The codice fiscale is the one piece of paper you cannot live without in Italy. You need it to sign a lease, open a bank account, register with a doctor, buy a SIM card, get paid and even to buy medicine on prescription. The good news: it is free, it takes ten minutes, and you can ask for it in Italian with five sentences. Here they are.
What the codice fiscale actually is
It is a 16-character code that identifies you to the Italian state: something like RSSMRA85T10A562S. It is built from your surname, first name, date of birth, sex and place of birth, which is why two people can never share one. It does not expire, it does not depend on your residence status, and it is not a tax number in the sense of "you now owe taxes": it is simply your identifier.
Offices will ask for it with one of these phrases:
Mi dà il codice fiscale? / Ha il codice fiscale?
You answer by handing over the card or the paper certificate, or by reading it out.
Where to get it
The office is the Agenzia delle Entrate, the Italian revenue agency. Every town of a certain size has one. Bring your passport (and your visa or permit if you have one) and the form AA4/8, which they also have at the counter. In most cities you take a number and wait; in some you book online first. If you are not in Italy yet, the Italian consulate in your country issues the same code.
Employers, universities and landlords can also request it for you: they do it all the time.
What to say at the counter
The whole exchange usually fits in a minute. Say it clearly and slowly and nobody will switch to English on you.
Buongiorno. Vorrei richiedere il codice fiscale. Sono cittadino straniero, questo è il mio passaporto. Devo compilare un modulo? Mi serve per il contratto di affitto / per il lavoro / per l'università. Grazie, arrivederci.
Key words: richiedere (to request), modulo (form), cittadino straniero (foreign citizen), mi serve per (I need it for).
What they will ask you
Expect questions about your details, always in the same order. Have the answers ready.
| They say | It means | You answer |
|---|---|---|
| Cognome e nome? | Surname and first name? | Say the surname first, then spell it |
| Data di nascita? | Date of birth? | Day, month, year: dieci marzo millenovecentonovanta |
| Luogo di nascita? | Place of birth? | City and country |
| Indirizzo in Italia? | Address in Italy? | Street, number, city; a temporary one is fine |
| Un documento? | An ID document? | Hand over your passport |
If you do not understand, this sentence saves the day: Scusi, può ripetere più lentamente? (Sorry, could you repeat more slowly?).
The card versus the paper
At the counter you receive a printed certificate at once. The plastic card (tessera sanitaria, which doubles as your health card) arrives by post only once you are registered with the health service. Both are valid: what matters is the code, not the format. Keep a photo of it on your phone, because you will type it into forms constantly.
After the codice fiscale
Once you have it, the next steps usually follow in this order: a bank account, a lease and the registration at the comune (we cover each of them on this blog). Each has its own vocabulary, and each gets easier once you have done the first one in Italian.
Want to rehearse the conversation before you go? Every trial lesson at Adesso Italian starts from a real situation like this one. Book your first lesson and bring the form. If you want to see how a lesson works first, start here.