Codice fiscale, residenza and CIE – how to get registered in Italy, step by step
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
The codice fiscale opens doors, registration at the anagrafe makes you a resident and the CIE proves who you are. Each has its own office and rules, and paper ID cards stopped being valid on 3 August 2026 – here is what to get, where and in which order.
The codice fiscale (tax code) is the number almost every Italian office asks for first, and registration at the anagrafe (registry office) makes you an official resident of your comune (municipality). Both are national systems, but the paperwork is handled locally. Two 2026 changes matter: paper identity cards ceased to be valid on 3 August 2026, and, according to the City of Turin, electronic ID cards issued from 30 July 2026 to people over 70 no longer expire.
What is a codice fiscale, and why do you need it first?
It is a code of 16 letters and numbers derived from your personal data, and it identifies you with public authorities. You need it, for example, to register with the SSN (national health service) and to apply for an identity card. It never expires, and it is posted to your residence address. Only a code issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency) is valid: codes produced by online calculators are not. Once you join the SSN, your tessera sanitaria (health card) carries the code too.
How do you get a codice fiscale in Italy?
Who issues it depends on your situation; the rules are national.
| Your situation | Where you get it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Non-EU, entering for work or family reunion | Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (immigration desk) at the Prefettura | A provisional numeric code first, replaced by the definitive one when your permit is issued |
| Non-EU, other permits | Questura (police immigration office) | Assigned when you apply for or renew your permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) |
| EU citizen | Any Agenzia delle Entrate office | Book an in-person appointment and bring an ID card or passport |
| Anyone else legally in Italy | An Agenzia delle Entrate office | Form AA4/8; non-EU applicants show a passport with visa or permit and prove their right to stay |
| Living abroad | The Italian consulate in your country | For non-residents who need a code |
| Student pre-enrolling on Universitaly | Universitaly | A temporary code, confirmed at the Agenzia after arrival |
Source: Agenzia delle Entrate and the Consulate General of Italy in Paris, read 23 September 2026.
A first code needs an appointment, because staff must check your identity in person; duplicate cards can be requested online. A code you get in your first 90 days in Italy stays valid afterwards, because it is not tied to your permit, and you can use it to register with the SSN.
Residenza: how do you register at the anagrafe?
Registering your residence follows national law. You declare the move within 20 days, the comune registers it within 2 working days, and it counts from the day you declared. The comune then checks that you really live there – typically with a visit from the local police – for up to 45 days. If it sends no notice of missing requirements in that time, your registration stands. Since 1 January 2024, being on the register has also created a presumption that you are tax resident in Italy, which you can rebut.
If you are not an EU citizen, holding a valid permit obliges you to register where you intend to live, and you attach the permit to your declaration. If you are an EU citizen, ANPR, the national population register, has a free online service for EU citizens and their family members staying more than three months. You provide ID, your codice fiscale if you have one and details of your lease or property, plus proof of work; if you neither work nor study, a self-declaration of sufficient resources and health insurance.
On timing, the official sources differ. ANPR says there is no final deadline for EU citizens and no fines for not registering; Legislative Decree 30/2007, the law on EU free movement, says registration is required once three months have passed. Either way, the comune gives you an attestation straight away with your name, address and the date of your request. After five years you can ask for an attestazione di soggiorno permanente (permanent residence certificate), issued within 30 days.
Later moves within Italy, and Italians returning from the AIRE (the register of Italians abroad), use ANPR's free online change-of-residence service. ANPR certificates can be downloaded online and are valid for three months.
How it works in Rome, Milan and Turin
The details differ by comune:
| Comune | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | The Municipi (district offices) handle it; registration within 48 hours, procedure completed within up to 45 days after the home check; no direct cost | If another household lives at the address, an adult member must confirm they know about you; the house number must exist in the city's street database |
| Milan | Tenants provide a copy of the rental contract and, if available, its registration receipt | For public housing, the handover report signed by the managing body is enough |
| Turin | Online with SPID, CIE or CNS, through a guided online form without digital identity, or by appointment at via della Consolata 23 | If the checks are negative, you have 10 days to reply to the notice |
Source: Roma Capitale, Comune di Milano and Città di Torino, read 23 September 2026.
Rome adds one rule for non-EU residents: after each permit renewal you must renew your declaration of habitual residence in person within 60 days, or you can be removed from the register one year after the permit expired.
The CIE: how do you get Italy's electronic ID card?
The carta d'identità elettronica (CIE) is issued by the comune of your residence or dimora (actual dwelling). You can apply from 180 days before your old card expires, or straight away after loss or theft. Bring a passport-style photo and your codice fiscale; your fingerprints are taken, and for a first card you show another valid ID or come with two witnesses. The card is posted to you within 6 working days, or you collect it at the comune; the receipt works as ID only within Italy.
For foreign residents, EU or not, the card is an identity document only, not a travel document, according to the City of Turin. In Milan, a non-EU applicant needs the tessera sanitaria or codice fiscale, a paper photo, the permit – or the renewal receipt if it has expired – and another valid ID. It is also a free digital identity for online public services – and, since SPID cannot be requested with a permesso di soggiorno, usually your route to SPID.
| CIE | Detail |
|---|---|
| State fee | €16.79, plus municipal fees where charged |
| Total in Rome and Turin | €22.21 |
| Total in Milan | €22.20 |
| Replacement after loss or theft in Rome | €5.16 extra |
| Delivery | Within 6 working days |
| Validity | 10 years for adults, 5 years for ages 3–18, 3 years under 3 |
Source: Ministry of the Interior (CIE), Roma Capitale, Comune di Milano and Città di Torino, read 23 September 2026.
Paper ID cards after 3 August 2026
Paper identity cards ceased to be valid on 3 August 2026 under EU Regulation 2019/1157, even where a later expiry date is printed. Decree-law 108/2026, converted by Law 142 of 4 August 2026, softens this inside Italy: an unexpired paper card can still be used until 31 January 2027 for health services, social security, public offices, post and banks, and mayors may issue a provisional ID for up to six months until 31 December 2027. If anyone in your family still holds a paper card, book a CIE appointment now.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get your codice fiscale from the Sportello Unico, the Questura, the Agenzia delle Entrate or a consulate | Before or right after you arrive |
| 2 | Gather your ID and your lease or property details | Before you declare residence |
| 3 | Declare residence to the anagrafe; EU citizens can use ANPR online | Within 20 days of moving |
| 4 | Expect a check at your address and reply to any notice | Up to 45 days after declaring |
| 5 | Apply for the CIE at your comune | Once registered |
| 6 | Replace any paper ID card with a CIE | Before 31 January 2027 |
Source: Agenzia delle Entrate, ANPR (Ministry of the Interior) and Normattiva, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Agenzia delle Entrate – Tax identification number for foreign citizens · agenziaentrate.gov.it
- Agenzia delle Entrate – guide 'Tax code for foreign nationals' (PDF) · agenziaentrate.gov.it
- Agenzia delle Entrate – Iscrizione al Servizio sanitario nazionale · agenziaentrate.gov.it
- Normattiva – D.L. 5/2012 art. 5 · normattiva.it
- ANPR – Anagrafe Nazionale (Ministero dell'Interno) – Cambio di residenza · anagrafenazionale.interno.it
- ANPR – Servizi per cittadini europei · anagrafenazionale.interno.it
- Roma Capitale – Iscrizione anagrafica cittadini comunitari · comune.roma.it
- Normattiva – D.Lgs. 30/2007 art. 9 · normattiva.it
- Roma Capitale – Iscrizione anagrafica: Come presentare richiesta · comune.roma.it
- Città di Torino – Richiedere il cambio residenza (anche dall'estero) · comune.torino.it
- Carta d'Identità Elettronica (Ministero dell'Interno) – Rilascio e rinnovo in Italia · cartaidentita.interno.gov.it
- Roma Capitale – Costi CIE · comune.roma.it
- Città di Torino – Richiedere la carta di identità · comune.torino.it
- Prefettura di Nuoro (Ministero dell'Interno) · prefettura.interno.gov.it
- Normattiva – D.L. 26 giugno 2026, n. 108, art. 11 · normattiva.it
- Roma Capitale – Carta d'identità elettronica · comune.roma.it
- Electronic Identity Card (Ministry of the Interior) – Help/FAQ · cartaidentita.interno.gov.it
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.