So the day has come. You woke up one dull day and felt that you should not delay it any longer. It’s time to make your dreams come true. Time to stop longing for life in the land of la dolce vita, but finally start living it. Right in this moment you decide to take a step towards buying a property in Italy. In our case, 6 years passed from the birth of the idea to its implementation, but in your case it may be much shorter.
If this idea has flashed in your head for even a moment, it is worth considering what steps you can take now to get closer to realizing your dreams. It is worth obtaining a taxcode (codicefiscale) as soon as possible, because when you decide to purchase your dream Italian home, it will be one of the key documents. There is potentially a possibility that the seller will have the option of selling immediately to someone who already has the necessary documents, or waiting for another buyer who is just starting to apply for them. Who do you think he will choose?
So now let us explain to you some important aspects of obtaining this important document that is necessary to purchase a property, as well as for other formal activities that you, as a foreigner, may undertake in Italy.
What actually is codice fiscale?
You may find information about “codice fiscale” by reading about what is translated in English as “tax code”, “fiscal code” or “tax number”. The Italian Codice Fiscale is an Italian identification code. The personal codice fiscale is the result of a formula applied to a person’s name, date and place of birth.
It is obligatory to have an Italian tax code for some actions such as registering a preliminary contract while purchasing your dream Italian property, but also opening an Italian bank account, getting an Italian mortgage or renting a property in Italy for more than 30 days, etc.
Having an Italian tax code does not mean that you have any tax liability in the country, but you will be subject to Italian tax obligations if you buy certain Italian assets in Italy (e.g. real estate) or if you decide to rent a property.
Now, how can one apply for his fiscal code?
There are two ways to apply for your Italian codicefiscale. One is to apply while visiting Italy through any tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate). The other is to apply in your home country through an Italian consular office or Embassy. In the first case, believe me – it’s better to have an assistant who speaks fluent Italian and knows how to talk with Italian officials. We applied by this way for our codes thanks to assistance of Andre from the real estate agency. By ourselves we wouldn’t be able even to make an appointment at the office, I’m pretty sure. Please remember that Italian tax offices often require certain conditions to be met in order to apply for a visa in Italy. Usually, you need to make an appointment in advance, and on the day of your visit you may spend many hours there. After all, you can always find employees on a coffee break, you’re in Italy, my friend!
If you decide to apply for your document in Italy, as we did, the office will issue the tax code on the date of the appointment. Therefore, this is agood way to obtain the document immediately.
But if you apply through the Italian consulate in your home country, it might take between a few days to a several weeks, every office has its own policies and workload at the time of your application. That is why we advice to apply for your fiscal code ASAP to have it ready at the moment when you decide to purchase a property in Italy.
If you are a non-EU or non-Schengen citizen, you must submit a copy of your valid passport along with one of the following: entry stamp from Italy (or any other EU/Schengen country), issued within the last three months, valid visa from Italy (or any other EU/Schengen country) or special proxy issued by a lawyer, accountant, or other authorized representative, specifying why you need to apply for an Italian tax code.
Once you receive your codice fiscale certificate, review it carefully to ensure that all details match your identification document (e.g., passport). Legend has it, that errors made with foreign names, are not uncommon. If you notice any discrepancies, request a correction immediately.
Does the Codice Fiscale Expire?
The Italian tax code does not expire — it remains valid indefinitely. However, if you legally change your name (e.g., through marriage or naturalization), you may need to apply for a new tax code. For instance, if you acquire Italian citizenship, your Italian passport will typically reflect your maiden name.
If you were previously assigned an Italian tax code but have lost the official certificate, you can request a duplicate. The application process is the same as for a new codice fiscale, but if you are a non-EU/Schengen citizen, you will not need to provide a visa or entry stamp when applying for a duplicate.
We hope that we did not scare you by talking about official formalities. If you still have doubts about how to apply for the Codice Fiscale, write to us or fill out our form and we will contact you. It is worth taking the first step to make your dreams of your dream Italian home come true.
