Arrival paperwork

How to Get a Codice Fiscale in Italy (2026)

By Giacomo AmendolaFacts checked October 24, 2026

What it is

A 16-character ID for tax and contracts, valid for life

Who issues it

Agenzia delle Entrate

Cost

Free

From the US

Some Italian consulates, or a representative in Italy with power of attorney

Non-EU, moving on a long-stay visa

Assigned by the questura or the Sportello Unico with your permesso application

EU citizens and short-stay students in Italy

Form AA4/8 at any Agenzia delle Entrate office

How long it takes

About 15 minutes in person in Milan (City of Milan); within 30 days via the Houston consulate

What the codice fiscale is and when you need it

The codice fiscale identifies you in your dealings with Italian public offices, companies and private parties. It is issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate, first as a certificate and then as a card.

Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists what requires it:

• paying taxes, duties and fees
• signing contracts with public bodies or private companies
• renting or lending real estate
• applying for a loan
• accepting an inheritance

In practice, that covers most of a move: your lease, a bank account, utility and phone contracts, and enrollment in the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (national health service).

The code is built from your surname, first name, date of birth, sex and place of birth, and ends with a check letter. That is why websites can produce a lookalike. The Agenzia is explicit that only the code it issues is valid.

Which route fits your situation

There are four ways to get a codice fiscale. The right one depends on where you are, your citizenship and why you need the code.

The rules are national, but which consulates take requests, what each asks for, and how Agenzia offices treat newcomers all vary by office. Where the sources show a difference, this guide names it.

Getting it from the US through a consulate

Not every Italian consulate offers this, and the ones that do run it differently. As of October 2026, the New York, Houston, Washington and San Francisco offices describe a process for foreign citizens; Miami's page lists only the delegation route described below. Read your own consulate's page before you send anything.

Sources disagree on this route. The City of Milan's student guide says consulates no longer issue the code, while the consulates' own pages, the Washington one updated in August 2026, still describe the service. Go by your consulate's page.

What consulates generally ask for:

1. Form AA4/8, the Agenzia's application form (an English version exists).
2. A copy of your passport.
3. Proof that you live in the consulate's district, such as a driver's license.
4. The reason for the request. New York asks for a signed affidavit; Houston asks for supporting evidence, such as a preliminary agreement to buy property.
5. Sometimes more. Houston and Washington ask for a birth certificate, and Houston for a marriage certificate if you are married.

Three limits to know:

• New York handles foreign citizens' requests only when the code is needed for online procedures or when you cannot delegate a representative in Italy.
• Washington handles requests only when you do not need to be in Italy for the activity. If you are a non-EU citizen moving there, it directs you to the questura or the Sportello Unico instead.
• New York warns that it cannot reply quickly because of volume, and asks applicants not to send the same request twice.

When the certificate arrives, check your name and birth date immediately. New York notes it has only a few hours after issuing a certificate to void one with errors.

Getting it through a representative in Italy

You can give someone in Italy a special power of attorney (procura speciale) to submit form AA4/8 for you at any Agenzia delle Entrate office. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists this as a standard route for foreign citizens who live abroad, and the Miami and Washington offices point foreign citizens to it. The Agenzia charges nothing for the code; a representative may charge for their time.

Getting it once you are in Italy

Non-EU citizens moving on a long-stay visa. You do not need to go to the Agenzia. The code is assigned when you apply for your permesso di soggiorno:

• by the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (the immigration desk at each prefettura) for work and family reunification permits
• by the questura (state police immigration office) for other permit types

In exceptional cases, such as a suspected duplicate code, the Ministry of the Interior assigns a temporary numeric code. It still lets you enroll in the national health service.

EU citizens who plan to stay in Italy submit form AA4/8 at an Agenzia office, with a passport or an ID card valid for travel, and must state the reason. The Agenzia also accepts the form by PEC (posta elettronica certificata, Italy's certified email).

Students staying under 90 days can apply at any Agenzia office. Students staying longer receive the code through the questura with their permesso, and university applicants can also get one during pre-enrollment on the Universitaly portal.

In person, it is fast once you are seen. The City of Milan says an in-person appointment with a completed form usually produces the code in about 15 minutes. Getting the appointment is the slower part: EU newcomers in Milan report struggling to find open slots. The Agenzia's booking page lists each office's first available date, so check the other offices in your city too. Sign the AA4/8 by hand: Milan's offices do not accept electronic signatures.

Whatever the route, you first receive a certificato di attribuzione (certificate of attribution), which you can use right away. A card follows: the tessera sanitaria if you enroll in the national health service, otherwise a separate codice fiscale card.

Common problems and fixes

Turned away at the Agenzia as a non-EU newcomer. Newcomers on long-stay visas report being sent to the questura, because that is where their code is meant to come from. If you need the code before your questura appointment, ask your consulate or a representative in Italy before you leave the US.

A landlord wants your codice fiscale before you have one. The lease can be registered without it using form 69, under Resolution 5/E of 2023. If your landlord hasn't heard of it, show them the resolution.

No reply from the consulate. Keep your submission confirmation, don't resend, and consider whether a representative in Italy is faster for your timeline.

Someone quotes a fee for the code. The code is free. Any charge is a service fee for someone's time, and paying it is your choice.

A code that fails the online check. If you calculated it yourself or got it from a website, it is not an official code. Apply for one.

Do you need help with this?

Most people can get a codice fiscale on their own, especially if they start a few weeks before travel. It gets harder when the rest of your move depends on it arriving by a date, such as a lease you need registered before a visa appointment.