Codice Fiscale for Students in Italy (2026/27): How to Get Your Tax Code
The three official ways a non-EU student gets Italy's tax code, before flying or after landing, and what you need it for in the first weeks.
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Law checked on 28 September 2026. Next change to watch: updates to form AA4/8 and to the Agenzia delle Entrate mini guide for foreigners.
Previous step: the first 60 days checklist. Next step: health insurance and the SSN.
- The codice fiscale is the personal tax code the Agenzia delle Entrate uses to identify you to Italian offices, banks, landlords and employers.
- A non-EU student staying more than 90 days receives it from the Questura when applying for the residence permit, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- If you need it sooner, any Agenzia delle Entrate office issues it on form AA4/8 with your valid passport and visa, and the Italian consular office for where you live can issue it before you fly.
- The code is calculated from your surname, given name, sex, date and place of birth, so those details must match your passport exactly.
- ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, helps eligible students register for the tax code after arrival as an optional service.
See where you stand first. Check your eligibility in about two minutes, and if you are eligible, our Italy experts take it from there.
Check your eligibilityWhat is a codice fiscale, and why do students need it?
The codice fiscale is an alphanumeric code the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy's revenue agency) issues to identify a person, Italian or foreign, in dealings with public offices, companies and private individuals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says any administrative step or contract needs it, from paying fees and taxes to signing a lease. For a student, that means the first weeks: a phone contract, a bank account, a registered lease, SSN registration and, later, any part-time job. The code is worked out from your personal details, which is why a spelling slip on the form follows you into every contract.
| Item | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | The Agenzia delle Entrate; the Questura assigns it during study permit applications | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Stays over 90 days | Assigned by the Questura when you apply for the residence permit | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Stays under 90 days | Any Agenzia delle Entrate office | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Before departure | The Italian consular office for your place of residence, with the request form, a copy of your identity document and the reason | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Through someone in Italy | A person you authorise by special power of attorney files the request at an Agenzia delle Entrate office (Ministerial Decree 281/2001, art. 1) | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Form | AA4/8, filled in and signed | Agenzia delle Entrate |
| Identity document for non-EU citizens | A valid passport with visa, a valid residence permit, or an identity certificate from your country's consulate in Italy | Agenzia delle Entrate leaflet for students |
| Fee | None at the Agenzia delle Entrate | Agenzia delle Entrate |
When does a non-EU student get the codice fiscale?
For most students, during the residence permit application. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a foreign student coming to Italy for more than 90 days must first apply for the residence permit at the Questura, and receives the codice fiscale at that stage. Because study permits are filed through post offices within eight working days of arrival (see our arrival checklist), the code usually follows within your first weeks. The catch is timing: a bank, a landlord or a phone operator may ask for it before your Questura appointment, which is why many students take one of the two earlier routes below.
How do you get a codice fiscale at an Agenzia delle Entrate office?
Go to any Agenzia delle Entrate office once you are in Italy, with form AA4/8 filled in and signed and a valid identity document. The Agenzia's leaflet for students lists the documents a non-EU citizen can use: a valid passport with the visa, a valid residence permit, or an identity certificate from your country's diplomatic or consular office in Italy. The steps are below.
- Download form AA4/8 from the Agenzia delle Entrate website and fill in section by section, with your names exactly as in the passport. Agenzia delle Entrate
- Bring your passport with the study visa, or your residence permit if you already hold one, plus a photocopy. Agenzia delle Entrate leaflet
- State the reason for the request, such as university enrolment or a lease. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says requests must be motivated. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Hand in the form at the counter of any Agenzia delle Entrate office. There is no fee.
- Check the certificate before you leave the desk. Surname, given name, date and place of birth must match your passport.
- Keep the certificate with your passport and give the code, not a photocopy of your passport, when a form asks for it.
Can you get a codice fiscale before leaving India?
Yes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says foreign nationals can request it through the Italian consular office for their place of residence, with the request form, a copy of an identity document and the reason for the request, and suggests checking that office's website for its procedure. A second route from abroad is a special power of attorney: someone you authorise files the request at an Agenzia delle Entrate office in Italy. Either route helps if you want to sign a lease or open an account before your first Questura appointment. For eligible students, we tell you before departure whether an early code is worth it for your city and housing plan.
Does the Questura give you a codice fiscale with the residence permit?
Yes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the Questura assigns the codice fiscale to non-EU citizens applying for permits other than work and family permits, which are handled by the Prefettura's Sportello Unico. A study permit falls under the Questura, so the code is assigned during the application. If you already obtained a code at the Agenzia delle Entrate or a consulate, keep using that one and bring it to the appointment, so you do not end up with two records.
What do you need the codice fiscale for in your first weeks?
| Task | Why the code is asked | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a lease | The Agenzia delle Entrate registers the contract under both parties' tax codes, within 30 days | Student housing |
| SSN registration | The local health authority registers you with it, and the health card is issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate | Health insurance and the SSN |
| Bank account | Banks identify account holders with it | Arrival checklist |
| DSU scholarship payments | Regional bodies pay the grant to an account in your name | DSU deadlines |
| Part-time work | Employers report the contract under your code | Arrival checklist |
What if your name or birth details are wrong on the codice fiscale?
Have it corrected at an Agenzia delle Entrate office before you use it, with your passport. The code is derived from your personal details, so a wrong letter in the surname or a wrong date produces a different code from the one your bank or university may already hold. Students whose passport shows a single name, or a surname and given name in an unusual order, should check how the officer entered them, because every later record follows that first entry.
Is the codice fiscale the same as the health card?
Not quite. The codice fiscale is the code; the tessera sanitaria is the health card the Agenzia delle Entrate posts to students registered with the SSN, and it carries the same code. The Politecnico di Torino's health guide says the card arrives by post at the address given to the Agenzia delle Entrate. A student on private insurance, not registered with the SSN, uses the paper certificate of the code instead.
Reality check
What we handle: for eligible students, help registering for the tax code after arrival, as part of the optional arrival support below.
What we do not control: the Agenzia delle Entrate and the Questura issue the code, and consular offices set their own procedures. ApplyAZ is not a law firm, and the office concerned decides each individual case.
What costs students the most:
- Two different codes after a spelling difference between two requests.
- A lease or bank appointment booked before the code exists.
- Paying an agent for a code the Agenzia delle Entrate issues free.
How ApplyAZ helps
Before you fly: a shortlist of first-week housing, a pre-departure orientation for your university city, and an arrival checklist (airport to housing, local SIM, banking basics). On arrival: a point of contact for your first days. Optional after arrival: longer-term housing leads, support filing the residence permit, help registering for the tax code, and setting up the health card and student insurance.
Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a one to one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.
Check your eligibilityFrequently asked questions
Is the codice fiscale free for students?
Yes. The Agenzia delle Entrate does not charge for issuing it, and the Questura assigns it during the residence permit application at no extra cost. Anyone asking you to pay for the code itself is selling a service, not the code.
Does my codice fiscale change when I renew my permit?
No. The code is worked out from your personal details, not from your permit, so it stays the same when you renew or convert the permit.
Do I need a codice fiscale to apply for the residence permit?
No. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says students staying more than 90 days receive it from the Questura during the permit application, so the application does not wait for it.
Which documents does the Agenzia delle Entrate accept from a non-EU student?
A valid passport with the visa, a valid residence permit, or an identity certificate from your country's consulate in Italy, with form AA4/8 filled in and signed.
Can a friend in Italy get my codice fiscale for me?
Yes, with a special power of attorney. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a person you authorise can file the request at an Agenzia delle Entrate office on your behalf.
Does ApplyAZ help with the codice fiscale?
Yes, for eligible students, as part of the optional support after arrival, along with the residence permit filing and the health card. Check your eligibility first; if you are eligible, you book a one to one consultation with one of our Italy experts.
Your next step: check your eligibility first. It takes about two minutes. If you are eligible, you book a one to one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.
Previous step: the first 60 days checklist. Next step: health insurance and the SSN.
Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: codice fiscale, including foreign nationals and study stays (English)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the same page in Italian
- Agenzia delle Entrate: mini guide to the codice fiscale for foreigners, in several languages
- Agenzia delle Entrate: codice fiscale leaflet for foreigners (PDF)
- Agenzia delle Entrate: leaflet for foreign students on the tax code and lease registration, University of Trieste (PDF)
- Agenzia delle Entrate: office finder and forms
- Poste Italiane: residence permit applications by postal kit
- Legislative Decree 286/1998, Immigration Consolidated Act (Normattiva)
- Politecnico di Torino: health care guide, health card by post (PDF)
- Law checked on 28 September 2026
- Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Reviewed by Reeya Sharma.
Where they're studying now
Students who started exactly where you are
English-taught programmes that can be tuition-free for eligible students, and the DSU grant landing in their account every year. The funding mechanics are identical at every Italian public university: the same ISEE Parificato, the same regional bando, the same ranking. Only the authority and the dates change.
They began right where you are
Now they're studying at Italian public universities, where a degree can be tuition-free for eligible students, with DSU scholarships of up to about €8,250 a year for students living away from home, depending on the region.
