How to get your codice fiscale
The official Italian tax code is free — you never need to pay an agency for it. Here are the two official routes, what to bring, and the pitfalls that cost people weeks.
Route 1 — At the Italian consulate, before you leave
The Italian consulate covering your area can issue the codice fiscale to non-residents: you submit form AA4/8 (many consulates accept it by email) with a copy of your passport. It's free; processing times vary by consulate — from a few days to several weeks. Convenient if you're planning ahead, since you land in Italy with the code already sorted.
Route 2 — In Italy, at any Agenzia delle Entrate office
Once in Italy, walk into any office of the Agenzia delle Entrate (not necessarily where you live or study) with:
- your passport (EU citizens: national ID card is fine);
- for non-EU citizens: your visa or the residence-permit application, depending on your situation;
- the completed form AA4/8 (also available at the desk), including the motivazione — the reason you need the code (work, study, renting, etc.).
You usually leave with the paper attribution certificate the same day, free of charge. A practical note: offices have some discretion on documenting the motivazione — if a desk asks for proof (an enrolment letter, a landlord's statement), bringing any such paper avoids a second trip.
Special cases
- Students: many universities request the code on your behalf, or their welcome desks assist with the application. Since 2021, study-visa procedures at some consulates also issue the code together with the visa. Check before queuing.
- Newborns in Italy: the code is assigned automatically with the birth declaration.
- Italian citizens born abroad (e.g. recognised by descent): it's common to hold an Italian passport without ever having been issued a code — the same two routes above apply, and your pending AIRE registration is irrelevant: code issuance doesn't depend on it.
The three mistakes that cost weeks
- Not checking the certificate on the spot. Verify every letter of your name and birth data before leaving the desk: for foreign names, transliterations and middle names are the #1 source of trouble with every later document.
- Confusing a calculated code with an assigned one. Portals and employers can auto-calculate your code from your data — it looks real, but it doesn't exist in the tax registry until the Agenzia delle Entrate assigns it. Learn the difference in our guide.
- Paying for what's free. Intermediary services charging €100–200 make sense only in narrow cases (urgent, remote, no power of attorney). The official routes are free.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the codice fiscale cost?
Nothing. Issuance is free both at Italian consulates abroad and at Agenzia delle Entrate offices in Italy. Paid intermediary services exist but are never required.
How long does it take?
In person at an Agenzia delle Entrate office in Italy, you usually receive the paper certificate the same day. Through a consulate, times vary from days to weeks depending on the office.
My university/employer already gave me a code — is it official?
It depends: some institutions formally request codes from the Revenue Agency on students' behalf (then it's official), others just auto-calculate it from your data (then it's provisional). Ask whether they filed the request with the Agenzia delle Entrate, or use the official verification tool on the agency's website to check whether the code is registered.
Want to know what your code will look like? Calculate it here (in your browser, no data stored) — then get the official one for free. Already have a code? Verify it.
For official procedures and edge cases, the authoritative source is theAgenzia delle Entrate.