Consulate vs. Online Service: Which Is the Best Way to Get a Codice Fiscale?

There is more than one way to get an Italian codice fiscale when you live abroad, and the best one depends on your situation. This guide compares the four main routes honestly: the consulate, a delegate in Italy, applying in person in Italy, and a private online service like Fiscalino.

First, an important point: the codice fiscale itself is free. It is issued free of charge by the Italian state through the Agenzia delle Entrate. A private service charges for its assistance, not for the code.

Option 1: The Italian consulate

You apply to the Italian consulate competent for your place of residence, submitting the application form, a copy of your ID document and the reason for the request.

• Cost: free.
• Timing: varies by consulate.
• Downsides: appointments can be hard to get, and some consulates limit this service to registered Italian citizens.

Check your consulate's website first to see whether it offers this service to you.

Option 2: A delegate with power of attorney in Italy

Someone holding a special power of attorney can file the request for you at an Agenzia delle Entrate office in Italy.

• Cost: free.
• Downsides: you need someone in Italy you trust to do it for you.

Option 3: In person in Italy

You go to an Agenzia delle Entrate office yourself with your passport or ID card.

• Cost: free.
• Timing: often issued on the spot.
• Downsides: you must travel to Italy.

Option 4: A private online service like Fiscalino

A private service handles the request for you remotely. With Fiscalino:

1. You fill in a 5-minute online form and upload your passport.
2. You pay €89 online, one-time.
3. You sign the request and delegation form we send you.
4. We file it at the tax office and email you the official certificate (PDF) within 15 working days.

• Cost: €89 assistance fee.
• Guarantee: full refund if the codice fiscale can't be obtained.
• Support: on WhatsApp.
• Downsides: it costs money, while the official routes are free.

Side-by-side comparison

Which should you choose?

Choose a free route if your consulate offers quick appointments, if you have someone in Italy you trust to act as your delegate, or if you are already going to Italy anyway. In those cases there's no real reason to pay.

Choose a service if you want it handled for you remotely: no appointments, no Italian forms, no travel. That's often the case when you need the code before a trip, for example to buy a house in Italy or to prepare citizenship by descent paperwork, and your consulate's appointments are hard to get.

For more detail on each official route and the documents you need, read how to get an Italian codice fiscale from abroad.

Before you apply, whichever route you pick

• Have a valid passport or ID card ready.
• Know the reason you need the code (property, bank account, studies, citizenship...).
• Check that your names and dates match your passport exactly, since the code is generated from them.

For the full list, see our documents checklist for non-residents.

If you decide you'd rather have it done for you, get your codice fiscale with Fiscalino.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change - check with the competent consulate or Agenzia delle Entrate.

Frequently asked questions