Start here
Tell us your situation and where you'll live, and we'll assemble your path — the four core steps of the EU residency journey, tailored to you, with your city's local specifics layered on top. (Steps 5–8 — bank account, driving licence, tax residency, non-EU family — follow the same national rules for everyone.)
Pick your situation — each step highlights what applies to you.
- Step 1 · Codice fiscale
Free and identical everywhere in Italy — everyone starts here. · Applies to everyone
Open the guide → - Step 2 · Residency (anagrafe) Open the guide →
You register at your comune’s anagrafe by situation:
- Employed on the basis of your employment contract your situation
- Self-employed on the basis of your self-employment (partita IVA / business registration) your situation
- Student on the basis of study enrolment, with health cover and sufficient resources your situation
- Not working (inactive) you must show sufficient resources + comprehensive health insurance your situation
- Pensioner (EU) on the basis of sufficient resources (your pension counts) + health cover — the S1 form qualifies your situation
- Family of an EU citizen on the basis of your family tie to the EU citizen and their status your situation
- Step 3 · Health service (SSN) Open the guide →
You enrol in the SSN by situation:
- Employed free — follows from your job your situation
- Self-employed free — via your registered self-employment your situation
- Student voluntary: a flat €700/year (or EHIC/private for short stays) your situation
- Not working (inactive) not free: private insurance, or voluntary enrolment from €2,000/year your situation
- Pensioner (EU) free with form S1 from the state paying your pension — register it at the ASL your situation
- Family of an EU citizen via the family member you join (non-EU family: carta di soggiorno) your situation
- Step 4 · Digital identity (SPID & CIE)
SPID or the CIE for online public services — the same for everyone. · Applies to everyone
Open the guide → - Step 5 · Bank account
You have an EU right to a basic account; codice fiscale + ID required — the same rules everywhere in Italy. · Applies to everyone
Open the guide → - Step 6 · Driving licence
Your EU licence stays valid until its expiry date; then you convert it at the Motorizzazione — national rules. · Applies to everyone
Open the guide → - Step 7 · Tax residency
Arises automatically under the legal criteria (art. 2 TUIR) — best understood before you move. · Applies to everyone
Open the guide → - Step 8 · Non-EU family
Bringing a non-EU spouse or relative: the 5-year carta di soggiorno from the Questura. · Applies to everyone
Open the guide →
Full journey and all cities on the Cities page.
Beyond the eight steps
Orientation pages for the things the journey itself does not cover. Pick your situation above and the ones that bear on it most are highlighted.
- Renting a home
Without a registered lease you cannot register residency — renting comes before step 2.
- Opening a bank account
The conto di base is a right even without residency; free on a pension up to €18,000 a year.
- Driving on a foreign licence
An EU licence lasts to its expiry; a non-EU one, one year from residence registration.
- Enrolling children in school
Compulsory from 6 to 16, and you can enrol at any point in the school year.
- Italian citizenship
For EU citizens naturalisation comes after 4 years of residence, not 10.
- Not an EU citizen?
Seven visa and permit routes: digital nomad, elective residence, study, reunification, Blue Card.
- Moving from the United States?
What differs for Americans: the licence that cannot be converted, US tax filing that continues, documents needing a state apostille.