Tax code - Codice fiscale

What is it? / Cos'è?
The tax code is a set of letters and numbers.

When is it useful? / Quando è utile?
It is useful when you have to interact with public offices (for example to be hired and to work, to pay taxes, to receive a health card and medical assistance or even to enrol children in school), but it also serves to buy a SIM card for mobile phones or to open a bank account or to have a receipt for a private medical examination.

How is it done? / Come è fatto?
It is a simple sheet of paper with the name, surname, date and country of birth of the person. At the top left is the tax code. When you apply to register for the Regional Health Service, a blue card, on which the tax code is printed, will be sent to home.
You do not have to go to the Agenzia delle Entrate to request the green card.

I am a non-European citizen just entered Italy with an entry visa and I need the tax code. / Sono un cittadino non europeo appena entrato in Italia con un visto d’ingresso e ho bisogno del codice fiscale.

What should I do? / Cosa devo fare?

If you have asked for a nulla osta for family reunification or for subordinate or seasonal work, the Prefettura will give you the tax code when you apply for a residence permit. If you have entered with a visa for study, for elective residence, for religious reasons you must go in person to the Agenzia delle Entrate to ask for the tax code. If you have entered Italy for tourism you cannot ask for the tax code.

A few years ago I have asked the Agenzia delle Entrate for the tax code of my dependents (children, spouse and parents), who were not yet on the national territory, to include them in the tax return; I never received the card with the tax code written. / Qualche anno fa ho chiesto all’Agenzia delle Entrate il codice fiscale dei miei familiari a carico (figli, coniuge e genitori), che ancora non si trovavano sul territorio nazionale, per inserirli nella dichiarazione dei redditi; non ho mai ricevuto la tessera con scritto il codice fiscale. What should I do? / Cosa devo fare?
If the family members are now in Italy, entered for family reunification, before applying for a residence permit in the Prefettura, it is better to go to the Agenzia delle Entrate, to check if the Agenzia delle Entrate has already given the tax code to your family and get the paper document released. This document must be brought to Prefettura when you ask for the first residence permit for the family members. The Prefettura in fact cannot provide the tax code if it had already been given by the Agenzia delle Entrate previously.

I asked for international protection. How can I get the tax code? / Ho chiesto la protezione internazionale. Come faccio per avere il codice fiscale?
You will find the tax code on the residence permit that will be given to you by the Questura.

Aggiornamento: novembre 2018