Accessing INPS in 2026: SPID, CIE and CNS (the PIN is gone)

In a nutshell

The INPS PIN was abolished on 1 October 2021. You can no longer use it, and you cannot request a new one. To access all INPS (Italy's social-security agency — pensions, unemployment, family benefits) online services — NASpI unemployment benefit, Assegno Unico child benefit, ISEE (income-and-wealth indicator used to qualify for means-tested benefits), pension slips, contribution records, parental leave — you need digital credentials: SPID, CIE or CNS. All three are free or close to it, and non-EU citizens with a valid residence permit can get them too.

At a glance

Cost to access INPS	Free
Cost of SPID	Free via webcam or with CIE/CNS; €12–19.90 at some providers or post offices
Cost of CIE	€16.79, delivered in 6–10 days
Cost of CNS	Free with your health card; PIN activation is free
Where in Rome (SPID)	Over 150 enabled post offices, Comuni, Aruba points
Where in Rome (CIE)	Anagrafe (civil-registry office at the Comune, handles residency) offices in all 15 Municipi, plus Anagrafe Centrale Via Petroselli 50

What you can do on INPS with SPID, CIE or CNS

Once logged in, you land on your MyINPS personal area, where you can manage:

• Contribution statement (years of contributions paid)
• NASpI application (unemployment benefit)
• Assegno Unico application (monthly child benefit)
• Pre-filled DSU form for ISEE
• Monthly pension payslip
• Sick-leave certificates and related benefits
• Applications for parental leave, maternity and paternity leave
• Psychology bonus, nursery bonus, social energy and gas bonus
• University degree buy-back and contribution consolidation
• Pension dashboard for self-employed workers and companies
• F24 (the universal Italian payment form for taxes and contributions) and official INPS communications

Even people who are not working or have no contributions on record need INPS access to receive means-tested benefits such as Assegno Unico or social bonuses.

Three tools, one choice

SPID — the most convenient

SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) is a username-and-password pair combined with a one-time code you receive by SMS or through an app. It works on all Italian public-administration portals, not just INPS.

To get it you need: a valid Italian identity document (ID card or passport), your Tessera Sanitaria (Italian health-insurance card) showing your Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything), a working personal email address, and an Italian mobile number. Non-EU citizens also need their residence permit.

Choose an Identity Provider (IDP) from spid.gov.it/cos-e-spid/come-attivare-spid, register online, complete identity verification (webcam, post-office counter, or existing CIE/CNS), and receive your credentials. The webcam route takes as little as 10–30 minutes.

Main providers and their activation costs:

Provider	Identification cost	Method
PosteID	Free for Bancoposta customers; €12 at the counter	Online, post office, CIE/CNS
Aruba ID	Free via webcam; €19.90 without	Webcam, CIE/CNS, digital signature
Sielte ID	Free via webcam	Webcam, CIE/CNS
InfoCert ID	€14.99	Webcam, CIE/CNS
TIM ID	Free with CIE/CNS	CIE/CNS, digital signature
Namirial ID	Free with CIE/CNS	CIE/CNS, webcam
Lepida ID	Free	Public counters, CIE/CNS

CIE — the ID card that opens portals

The CIE (Italian electronic ID card) has an NFC chip that, paired with a PIN, lets you authenticate on public portals. Just tap your phone against the card during login and enter the last three digits of the PIN printed on the back.

You apply at the Anagrafe office of your municipality of residence — appointments are mandatory and bookable at agendacie.interno.gov.it. The fee is €16.79 and the card arrives by post in 6–10 days.

CNS — you may already have it

The health card with chip (TS-CNS) is already in many people's wallets. To use it as an authentication tool you need a PIN, which you can request from your ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority) or online at the Regione Lazio portal. On a computer you need a smart-card reader; on a smartphone, NFC is enough.

How to log in to INPS, step by step

Once you have SPID, CIE or CNS:

1. Go to inps.it or download the INPS Mobile app (iOS, Android, AppGallery — free).
2. Click "Entra in MyINPS" (Enter MyINPS).
3. Choose your method: SPID, CIE or CNS.
4. Authenticate: with SPID, enter your username, password and OTP; with CIE, tap the card against your NFC phone and enter your PIN; with CNS, use the smart-card reader or the Tessera Sanitaria app.
5. You're in your MyINPS personal area.

In the INPS Mobile app you can set up a device PIN or biometrics (fingerprint, Face ID) so you don't have to re-enter your credentials every time.

Where to go in Rome

SPID via post office: over 150 Rome post offices are authorised to do in-person identification for PosteID. Find your nearest branch at poste.it.

CIE: Anagrafe offices in all 15 Municipi, or the Anagrafe Centrale at Via Petroselli 50, 00186 Roma. Book at agendacie.interno.gov.it — appointments are mandatory.

CNS: any of the five ASL Roma local health authorities for PIN activation of your Tessera Sanitaria, or online through the Regione Lazio portal.

INPS offices in Rome (for assistance or guided access to services):

• Sede Regionale INPS Lazio — Via Ciro il Grande 21, 00144 Roma
• Sede Provinciale Roma Centro — Via Marco Aurelio 51, 00184 Roma
• Branches in all 15 Municipi (check hours at inps.it)
• Toll-free number: 803 164 (landline, free) / 06 164 164 (mobile, operator rates)

Mistakes to avoid

1. Don't try to recover your old INPS PIN. It has been disabled for everyone since 1 October 2021, with the narrow exception of citizens living abroad who cannot obtain SPID. If your PIN no longer works, you need SPID or CIE — there is no other way around it.
2. Don't share your SPID with anyone. SPID is personal, and handing your credentials to a third party is illegal. Never share the OTP you receive by SMS, even if the caller claims to be from INPS — INPS never phones to ask for passwords.
3. Don't download fake apps. The only official app is called "INPS Mobile" and its developer is listed as "Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale". Be suspicious of anything that mimics INPS, and always go to inps.it directly — never via links received by SMS or email.

Special cases

SPID locked after too many wrong attempts. Contact the IDP you used when you registered — each provider has an unlock procedure on their website.

Non-EU foreigners who want SPID. The providers PosteID, Aruba, Sielte and InfoCert accept a foreign passport plus a residence permit (even a postal receipt for renewal). In-person or webcam identification takes 15–30 minutes.

Minors. Young people aged 14 and over can get a minor's SPID (issued by Lepida and Aruba). For children under 14, the parent uses their own SPID and links the child to the family file in MyINPS.

Guardians, support administrators, parents of people with disabilities. INPS allows delegation of digital identity: a person can act on another person's INPS file using their own SPID and a delegation registered in MyINPS or at an INPS branch.

CAF and Patronati. If you authorise a CAF (free assistance office for tax forms and benefits applications) or a Patronato (free union-run office helping with social-security and immigration paperwork) to handle your ISEE or another application on your behalf, you do not need to share your credentials — they use their own professional SPID. You simply sign an assistance mandate.

Official sources

• INPS — How to access services
• INPS — PIN discontinued from 1 October 2021
• MyINPS — Personal area
• SPID — Official AgID site
• SPID — How to activate
• CIE — Electronic ID card
• CIE appointment booking
• Tessera Sanitaria / TS-CNS

Legal references: DL 76/2020 art. 24 (digital transition, INPS PIN abolition), Circolare INPS n. 87/2021, Messaggio INPS n. 3008/2021, DPCM 24/10/2014 (SPID establishment), DLgs 82/2005 (Digital Administration Code), Regulation eIDAS EU 910/2014.