Getting a Tax Code (Codice Fiscale) in Rome: Where to Go, What to Bring, and What to Watch Out For
Italian citizen, EU national, non-EU resident, newborn, or asylum seeker — the path is different for each. A practical guide with Rome office locations, hours, and three mistakes to avoid.
In a nutshell
The Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything) is the number that follows you through every interaction with Italian bureaucracy: seeing a doctor, signing a lease, opening a bank account, getting a SIM card, enrolling in school. It is free, never expires, and is issued exclusively by Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy's tax-revenue agency) — no private website or middleman can give you a legally valid one.
At a glance
| Cost | Free. Always. |
| 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. |
| Form | AA4/8 (Italy's official Codice Fiscale application form) — editable PDF |
| Document required | Valid ID card or passport |
Who needs to go to the office — and who doesn't
Italian or EU citizen? Book an appointment online via the Agenzia delle Entrate appointment portal, bring a completed AA4/8 form and a valid ID. You walk out with your certificate the same day.
Non-EU national with a residence permit already in hand? You don't need to do anything. The Codice Fiscale is already printed on your permit (and on the postal receipt you get when renewing it). Questura (police headquarters — also issues residence permits) assigns it automatically when issuing the permit.
Arriving on a work visa, family-reunification visa, or under the Decreto Flussi (annual quota decree allocating non-EU work visas)? Your Codice Fiscale is generated automatically by the ALI portal at the Sportello Unico Immigrazione (one-stop immigration desk at the Prefettura) as soon as your visa is issued. You'll find it on the contratto di soggiorno (stay contract) you sign at the Prefettura (regional state-government office representing the central state). No visit to Agenzia delle Entrate needed.
Newborn baby? The birth declaration is 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 automatically at home — no extra steps needed.
Asylum seeker? The Codice Fiscale is assigned when you file your asylum application at Questura, alongside the asylum-seeker permit.
Italian registered abroad (AIRE)? Apply at the Italian Consulate in your country of residence.
Documents you need
For Italian and EU citizens:
- Valid photo ID (national ID card or passport)
- Completed AA4/8 form
For non-EU citizens already in Italy:
- Residence permit or postal renewal receipt
- Alternatively: identity attestation from the Italian consulate in your home country
- Completed AA4/8 form
For minors: a parent must accompany them with their own ID, the child's birth certificate (translated if in a foreign language), and the AA4/8 form filled in the child's name.
The 7 Rome offices
You can go to any of the seven territorial offices — you are not restricted to the one nearest to 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 |
Agenzia delle Entrate freephone: 800 90 96 96 (free from landlines, Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00).
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 just running the public algorithm — that certificate has no legal standing. Only the Agenzia delle Entrate issues a valid one.
- Don't believe anyone who tells you it has expired. The Codice Fiscale never expires. If someone calls claiming you need to renew it, it's a scam.
- Don't sign blank forms. Even if a CAF (free assistance office for tax forms and benefits applications) or Patronato (free union-run office helping with social-security and immigration paperwork) like ACLI, INCA, or ITAL is helping you — fill in the form yourself or read it carefully before signing.
Special cases
Made an error on your Codice Fiscale (wrong name, date of birth, 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 registered gender? The Codice Fiscale is regenerated (the 10th character changes). You'll need the court order.
Same name, surname, and date of birth as someone else? The algorithm handles this through omocodia: it automatically substitutes some letters with numbers to create a unique code. Nothing for you to do.
Have SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) or CIE (Italian electronic ID card)? You can download your certificate of attribution directly from the Cassetto Fiscale without visiting an office.
Official sources
- Agenzia delle Entrate — Codice Fiscale and Tessera Sanitaria
- Agenzia delle Entrate — How to obtain it
- Mini-guide to the Codice Fiscale for foreigners (16 languages)
- AA4/8 editable PDF form
- Book an appointment
- Find your nearest office
- ANPR (Anagrafe Nazionale — national civil registry database)
- Roma Capitale — Birth declaration
Legal references: DPR 605/1973, DM 23/12/1976, DL 269/2003 art. 50, Circolare Agenzia Entrate 25/E/2014.