Documents for the ISEE at the CAF: Complete Family Checklist

In a nutshell

To get your ISEE (Italy's income-and-wealth indicator used to qualify for means-tested benefits) at a CAF (free assistance offices for tax forms and benefits applications), you need documents for your entire household, not just yourself. The data that counts is from two years prior to the year you apply: for a 2026 ISEE you need income and bank balances as of 31 December 2024. If even one document is missing, the CAF cannot complete your file. Arrive with everything and you will save yourself a return visit.

At a glance

Cost	Free at a registered CAF; banks may charge €0–15 for an annual average-balance certificate
Timeline	Filing the DSU at the CAF: 30–60 minutes if you have everything; ISEE issued: 10–15 working days
Where in Rome	CAF ACLI, CGIL, CISL, UIL, CNA — branches in all 15 Municipi
Key documents	ID and Codice Fiscale for every household member, tax return/CU, year-end balance and average balance for every account, land-registry printouts

What the DSU is and why so much data is needed

The DSU (Dichiarazione Sostitutiva Unica — the standardised declaration) is the form that the CAF operator fills in on the computer and transmits to INPS (Italy's social-security agency — pensions, unemployment, family benefits). It covers personal data, income, financial assets (bank accounts and securities), real-estate assets (houses and land), vehicles, and any maintenance payments.

Since 2020 there is a pre-filled DSU: INPS automatically pulls in much of the data from Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy's tax-revenue agency), bank registries and the land registry. You only need to confirm or fill in what's missing. It's still worth bringing all your documents so everything can be checked quickly and accurately.

The golden rule: ISEE year minus 2 = data year. ISEE 2026 → data from 2024.

The complete checklist

1. Personal documents (for every household member)

• Valid identity card or passport
• Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything) or Tessera Sanitaria (Italian health-insurance card)
• Valid permesso di soggiorno (residence permit for non-EU citizens)
• Household registration (stato di famiglia) — can be self-certified on the CAF form
• For minors without their own ID: birth certificate or deed of birth

2. Income documents (year N-2, for every household member with income)

• Modello 730 (Italy's simplified annual tax return for employees) or Redditi PF (formerly Unico — the full personal income tax return) — complete copy
• Certificazione Unica (CU — the employer's or pension provider's annual income certificate) if employed or retired
• Any foreign income (converted at the Bank of Italy exchange rate)
• NASpI (Italy's unemployment benefit), Cassa Integrazione (state-funded temporary wage support when a company suspends or reduces work), or other unemployment benefits received
• INPS allowances: maternity, sickness, workplace injury
• Rental income received (whether under flat-rate cedolare secca or standard IRPEF (Italian personal income tax))
• Income from occasional freelance work (withholding-tax receipts)
• Non-exempt scholarships

If the CAF uses the pre-filled DSU, you just confirm what's already loaded. Bringing the CU and Modello 730 lets you check the figures are correct.

3. Financial assets (year-end balance and annual average balance at 31/12 N-2)

For every account, savings book or financial instrument held by any household member:

• Bank and postal current accounts (sole and joint)
• Post office and bank savings books (libretti di risparmio)
• Prepaid cards with an IBAN (Postepay Evolution, Hype, Revolut, Wise, PayPal if holding a balance)
• Deposit accounts
• Government bonds: BTP, CCT, BOT, and other bonds
• Shares, mutual funds, ETFs, SICAVs
• Life insurance policies with a financial component
• Postal savings certificates (buoni fruttiferi postali)
• Company shareholdings
• Foreign bank accounts
• Crypto-assets valued at 31 December N-2

For each you need two figures: the year-end balance at 31 December and the annual average balance. You can find these in your online banking under "documents" or "annual statement". Alternatively, ask at the bank branch: by law the first annual certification is free; some banks charge €5–15 for subsequent ones.

If a bank refuses to provide the average balance, it is in the wrong — banks are legally required to provide it (DM MEF 8/3/2013). You can file a written complaint or retrieve the figure from your online account.

4. Real-estate assets (at 31/12 N-2)

For every house, plot of land or building owned by any household member:

• Land-registry printout (visura catastale) — downloadable free from the Agenzia delle Entrate Cassetto Fiscale
• IMU (Italian property tax) taxable base (revalued cadastral income)
• Ownership share (e.g. 50%, 100%)
• Mortgage statement showing the outstanding balance at 31/12 N-2 (issued by the bank)
• For properties abroad: market value or IVIE (Italy's tax on real estate held overseas)

If you rent your home, bring:

• Registered lease agreement (registration number and date)
• Annual rent amount paid

5. Vehicles

The licence plate numbers of all vehicles registered to any household member with an engine capacity above 500 cc: cars, motorcycles, motorhomes, caravans, pleasure craft. Scooters and mopeds below 500 cc do not need to be declared.

6. Additional documents (where applicable)

• Disability assessment certificate under Legge 104/1992 or civil disability certificate (required for the healthcare ISEE or for disability-related tax concessions)
• Separation or divorce order
• Court-ordered maintenance payments made or received for a spouse or children (with the court ruling)
• Child custody order
• For out-of-town university students: rental contract and university enrolment details

7. CAF forms

At the appointment the CAF will ask you to sign the DSU form (MB1 for personal details, MB2 for income and assets), the assistance mandate and the privacy notice. If a household member is not present, you need a written power of attorney with a copy of their ID.

How to prepare: three steps before your appointment

It is far more efficient to get organised at home before going to the CAF.

Step one: download your annual account statements and average-balance certificates from your online banking for every account belonging to every household member.

Step two: download from the Agenzia delle Entrate Cassetto Fiscale the Modello 730 or CU for year N-2 and the land-registry printouts for any properties owned.

Step three: book your CAF appointment well in advance — especially in January and February when demand peaks.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Forgetting an "empty" bank account. Even dormant accounts count. INPS cross-references data with the Financial Relationships Registry (Anagrafe dei Rapporti Finanziari) and finds everything. An undeclared account causes the DSU to be rejected: no ISEE is issued and you lose any linked benefits.
2. Not declaring joint accounts. Joint accounts must be reported for your effective share (usually 50%). This includes prepaid cards with an IBAN such as Postepay Evolution.
3. Paying for the ISEE service. The service is free at registered CAF offices. If anyone charges you for completing the DSU, that fee is not owed. A private tax consultant is legitimate, but for most families it is unnecessary.

Special cases

The bank won't provide the average balance. They are legally required to (DM MEF 8/3/2013). If they refuse, file a written complaint. Alternatively, retrieve the figure from your online banking area or self-certify it.

Foreign accounts, Revolut, Wise, PayPal. All must be declared (DM 28/3/2024). Print the annual statement and the balance at 31 December of year N-2.

Separated parents. The non-cohabiting parent is an additional member of the ISEE household unit unless specific exclusion criteria apply. You will need all of their documents: income, assets and bank accounts.

Non-pre-filled DSU (no SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) or CIE (Italian electronic ID card)). This is still possible, but processing takes 15–20 days because INPS verifies the data manually.

Official sources

• INPS — ISEE
• INPS — Pre-filled DSU
• Agenzia delle Entrate — Land-registry printouts
• CAF ACLI
• CAF CGIL Lazio
• CAF CISL
• CAF UIL
• CAF CNA

Legal references: DPCM 5/12/2013 n. 159 (ISEE Regulation), DM Lavoro 7/11/2014, DM MEF 8/3/2013 (average balance), DPR 445/2000 (self-certifications), Messaggio INPS n. 96/2020 (pre-filled DSU), DM 28/3/2024 (crypto-assets).