Getting Your Italian Tax Code for the First Time in Rome: A Practical Guide for Everyone
Italian, EU national, non-EU resident, or newborn — here's how to get your Codice Fiscale in Rome, where to go, and exactly what to bring.
In a nutshell
The Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything) is the identifier that follows you through every corner of Italian life: healthcare, work, renting a flat, banking, school, getting a SIM card. It is free, never expires, and is issued exclusively by Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy's tax-revenue agency). No private website or intermediary can give you a legally valid one.
At a glance
| Cost | Free. Always, no exceptions. |
| Timeline | Paper certificate: issued on the spot. Plastic health card by post: 30–60 days. |
| Where in Rome | 7 Agenzia delle Entrate offices (Roma 1–7), by appointment only. |
| Basic documents | Valid ID + AA4/8 form |
| Form | AA4/8 editable PDF |
Your path depends on who you are
Not everyone needs to show up at an office. In Rome, the process varies based on your situation.
Italian or EU citizen? Book an appointment on the Agenzia delle Entrate portal, bring a completed AA4/8 form and a valid ID. You receive your certificate of attribution on the spot; the plastic card arrives at home in 30–60 days.
Non-EU national with a residence permit already in hand? Nothing special to do. Your Codice Fiscale is already printed on your permesso di soggiorno (residence permit for non-EU citizens) and on the postal renewal receipt. Questura (police headquarters — also issues residence permits) assigns it automatically when issuing the permit.
Arrived on a work visa, family-reunification visa, or through the Decreto Flussi (annual quota decree allocating non-EU work visas)? Your Codice Fiscale is generated automatically by the ALI portal at Sportello Unico Immigrazione (one-stop immigration desk at the Prefettura) as soon as the visa is issued. You'll find it on the stay contract you sign at the Prefettura (regional state-government office representing the central state). No visit to Agenzia delle Entrate needed.
Asylum seeker? Your Codice Fiscale is assigned when you file your asylum application at Questura (Immigration Office, Via Teofilo Patini 23), together with the asylum-seeker permit.
Newborn? The process is automatic. The birth declaration must be filed either at the hospital within 3 days, or at the Anagrafe (civil-registry office at the Comune, handles residency) of Rome within 10 days. The Codice Fiscale and the Tessera Sanitaria (Italian health-insurance card) arrive at home automatically — nothing else needed.
Italian registered abroad (AIRE)? Contact the Italian Consulate in your country of residence. The Consulate submits the request to Agenzia delle Entrate on your behalf.
Documents you need
For Italian and EU citizens:
- Valid ID (national ID card or passport)
- Fully completed AA4/8 form
For non-EU citizens who need to visit an office:
- Passport with visa, or residence permit (or postal renewal receipt)
- Alternatively: identity attestation issued by the Italian diplomatic mission in your home country
- Completed AA4/8 form
For minors, a parent must accompany them and bring:
- Their own valid ID
- The child's birth certificate (translated if in a foreign language)
- AA4/8 form filled in the child's name
If you have SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) or CIE (Italian electronic ID card) already active, you can download your certificate of attribution directly from the Cassetto Fiscale without visiting an office. You can also send the AA4/8 form with a copy of your ID via PEC (certified email — legally valid in Italy) to the relevant territorial office.
The 7 Rome offices and how to book
You can go to any of the seven territorial offices — you are not limited to the one nearest your home. All share the same hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 7:50–13:30 · Tue/Thu 7:50–15:30, by appointment only.
| Office | Address |
|---|---|
| Roma 1 — Trastevere | Via Ippolito Nievo 48-50 |
| Roma 2 — Aurelio | Via Aurelia 866 |
| Roma 3 — Settebagni | Via di Settebagni 384 |
| Roma 4 — Collatino | Via Marcello Boglione 25 |
| Roma 5 — Tuscolano | Via di Torre Spaccata 110 |
| Roma 6 — Eur Torrino | Via Canton 20 |
| Roma 7 — Acilia | Via Giambattista Conti 15 |
To book: use the online CUP portal, call the freephone 800 90 96 96 (free from landlines, Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00, Sat 9:00–13:00), or use the AgenziaEntrate app.
Want to find the office closest to your postcode? Use the office locator on the official site.
Mistakes to avoid
- Never pay anyone for a Codice Fiscale. It is free. Sites that offer to "get it in 5 minutes for €29" are only running the public algorithm — that document has no legal standing. Only Agenzia delle Entrate can issue the official certificate.
- Don't believe anyone who tells you it has expired. The Codice Fiscale never expires. If someone contacts you claiming you need to redo or renew it, it's a scam.
- Don't sign blank forms. Even if a Patronato (free union-run office helping with social-security and immigration paperwork) like ACLI, INCA, or ITAL, or a CAF (free assistance office for tax forms and benefits applications) is helping you — the service is free — fill in the form yourself or read it carefully before signing.
Special cases
Made an error on your Codice Fiscale (wrong name, date, or sex)? Go to Agenzia delle Entrate with the correct document and request a correction (rettifica). They issue a new certificate on the spot.
Changed your surname after marriage? The Codice Fiscale does not change — in Italy, it is based on your birth surname.
Changed your registered gender? The Codice Fiscale is regenerated (the tenth character changes). You'll need the court order.
Same name, surname, and date of birth as someone else? The algorithm handles this automatically through omocodia, substituting some letters with numbers to create a unique code. Nothing for you to do.
Official sources
- Agenzia delle Entrate — Codice Fiscale and Tessera Sanitaria
- Agenzia delle Entrate — How to obtain the Codice Fiscale
- Mini-guide to the Codice Fiscale for foreigners (16 languages)
- AA4/8 editable PDF form
- Book an appointment
- Find your nearest office
- Roma Capitale — Birth declaration
Legal references: DPR 605/1973, DM 23/12/1976, DL 30/12/1991 n. 412 conv. in L. 196/1992, Circolare Agenzia Entrate n. 25/E/2014.