Codice Fiscale for Ukrainians in Italy: How to Get It and What Documents You Need

Without 16 characters on a plastic card you don’t exist in Italy. Can’t open a bank account. Can’t sign a rental contract. Can’t even buy a SIM card. One Ukrainian on an expat forum described the situation: “Arrived in Rome, found an apartment, the landlord says - give me your codice fiscale. I don’t have one. He says - can’t sign the contract without it. Same thing at the bank. A vicious circle.” The Codice Fiscale is Italy’s tax identification code, and you need it for literally everything. The good news - getting one isn’t hard if you know where to go and what to bring.

What’s a Codice Fiscale and why you need one¶

The Codice Fiscale is a 16-character alphanumeric code issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy’s revenue agency). It’s your identifier in every interaction with the government, banks, employers and even mobile carriers.

The code is generated by an algorithm based on your data: surname (3 letters), first name (3 letters), date of birth (5 characters), gender and place of birth (4 characters) plus a check digit. For foreigners, the birthplace code starts with Z - Ukraine’s code is Z138.

It looks something like this: SHNMRA90A01Z138X - and you’ll be writing these 16 characters on every form, every contract, every application.

Where you’ll need your Codice Fiscale¶

• Work - your employer can’t set up a work contract or pay taxes on your behalf without it
• Bank - no bank will open an account without a codice fiscale
• Renting - rental agreements (contratto di locazione) are registered with the codice fiscale of both parties
• Healthcare - you need a codice fiscale to get a Tessera Sanitaria (health card) and register with a family doctor (medico di base)
• Mobile phone - TIM, Vodafone, WindTre - all require a codice fiscale when you buy a SIM card
• Utilities - setting up electricity, gas, internet
• Permesso di soggiorno - you need a codice fiscale when submitting the Kit Postale for your residence permit
• Shopping - some stores even ask for your codice fiscale to issue a warranty on electronics

The Codice Fiscale doesn’t expire - you get it once and it’s yours forever. Even if you leave Italy and come back 10 years later - same code.

How to get a Codice Fiscale: three ways¶

There are several paths for Ukrainians in Italy. Which one to pick depends on your situation.

Option 1: Automatically when applying for temporary protection¶

If you came to Italy as a refugee and apply for protezione temporanea (temporary protection), the codice fiscale is assigned automatically. When you register at the Questura and receive your ricevuta (receipt) - your codice fiscale is already on it. No need to go anywhere else.

Temporary protection for Ukrainians has been extended until March 4, 2027 (Decreto-Law 201/2025). If you already have a permesso per protezione temporanea, you already have a codice fiscale - check your electronic permesso or your ricevuta.

Option 2: Through the Agenzia delle Entrate¶

The most common option for those who arrived with a work visa, for studies or other reasons. Go to your nearest Agenzia delle Entrate office with your passport, fill out form AA4/8 (Modello AA4/8) - and you’ll get a paper certificate with your codice fiscale in minutes.

What to bring:

• Passport (original + copy) - valid biometric passport
• Visa (if applicable) - if you entered on a visa, show it
• Permesso di soggiorno or ricevuta for your application
• Completed form AA4/8 - you can download it from the Agenzia delle Entrate website or fill it out on the spot

The procedure is free. Processing time - usually the same day. Most offices issue the code immediately, 5 business days maximum.

Option 3: Through the Questura or Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione¶

If you’re applying for a permesso di soggiorno through the Questura (for most permit types) or through the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (for work permits and family reunification) - the codice fiscale is assigned automatically during the process. Check your ricevuta - it’s there.

Can you get it from abroad?¶

Italian consulates used to issue codice fiscale before arrival. The current situation depends on the specific consulate - some still offer the service, some send you to do it in Italy. If you’re planning to move to Italy and want your codice fiscale in advance - contact your nearest Italian consulate and ask.

You can also mail form AA4/8 to any Agenzia delle Entrate office in Italy, but you’ll need someone in Italy to collect it for you.

Which documents need translation¶

Here’s where it gets interesting for Ukrainians. For the codice fiscale itself, document translation usually ISN’T required - a valid passport is enough. But the codice fiscale is just the first step. After that you’ll use it for your permesso, work, Tessera Sanitaria - and those procedures do require translations.

When you’ll definitely need a translation¶

Here’s a critical detail: a notarized translation done in Ukraine isn’t recognized in Italy. You need a traduzione giurata with asseverazione in an Italian court. That means the translator has to take an oath before a cancelliere at the Tribunale, Giudice di Pace or a notary.

The document preparation chain¶

If you need to translate a Ukrainian document for an Italian authority, here’s the correct order:

1. Apostille on the original in Ukraine (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs depending on the document type)
2. Translation into Italian by a translator
3. Asseverazione of the translation in an Italian court

If your documents were lost or destroyed due to the war, they can be restored remotely - that’s a separate topic.

Codice Fiscale vs Tessera Sanitaria: don’t mix them up¶

Many Ukrainians confuse these two because the physical Codice Fiscale card and the Tessera Sanitaria look the same - a green plastic card with a chip.

The Tessera Sanitaria is only issued after you register with the SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) through your local ASL. For registration you need a codice fiscale, permesso di soggiorno and proof of residency (residenza). So the codice fiscale is step one, Tessera Sanitaria is step two.

When you get your Tessera Sanitaria, it effectively replaces the paper codice fiscale - your code is printed on the card, and you can use it for everything.

Common problems and how to avoid them¶

Wrong name or surname. The codice fiscale algorithm works with Latin characters, and that’s where transliteration of Ukrainian names gets tricky. For example, “Yevheniia” might appear as “Ievgeniia” or “Evgenia” depending on how the name is recorded in the passport. If the name in your codice fiscale doesn’t match your passport - you’ll have problems everywhere, from the bank to the Questura.

What to do: check that the name in your codice fiscale matches the entry in your passport (the Machine Readable Zone - the bottom part with <<< symbols). If there’s an error - go to the Agenzia delle Entrate with your passport to get it fixed.

Duplicate codes. Sometimes a person ends up with two different codice fiscale numbers - for example, one from applying for protezione temporanea and another from the Agenzia delle Entrate. This is a problem because you’re registered under different codes in different systems. The fix - go to the Agenzia delle Entrate and request a unification (unificazione).

Lost the paper certificate. No big deal. The Codice Fiscale is a code, not a card. If you know your 16 characters, that’s enough for most situations. You can order a duplicate online from the Agenzia delle Entrate website or visit any office with your passport.

Need it for renting but don’t have a permesso yet. If you’ve only applied for your permesso and just have the ricevuta - your codice fiscale is already on it. Show the ricevuta to your landlord or at the bank.

How much does it all cost¶

The codice fiscale itself is free. No fees, no marca da bollo stamps. Just show up with your passport and get it.

But if we’re talking about the full document package you’ll need after getting your codice fiscale:

Need a quick draft translation to understand what’s in your document before ordering an expensive traduzione giurata? ChatsControl will translate from Ukrainian to Italian in minutes - and for the official submission you can order a certified translation through a translator with asseverazione.

Step-by-step guide: what to do right after arriving¶

1. Register at the Questura - apply for protezione temporanea or another permesso type. Get your ricevuta with the codice fiscale
2. If you didn’t get a codice fiscale automatically - take your passport and permesso (or ricevuta) to the nearest Agenzia delle Entrate office. Fill out form AA4/8
3. Register your residency - go to the Anagrafe (registry office) at your local comune with your rental contract and passport
4. Get your Tessera Sanitaria - take your codice fiscale, permesso and residenza to the ASL
5. Open a bank account - with your codice fiscale and passport (some banks accept the ricevuta permesso too)

For steps that involve document translation (like diploma recognition or processing through Sportello Unico) - order your traduzione giurata in advance so you don’t lose time.

FAQ¶

What is Codice Fiscale in Italy?¶

The Codice Fiscale is a 16-character alphanumeric tax code issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate. You need it for work, renting, opening a bank account, getting a Tessera Sanitaria health card and virtually any official procedure in Italy. For Ukrainians, it’s also required when applying for a permesso di soggiorno.

Do I need document translations to get a Codice Fiscale?¶

For the Codice Fiscale itself, translations usually aren’t needed - a valid passport is enough. But for the procedures where you’ll use the codice fiscale afterward (permesso di soggiorno, diploma recognition, Tessera Sanitaria), you’ll need a traduzione giurata - a sworn translation with asseverazione in an Italian court.

How much does a Codice Fiscale cost in Italy?¶

The Codice Fiscale is issued free of charge. No fees or duties. You can get it at the Agenzia delle Entrate, the Questura or automatically when applying for temporary protection. The plastic card (Tessera Sanitaria with your code) is also issued free through the ASL.

How does a Ukrainian with temporary protection get a Codice Fiscale?¶

If you’ve applied for protezione temporanea, the codice fiscale is assigned automatically when you register at the Questura. It’s printed on the ricevuta (receipt) and on the electronic permesso di soggiorno. No need to go anywhere separately.

What if my name is wrong on my Codice Fiscale?¶

Go to any Agenzia delle Entrate office with your passport. Show the correct spelling (as it appears in the Machine Readable Zone of your passport). The correction is free. Don’t ignore the error - a mismatch between your codice fiscale and passport can block banking operations and document processing.