How to Get a Tax ID in Italy (Codice Fiscale)

To get a codice fiscale, you submit Form AA4/8 along with a valid passport or national ID either at an Italian consulate in your country of residence or, if you’re already in Italy, at a local Agenzia delle Entrate office.¹ The service is free, and in most cases you walk away (or receive by email) a printed certificate of your 16-character code the same day. That certificate has full legal weight, so you can start using the number immediately for banks, leases, and contracts.

When You’ll Need It

Italian law requires the codice fiscale for almost any legal, financial, or administrative act in the country. In practice, you’ll be asked for it when you:

Open a bank account
Sign an employment contract
Rent a property (lease agreements over 30 days must be registered with the tax authorities)
Buy real estate — the notary needs it to complete the deed²
Activate utilities (electricity, gas, water)
Register a vehicle
Receive any payment from an Italian entity, including tax refunds and benefits

One boundary worth knowing: if you’re a non-EU citizen coming to Italy on a long-stay visa, the code can be assigned during the residence permit process itself, at the police headquarters or immigration desk that handles your permesso di soggiorno.³ You don’t strictly need to obtain it separately in advance. But if you plan to sign a lease or open a bank account before your permit is processed, get one first through a consulate or Revenue Agency office.

What to Prepare Before Applying

The application uses Form AA4/8, which you download from the Revenue Agency’s website.⁴ Fill in your full legal name, gender, date of birth, and place of birth. In Section II, tick the box marked “Attribuzione codice fiscale” (allocation of tax code) to show this is a first-time request.⁵ Print it and sign in ink.

Identification depends on your citizenship:

EU citizens: a valid national identity card or passport.
Non-EU citizens: a valid passport with a visa where required, plus proof of legal stay in Italy such as an existing residence permit. A photo identity certificate issued by Italian diplomatic authorities also qualifies.¹

There is no government fee. The service is free whether you apply in person, by mail, or through a consulate.

If your legal name has changed, use the name on your current valid photo ID rather than the name on your birth certificate.⁶

Applying From Outside Italy

If you live abroad, the request goes through the Italian consulate or embassy that covers your address. Procedures vary by post, so start on that consulate’s website. Some use the Prenot@Mi portal to schedule appointments or handle requests remotely.⁷ Others accept email applications with scanned PDFs attached.

A typical email application includes:

Form AA4/8, completed, printed, signed, and scanned
A copy of your valid passport
A copy of a driver’s license or other document showing you live within the consulate’s jurisdiction
A signed statement explaining why you need the code

The consulate registers your data with the national tax registry and returns a PDF certificate of your codice fiscale by email.² The electronic certificate is legally valid on its own; print it and use it. Processing times run from a few days to several weeks depending on the consulate’s workload, so apply well ahead of any closing, lease, or contract deadline.

Applying in Italy

If you’re already in the country, go to a local Agenzia delle Entrate office. Book a slot through CUP (Centro Unico di Prenotazione), the agency’s online booking system, where you pick the office, service, and time.⁸ Walk-ins are handled by ticket queue, and waits at busy urban offices are unpredictable, so an appointment is worth the small effort.⁹

Bring the completed Form AA4/8 and your ID. The clerk enters your details, and you leave with a printed paper certificate of your codice fiscale that same day. That paper is official proof for all legal purposes right away.

Using a Representative

If you can’t apply in person or by mail from abroad, someone else can request the code for you at any Revenue Agency office in Italy. This route is common for foreigners buying property through an Italian attorney or agent, who handles the application as part of the purchase.²

The Paper Certificate, Plastic Card, and Tessera Sanitaria

Whichever route you use, you receive a paper certificate first, and that document is enough to conduct any transaction that requires the code. A durable card follows by mail to your registered address in Italy in the weeks after registration.

What that card looks like depends on your health coverage status. People enrolled in Italy’s national health service don’t get a standalone tax code card. Their codice fiscale is printed on the Tessera Sanitaria, the health insurance card that replaced the old green tax card and serves as official proof of the code for all purposes.¹⁰ The health card is issued automatically once your local health authority sends your information to the Revenue Agency, so no separate application is needed. People who aren’t eligible for the national health service, including most short-term visitors and some non-EU nationals, receive the standard codice fiscale card instead.

The code is permanent. Once it’s assigned, it stays with you for life and never expires.¹

Replacing a Lost Card or Fixing an Error

If your card is lost or stolen, request a duplicate through the Revenue Agency’s online portal or at any territorial office. The number itself doesn’t change; only the physical card is reissued.¹

If the card shows incorrect personal data, take a valid ID to a Revenue Agency office and ask for a correction. To report a legal name change, submit Form AA4/8 again with the updated details.

1
Agenzia delle Entrate. Tax Identification Number for Foreign Citizens
2
Consolato Generale d’Italia a New York. Codice Fiscale
3
Consolato Generale d’Italia a Los Angeles. Tax Code (Codice Fiscale) for Foreign Citizens
4
Agenzia delle Entrate. Modello e Istruzioni AA4/8
5
Consolato Generale d’Italia a Edimburgo. Tax Code Application Form Modello AA4-8 and Instructions
6
Ambasciata d’Italia a Washington. Tax Code (Codice Fiscale)
7
Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale. Prenot@Mi Step-by-Step Guide
8
Agenzia delle Entrate. Usa i Servizi dell’Agenzia
9
Agenzia delle Entrate. Book an Appointment
10
Agenzia delle Entrate. The Italian Health Insurance Card