Online, with SPID, CIE or CNS
SPID – public digital identity (AgID)	Logging in to INPS, the pre-completed tax return, school enrolment and other public services	See the agency's website	SPID (AgID)	Nine accredited providers; free identification at authorised public offices such as comune counters
Consolato Generale d'Italia (Italian consulate)	Type D visas, a codice fiscale before you move, citizenship-by-descent applications (€600 per adult)	See the agency's website	Il visto per l'Italia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)	Your consular district. London: appointments only via VFS Global in London, Manchester and Edinburgh

Money, work and social insurance

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency)	Codice fiscale, tax returns and tax regimes, lease registration, the TV licence	800 90 96 96 (free from landlines); 06 97617689 (mobiles); +39 06 45470468 (from abroad). Operators Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00	Agenzia delle Entrate	Offices by appointment, booked online or by phone. Registered office: Via Giorgione 106, 00147 Roma
INPS – Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (National Social Security Institute)	Pensions, Assegno Unico child benefit, NASpI unemployment benefit, maternity and parental leave pay	803 164 (free from landlines); 06 164 164 (mobiles). Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00, Sat 8:00–14:00; service in 8 languages including English Mon–Fri 9:00–14:00	INPS (MyINPS)	Head office: Via Ciro il Grande 21, 00144 Roma. Local offices: See the agency's website
Centro per l'impiego (public job centre)	Declaring yourself available for work, job search, EURES advice; NASpI claimants must go within 15 days of applying	See the agency's website	Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali – SIISL job platform	Your local job centre
Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali (Ministry of Labour)	Decreto flussi work quotas and click days; recognition of some foreign vocational qualifications	See the agency's website	Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali; Portale Integrazione Migranti	Online
Banca d'Italia (Bank of Italy)	Your right to a basic account; complaints (esposto) about a bank	See the agency's website	Banca d'Italia – L'economia per tutti	See the agency's website
Arbitro Bancario Finanziario – ABF (banking ombudsman)	Disputes with a bank after a complaint has failed; €20 contribution to costs	See the agency's website	Arbitro Bancario Finanziario	See the agency's website
ARERA (energy regulator)	Electricity and gas rules, social bonuses, comparing offers on the official Portale Offerte	800.166.654 (consumer freephone)	ARERA; Portale Offerte	Piazza Cavour 5, 20121 Milano (head office)

Health and safety

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health)	National health rules, SSN registration for foreigners, pet travel rules	+39 06 59941 (Mon–Fri 8:30–17:30)	Ministero della Salute	Viale Giorgio Ribotta 5, 00144 Roma
ASL – Azienda Sanitaria Locale	SSN registration, family doctor, tessera sanitaria (health card), ticket exemption card, STP card, the local guardia medica number, EU pet passports	See the agency's website	Your region's health service	The 'scelta e revoca' office of the ASL where you live; its veterinary services for pets
AREU – Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (Lombardy)	Runs the 112 emergency service across Lombardy, including Milan	112	AREU (Regione Lombardia)	Not applicable
Rete Nazionale Antiviolenza (national anti-violence network)	Support for women facing violence or stalking	1522	Ministero dell'Interno – useful numbers	Not applicable
Anti-discrimination service	Preventing and reporting discrimination	800 90 10 10	Ministero dell'Interno – useful numbers	Not applicable
Asylum information line	Free information if you seek protection or want to apply for asylum; the procedure itself is free	800.905.570	Ministero dell'Interno	Apply at the Border Police on arrival, or at the immigration office of the nearest Questura

Moving goods, cars and pets

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli – ADM (Customs and Monopolies Agency)	Duty- and VAT-free removal goods from outside the EU (you lived there 12 months and owned the goods for 6; declare within 12 months on form F-01A or F-01B); declaring cash of €10,000 or more; pets arriving from outside the EU	See the agency's website	Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli	Customs offices at your point of entry
Motorizzazione Civile – Portale dell'Automobilista (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport)	Converting a foreign licence (form TT2112; €10.20 plus €32 stamp duty), re-registering a foreign car, international driving permits	800 23 23 23 (free from landlines); 06 45 77 59 27 (mobiles). Mon–Fri 8:00–21:00, Sat 8:00–14:00. Licence points, automated, 24h: 06 45775962	Portale dell'Automobilista	Motorizzazione Civile offices
ACI – Automobile Club d'Italia	Vehicle ownership register (PRA) and car tax (bollo)	06 49981; toll-free 800 183 434; public relations office 800 18 34 34 (Mon–Fri 8:30–12:30)	ACI – Automobile Club d'Italia	Via Marsala 8, 00185 Roma; appointments via PrenotACI
ASL veterinary services	EU pet passport (a dog must first be entered in the anagrafe canina, the dog register). Dogs, cats and ferrets need a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination; unvaccinated animals under 12 weeks cannot be brought in, and at most 5 pets may travel with you	See the agency's website	Ministero della Salute (pet travel rules)	Your ASL

Education and qualifications

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
MIM – Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito (Ministry of Education and Merit)	School system; online first-year enrolment on the Unica platform (preschool on paper at the school); equivalence of a foreign school diploma	See the agency's website	Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito – Unica	Your chosen school's office (segreteria); the ufficio scolastico territoriale for diplomas
MUR – Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca (Ministry of Universities and Research)	University pre-enrolment for non-EU students on Universitaly (visa applications for 2026/27 by 30 November 2026); degree recognition, decided by each university within 90 days	See the agency's website	Universitaly (MUR)	Online; the university you apply to
CPIA – Centro provinciale per l'istruzione degli adulti	Italian courses up to A2, the civic course, the lower-secondary diploma for adults	See the agency's website	Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito	The CPIA in your province
Prefettura – Italian language test	A2 test for the EU long-term residence permit: apply online, you are called within 60 days, and a retake is possible after 90 days	See the agency's website	Ministero dell'Interno	The prefettura of the province where you live
Università per Stranieri di Siena (CILS), Università per Stranieri di Perugia (CELI), Università Roma Tre, Società Dante Alighieri (PLIDA)	Italian certificates that replace the A2 test, prove B1 for citizenship or B2 for university	See the agency's website	The names in the first column	Exam centres in Italy and abroad, such as Italian Cultural Institutes
The ministry responsible for your profession	Recognition of a regulated profession: Health for health professions, MUR for architects and teachers, the supervising ministry for professions with an Ordine, Labour for the rest. Decision within 3 months of a complete file (4 for some professions)	See the agency's website	The ministry concerned	See the agency's website

Cities

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Roma Capitale (Rome)	Residence registration, the CIE and city services; Chiama Roma also answers in English and Romanian	060606 (Chiama Roma, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year)	Roma Capitale	Registry offices of the 15 Municipi (online, PEC, registered letter or counter – not e-mail). City hall: Piazza del Campidoglio 1, 00186 Roma
Roma Servizi per la Mobilità (Rome)	ZTL and parking permits for residents; the Fascia Verde low-emission zone	06 57003	Roma Servizi per la Mobilità	Online, or at the counter by appointment
Comune di Milano (Milan)	Residence (a separate online service for people arriving from abroad), the CIE, Area B and Area C	020202 (also WhatsApp +39 020202)	Comune di Milano (English version)	Registry office in Via Larga, by appointment: Mon–Fri 8:30–15:30, Thu until 19:00 (last entry 18:30), Sat 8:30–11:30; 13 registry sites in all. City hall: Piazza della Scala 2, 20121 Milano
Città di Torino (Turin)	Residence (online or by appointment), the CIE, the housing-suitability certificate needed for some permits (011 011 24300, Mon–Fri 8:30–12:00)	+39 011 011 999 (switchboard); +39 011 011 011 (automated, 24h); registry +39 011 01125380 (Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00)	Città di Torino	Anagrafe centrale, Via della Consolata 23 (Mon–Thu 8:15–15:00, Fri 8:15–13:50); step-free entrance at Via Carlo Ignazio Giulio 22
Sportello InfoStranieri (Turin)	Free information on immigration rules and city services for EU and non-EU citizens	011 011 29455 (Mon–Fri 13:00–15:00)	Città di Torino	Ufficio stranieri – Spazio Comune, Via Bologna 49/a; walk in Mon–Thu 14:00–16:30
Comune di Firenze (Florence)	City services; residence for non-EU citizens through ANPR, PEC or ordinary e-mail, registered letter or fax – there is no counter service for it	055 055 (Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat 8:00–14:00); residence information 055 2768453 (Mon and Fri 8:30–13:00)	Comune di Firenze	Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Firenze
Sportello Immigrazione (Florence)	Permits, family reunification, housing-suitability certificates, registry procedures and citizenship, with language mediation; forms filed by appointment	055 2767078	Comune di Firenze	Villa Pallini, Via Baracca 150/p (access from Viuzzo delle Calvane 1)

The biggest cities

Populations are ISTAT (national statistics office) estimates for 1 January 2026. Rents are 2025 averages for new long-term leases from the Revenue Agency's property observatory.

Rome

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
2,745,062 on 1 January 2026 (ISTAT estimate)	ATAC: personal monthly pass €35.00; single BIT ticket €1.50 for 100 minutes	State: Sapienza, Tor Vergata, Roma Tre, Foro Italico. Non-state universities include LUISS Guido Carli and LUMSA	Fiumicino 'Leonardo da Vinci', the main airport, linked to the city by the Leonardo Express train; also Ciampino 'G.B. Pastine' (both run by Aeroporti di Roma)	We found no English newcomer page. Chiama Roma 060606 answers in English; SUAM (Sportello Unico Accoglienza Migranti) helps migrants, asylum seekers and protection holders

Rome covers 1,287 square kilometres split into 15 Municipi, each with its own registry office. Municipio I (Centro, 20.09 square kilometres) takes in the Centro Storico, Trastevere, Testaccio, Esquilino and, north of the Tiber, Prati; Municipio II, the smallest at 19.66 square kilometres, includes Parioli, Flaminio and the university area of San Lorenzo. Municipio IX (EUR) alone is about the size of Milan, and Municipio X runs along the coast at Ostia. New long-term leases averaged €162.2 per square metre a year in 2025, about €13.5 a month.

Milan

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
1,362,863 on 1 January 2026 (ISTAT estimate)	ATM: ordinary urban monthly pass €39 (under-27s €22); annual €330	State: Università degli Studi di Milano (Statale), Milano-Bicocca, Politecnico di Milano. Non-state: Bocconi, Cattolica, IULM, Vita-Salute San Raffaele	Milano Malpensa, the intercontinental airport, in Somma Lombardo and Ferno (province of Varese)	English version of the city website, including a change-of-residence page; a separate online residence service for foreigners arriving from abroad

Milan has 9 Municipi. At the end of 2025 Municipio 8 was the most populous (196,996 residents) and Municipio 2 had the highest share of foreign citizens (27.8 per cent). In 2024 Loreto-Casoretto-NoLo had 43,513 residents, about a third of them foreign citizens, while Isola had 22,458 and Brera 18,361. Milan has the highest rents of the big cities: €206.0 per square metre a year on new long-term leases in 2025, about €17.2 a month. Driving into Area C, the central congestion zone, costs €7.50 a day on weekdays from 7:30 to 19:30.

Turin

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
855,654 on 1 January 2026 (ISTAT estimate)	GTT: Mensile Formula U €38.00 on a BIP card, valid from the 28th of the previous month; annual €310.00	Università degli Studi di Torino; Politecnico di Torino	Torino Airport (SAGAT) at Caselle Torinese, reachable by train and bus	Sportello InfoStranieri, Via Bologna 49/a – free; we found no English version of the city website

Turin's districts are called circoscrizioni. Circoscrizione 1 (Centro–Crocetta, 75,057 residents in 2025) houses the central registry office; Circoscrizione 8 (San Salvario, Borgo Po, Lingotto and neighbouring areas) had 124,615 residents and Circoscrizione 7 (Aurora, Vanchiglia) 82,588. Rents are the lowest of the four cities: €113.3 per square metre a year on new long-term leases in 2025, about €9.4 a month.

Florence

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
361,625 on 1 January 2026 (ISTAT estimate)	Autolinee Toscane: 'urbano capoluogo' monthly pass €42.20, valid on the tram, urban buses in 13 comuni and regional trains between Florence stations	Università degli Studi di Firenze	Not verified for this guide	Sportello Immigrazione at Villa Pallini, Via Baracca 150/p, by appointment on 055 2767078

Florence is divided into 5 Quartieri. Quartiere 1 is the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its council at Piazza Santa Croce 1; the others are Campo di Marte, Gavinana Galluzzo, Isolotto Legnaia and Rifredi, whose council shares Villa Pallini with the Sportello Immigrazione. New long-term leases averaged €167.0 per square metre a year in 2025. The Sportello's 'Vademecum Migranti 2024' handbook is not aligned with the 2025 citizenship changes, so do not rely on it for citizenship.

Embassies in Italy

Your embassy issues passports, registers births and helps in an emergency. These are the embassies most people moving to Italy need – 42 countries. Addresses, phone numbers and e-mails were read on each embassy’s official website or the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list of foreign embassies on 23 September 2026. Most consular services are by appointment only – book before you go.

Good to know about living in Italy as a foreigner

Paper ID cards. Paper identity cards stopped being valid on 3 August 2026, whatever expiry date is printed (EU Regulation 2019/1157, applied nationally). Under a transitional rule, an unexpired paper card can still be used inside Italy until 31 January 2027 for health, social security, public offices, post and banks, and for contracts signed by 3 August 2026 it stays valid until its printed expiry. Mayors may issue a provisional ID for up to six months until 31 December 2027. If you still carry one, book a CIE at your comune.

Income-based visas. For the EU Blue Card your salary must be at least what the national collective agreement sets and never below ISTAT's average gross annual salary; we found no official 2026 euro figure, so check the current amount before your employer applies. The Sportello Unico must decide on the nulla osta within 30 days. For the digital nomad visa you need at least three times the minimum income for exemption from health charges, and there is no single official figure – consulates quote different amounts. The London consulate, for example, gives a base of €8,500, to be multiplied by three, so check with the consulate where you apply.

Citizenship by descent. Since the decree-law of 28 March 2025, converted by Law 74/2025, anyone born abroad who holds another citizenship is treated as never having been Italian unless an exception applies – for example, an application filed by 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025, a parent or grandparent who holds only Italian citizenship, or a parent who lived in Italy for two continuous years after becoming Italian and before the birth. The Constitutional Court upheld the rule in ruling 63/2026. For some children who were minors on 24 May 2025, the parents' declaration can now be filed until 31 May 2029; older pages still say 31 May 2026.

Renting and hosting. Under national rules a residential lease must be in writing and registered within 30 days, and any side deal for more rent than the registered contract says is void. The deposit is capped at three months' rent. Open-market leases run for 4 + 4 years and agreed-rent leases for 3 + 2, with agreed rents set by local agreements that differ by comune. Anyone who hosts you, even a relative, must tell the local public-security authority in writing within 48 hours, or face a fine of €500–3,500.

Holidays, cash and cards. From 2026, 4 October – the feast of St Francis of Assisi, Italy's patron saint – is again a national public holiday, and 29 June is an extra holiday only in Rome. Shops and restaurants may set their own opening hours anywhere in Italy, though regions and comuni can restrict some areas. Cash payments of €5,000 or more between different people are banned, and shops must accept at least one debit and one credit card: refusing a card payment costs the merchant a €30 fine plus 4 per cent of the amount.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice. Numbers, prices and opening hours were checked on 23 September 2026 – check with the agency before you visit.