Living in Italy · A1 · Documents

Codice fiscale: what it’s for, where to get it, how to check it

by Alessio · teacher of Italian for foreigners, ITALS master’s in teaching Italian abroad (Ca’ Foscari University, Venice) and a master’s in teaching Italian as a second language (Giustino Fortunato University, Benevento)

The codice fiscale is asked for everywhere: at the doctor’s, at work, on a rental contract, even for a SIM card. It is free. Here’s where to get it, what to bring, and how to read it.

3min read
10min practice
A1level

What you’ll find here

Where to apply
What to bring
How to read it
If you lose the card

In short. It’s a sixteen-character code identifying you in Italy, issued free of charge by the Agenzia delle Entrate, and it stays the same for life.

Bring a valid ID document. EU citizens need nothing else; non-EU citizens also bring the permit or the application receipt.

Step by step

Book an appointment
Many Agenzia delle Entrate offices work by appointment, online or by phone.
Bring your documents
Passport or ID card, permit or receipt if you need one, and a postal address.
Fill in the form
They hand you a form at the counter: personal details only.
Take the paper certificate
The paper with your code is issued on the spot. The plastic card (tessera sanitaria) arrives by post.
Check the spelling
First name, surname, date and place of birth must match your document exactly: one wrong letter here blocks everything that follows.

If you lose the card, or the details are wrong. The code itself is never lost: it’s yours for life. If the card is gone, ask for a duplicato. But if the details are wrong, fix them immediately: every contract signed with the wrong details will come back as a problem.

The front of the Italian health card, with the fields still blank — The health card: your codice fiscale is printed on it.

Words you’ll need

Italian	What it means
il codice fiscaleasked for everywhere	the sixteen-character tax code
la tessera sanitariaarrives by post	card with the code, also used at the doctor’s
l’appuntamentoonline or by phone	a booked day and time
lo sportelloat the office	the counter, where you speak to a clerk
il modulogiven to you there	the form you fill in
i dati anagraficion the form	name, surname, date and place of birth
il duplicatoif you lose it	a second copy of the same document
il domicilioon the form	the address where post reaches you

Try it now

Fill in the gaps with the words from the table

Per aprire il conto in banca mi hanno chiesto il fiscale.
Ho preso un per giovedì mattina.
All’ mi hanno dato un modulo da compilare.
Ho scritto i miei anagrafici.
Ho perso la tessera, devo chiedere un .
La sanitaria è arrivata per posta.

How your name should be written

The code is calculated from your name, so the spelling isn’t cosmetic. One rule: use what is written in the machine-readable lines at the bottom of your passport, where accents, hyphens and apostrophes don’t exist. Three things that go wrong often. Middle names: in Italy there are only two boxes, Nome and Cognome, so a middle name belongs with your first names, never in the surname box. Suffixes: Jr., Sr., III are not part of the surname. And apostrophes and hyphens (O’Brien, Smith-Jones) are often dropped by Italian systems: whichever version ends up on your codice fiscale, use that same version on your contract, at the bank and at the questura, or the records will not match.

Where to check, without a middleman

Agenzia delle Entrate ↗Issuing the code, duplicates, appointments.
Sistema Tessera Sanitaria ↗The health card and its renewal.
Portale Immigrazione ↗Procedures linked to residence permits.

Common questions

Does the codice fiscale cost anything?

No, it’s issued free. If someone charges you, that’s a service fee, not the document.

Can I get it before my permit is issued?

In many cases yes, for example with the application receipt. Explain your situation at the counter.

Does the code change if I move house?

No. The code stays the same; only the address in the town hall register changes.