While Italy isn't ready to do away with paperwork just yet, there are a growing number of official matters that you can resolve online, which means you can avoid the Italian bureaucracy.
Dealing with the patchwork of Italian public services – national, regional and municipal – is, without a doubt, one of the disadvantages of daily life in the country. And for foreign residents, extra immigration procedures, language barriers and unfamiliarity can make everything much more difficult.
The good news is that Italy is trying – slowly – to adopt online administration. A task more urgent than ever amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
While we can't escape the ever-grumpy public officials themselves, we look for ways to avoid them via the Internet.
Make essential appointments
There are many things you can only do in person in Italy – such as registering your residence for the first time, applying for an identity card or applying for a passport Italian.
But that doesn't mean you need to stand in line. Check the online booking system TuPassi to see if you can schedule an appointment for the service you need.
To request a Letter of Identity, make an appointment at your commune through Ministry of the Interior website.
Or if you are an Italian citizen and need a passport, you can make an appointment here, to submit your application and provide your fingerprints.
Get a Digital ID (SPID)
With the Public Digital Identity System (SPID) you can access online services from the public administration and associated individuals.
You'll need it to log in to many official websites, as well as the government's public services app. Alternatively, you can use your electronic identification card (CIE) and your smartphone to log in: learn how here.
Obtaining the SPID involves signing up through one of the companies accredited by the government to provide it, and although the process varies by provider, some allow you to do the entire verification process at home. See the list of accredited companies here.
Obtain a certified email address (PEC)
Italian authorities love to request that important correspondence be sent by registered mail (registered mail). But you can save trips to the post office by using the digital equivalent: the Certified mail (PEC).
It's basically an email account that you need to show official identification to set up. Messages you send through a PEC are certified with a digital stamp, and have the same legal value as a registered letter.
You can get your own PEC address – free or for a monthly or annual fee – from one of the official suppliers listed here.
Get a digital signature
While some bureaucrats will no doubt insist on handwritten signatures until the end of time, Italian law recognizes electronic signatures on a number of important legal documents, including employment contracts, commercial agreements, certain public deeds, and others.
Several companies are accredited to provide legally valid digital signature services in Italy, which adds a two-step verification process when you sign a document electronically. Find a list here .
Calculate your fiscal Code
Your fiscal Code or tax code (like the CPF in Brazil) is a personal identification code that can be requested in Italy (some consulates do this too) for all kinds of things, from opening a bank account, paying bills or even shopping online .
The code is generated according to your name, gender and date and place of birth. You can find out what your CF will be like using an online tool.
Please note that you will still need to ask Inland Revenue assigning a code, even if it ends up being identical to what you calculated. One fiscal Code calculated online is unofficial and may be incorrect.
Change your residence in Italy
If you move to Italy from abroad, the first time registering your residence will involve a visit to the registry office (registry office) in person.
But it gets easier from there. If you are moving to Italy, many cities now allow you to notify your new address via email (in fact, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, this is the only way some registry offices can accept residency applications).
Check your website commune location if there is a form declaration of residence (residence declaration) and send a completed copy, together with the necessary proof of address and identity, to the indicated email address. In some cases, it may be necessary to send the request through a PEC.
Request official certificates
With the help of FamilySearch, Italy is gradually digitizing its vast database of official records and, depending on how advanced your local registry office is, you can request residence, marriage and birth certificates or other important documents online.
Visit your website commune to find out if they offer this option.
Check the status of your residence permit application
If you have already ordered residence permit, you can check the progress of your application by entering the process number or postal code registered on the State Police website.
Apply to clearance for a work visa or family reunification
Employers who wish to hire a non-EU citizen, or non-EU residents in Italy who wish to bring their dependents, can apply for an entry permit called clearance of the Ministry of the Interior using this site.
A clearance then allows the applicant to apply for a visa at a Italian consulate closer.
You can use the same website to apply to convert a student visa to a work visa, or to schedule the language test you need to pass to apply for a permanent residence permit.
Access your health records
If you are registered with Italy's national health service, the SSN, you can check your own records online through what the government calls electronic health record or 'electronic health record'.
You will find details of the care you received in public and private facilities, if they are linked to the regional health system.
The service is available in all regions of Italy: find a link to electronic records for your region here. Most require a SPID or CIE to login.
Replace a lost health card
If you have lost or damaged your health card, the health insurance card, while he was still up to date, you could request a replacement here. You will need to log in using a SPID or CIE, or your existing credentials if you have them.
Cancel your TV license fee
The TV license fee is automatically added to electricity bills in Italy, so if you don't own a TV or are exempt (because you're over 75, for example), you'll need to cancel.
This involves filling out a form and sending it to the tax office – which you can do it online, if you are registered on the Revenue Agencye.
You can also use the service to request a refund if the license fee has been charged incorrectly.
Calculate and pay vehicle tax
Car owners can find out how much regional or provincial vehicle tax (car tax) they should using this online tool from the Italian drivers association ACI.
Most drivers can also pay online, although the service is not yet available in all regions: register on the ACI website to begin.
ACI also offers a number of other online options for checking records, requesting certificates, and calculating costs that are useful if you're buying or selling a car or driving to work: find a complete list here.
Check property records
If you are buying, selling or paying taxes on a property in Italy, you may need cadastral records – a record of ownership and property value.
They are available online through the Inland Revenue, where you can request property information, boundaries, building plans, rating, mortgage status and more.
You can also request certificates and apply to correct any errors in your property registration records. Learn more here.
