38 phrases · Levels: A1A2B1B2
Ho bisogno di fare il codice fiscale.
I need to get a tax code.
Use this as soon as you arrive in Italy. The codice fiscale is required for almost everything — opening a bank account, signing a lease, buying a SIM card, visiting a doctor, or starting a job. Apply at the Agenzia delle Entrate.
Devo rinnovare il permesso di soggiorno.
I need to renew my residence permit.
Use this when talking about the residence permit process — at the post office (where applications are submitted), at the questura (police headquarters that issues them), or with a lawyer or patronato (free legal aid office).
Devo fare la residenza all'anagrafe.
I need to register my residence at the registry office.
Use this when you move to a new Italian address and need to officially register. Residency registration (iscrizione all'anagrafe) is legally required within 20 days of moving in and unlocks access to local services, doctors, and voting rights.
Devo prendere un appuntamento all'ufficio.
I need to make an appointment at the office.
Use this when booking an appointment with any public office — the questura, anagrafe, Agenzia delle Entrate, ASL (local health authority), or any government body. Most Italian public offices now require prior booking and do not accept walk-ins.
Ho bisogno di attivare lo SPID.
I need to activate my SPID digital identity.
Use this when setting up digital access to Italian public services. SPID is now essential for accessing INPS (social security), Agenzia delle Entrate, prenotation systems, and many other services. Without SPID, many online services are inaccessible.
Devo rinnovare la carta d'identità.
I need to renew my identity card.
Use this when your Italian identity card (CIE — Carta di Identità Elettronica) is expiring or has expired. The card is valid for 10 years for adults and must be renewed at your comune of residence.
Devo compilare questo modulo.
I need to fill in this form.
Use this in any administrative context where paperwork is required. Compilare un modulo is the standard phrase for filling out forms, whether paper or digital. It applies everywhere from the post office to the tax office.
Serve una marca da bollo.
You need a revenue stamp.
Use this when an official document or application requires a revenue stamp. The standard marca da bollo costs €16 and is required on many Italian official documents — rental contracts, civil status applications, powers of attorney, and more.
Devo inviare una raccomandata.
I need to send a registered letter.
Use this when a legal or official communication must be sent with proof of delivery — terminating a contract, notifying a landlord, responding to a legal notice, or filing a complaint. The raccomandata is Italy's legally recognised written communication method.
Devo fare la dichiarazione dei redditi.
I need to file my income tax return.
Use this every year between April and November when you need to file your Italian tax return. Employees often have their employer file on their behalf, but the self-employed, freelancers, and anyone with multiple income sources must file independently.
Devo andare all'ufficio postale.
I need to go to the post office.
Use this whenever you need to visit Poste Italiane. In Italy the post office is not just for letters — it is a key hub for government services, including residence permits, ID documents, SIM cards, insurance, banking, and social security payments.
Devo pagare con il bollettino postale.
I need to pay with a postal payment slip.
Use this when you need to make a payment that uses Italy's postal payment system. Bollettini are used for utility bills, insurance, taxes, school fees, municipal fines, and many other official payments.
Devo scegliere il medico di base.
I need to choose a GP.
Use this when registering with the Italian national health service (SSN — Servizio Sanitario Nazionale). Choosing a GP (medico di base or medico di medicina generale) is the first step and must be done at the local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) office.
Ho perso la tessera sanitaria.
I've lost my health card.
Use this at the ASL office or the Agenzia delle Entrate (which now issues replacement health cards) when you need to replace a lost card. The tessera sanitaria is required for accessing healthcare services and for pharmacies.
Posso fare un'autocertificazione.
I can make a self-declaration.
Use this instead of obtaining an official certificate from a public office. Italy's autocertificazione system allows citizens to declare facts about themselves (residency, civil status, qualifications, etc.) on plain paper, and the receiving office must accept it instead of requiring an official certificate.
Devo rinnovare il passaporto.
I need to renew my passport.
Use this at the questura (police headquarters), commissariato (district police station), or delegazione comunale where passport applications are handled. Booking is required and demand is high, especially before summer.
Devo contattare l'INPS per i contributi.
I need to contact INPS about social security contributions.
Use this when dealing with pension contributions, unemployment benefits (NASpI), parental leave, or any other social security matter. INPS is the main body for these services and increasingly manages everything via its website with SPID.
Devo andare all'Agenzia delle Entrate.
I need to go to the Revenue Agency.
Use this when you need to deal with tax matters — applying for a codice fiscale, requesting a duplicate tessera sanitaria, registering a rental contract, or getting a tax clearance certificate. The agency has a network of offices and an online portal.
C'è uno sportello per i cittadini stranieri.
There is a desk for foreign citizens.
Use this when looking for dedicated assistance for foreigners at a municipality or government office. Many Italian comuni (especially in the north and in large cities) have a sportello stranieri or sportello immigrazione to help with documentation, residency, and social services.
Gli italiani all'estero si iscrivono all'AIRE.
Italians abroad register with AIRE.
Use this when talking to an Italian who is moving abroad or who lives outside Italy. Registration with AIRE is legally required within 90 days of establishing residence abroad and affects voting rights, document renewals, and pension.
Devo fare una visura catastale.
I need to do a cadastral search.
Use this when buying property, checking land registry data, or resolving boundary disputes. The catasto (land registry) records all Italian properties with their owners, values, and boundaries. Access is through the Agenzia delle Entrate-Territorio.
Ho firmato il contratto di lavoro.
I have signed the employment contract.
Use this when starting a new job in Italy. The contratto di lavoro must be signed before starting work and defines your type of employment, salary, hours, notice period, and the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CCNL).
Devo aprire una partita IVA.
I need to open a VAT number / become self-employed.
Use this when starting freelance work, consultancy, or any self-employed activity in Italy. Opening a partita IVA is the administrative act of registering as self-employed with the tax authority. It is required before issuing your first invoice.
Il mio domicilio è diverso dalla residenza.
My domicile is different from my registered address.
Use this when explaining that where you actually live (domicilio — habitual place of residence) differs from where you are officially registered (residenza — legal registered address). This situation arises for students, workers who commute and return home on weekends, or people who have not yet changed their residency.
Devo firmare con la firma digitale.
I need to sign with a digital signature.
Use this in professional and legal contexts where documents must be signed electronically with legal validity. Firma digitale in Italy has the same legal standing as a handwritten signature and is required for many formal transactions and official submissions.
Devo inviare la comunicazione via PEC.
I need to send the communication via certified email.
Use this in professional and legal contexts when you need a legally recognised electronic communication that proves delivery. PEC is required for all Italian businesses and professionals and increasingly used in dealings with public administration.
Devo fare la pratica allo Sportello Unico.
I need to handle the procedure at the Single Contact Point.
Use this when starting a business activity or making changes to business premises in Italy. The Sportello Unico per le Attività Produttive (SUAP) is the single administrative point for business-related permits and authorisations.
Abbiamo bisogno di un notaio per l'atto.
We need a notary for the deed.
Use this when purchasing property, making a will, forming a company, or any transaction requiring a legally certified deed. In Italy, a notaio (civil law notary) is a state-appointed public official, not a private professional, and their presence is legally mandatory for certain transactions.
Ho bisogno di una consulenza legale.
I need legal advice.
Use this when you need professional legal advice from an avvocato (lawyer). This is necessary for employment disputes, tenancy problems, immigration issues, criminal matters, or any situation where your rights are at stake.
Ho ricevuto il Certificato Unico dal datore di lavoro.
I received the Unique Certification from my employer.
Use this at tax time (typically March each year) when your employer sends you the CU document. It summarises your gross income, taxes withheld, and social contributions for the previous year — essential for filing the 730 tax return.
Posso delegare qualcuno a fare le pratiche per me.
I can delegate someone to handle the paperwork for me.
Use this when you cannot attend a bureaucratic appointment in person and need to appoint a proxy. Italian law allows administrative and legal acts to be performed by a delegate using a procura (power of attorney) or written authorisation.
Se non rispondono entro 30 giorni vale il silenzio-assenso.
If they don't respond within 30 days, the silence rule applies.
Use this when you have submitted an application and are waiting for a response. The silenzio-assenso principle means that in many Italian administrative procedures, the authority's failure to respond within the legal deadline constitutes implicit approval.
Posso presentare ricorso contro questa decisione.
I can lodge an appeal against this decision.
Use this when you disagree with an administrative decision — a rejected permit, a tax assessment, a refused benefit, or any other official decision. Italy provides multiple avenues for administrative appeal.
Le attese negli uffici pubblici italiani possono essere lunghe.
Waiting times at Italian public offices can be long.
Use this to set realistic expectations for anyone dealing with Italian bureaucracy. It is a fact of Italian life that many people explain apologetically to newcomers — combined with practical advice on how to minimise waiting.
Tengo sempre la ricevuta.
I always keep the receipt.
Use this as a practical recommendation or habit explanation. In Italy, keeping receipts (ricevute) and fiscal receipts (scontrini) is important both for practical guarantees and, in some cases, for tax deductions (e.g., medical expenses).
Il municipio è aperto solo la mattina.
The town hall is only open in the morning.
Use this to explain or enquire about the opening hours of local government offices. Italian public offices are notorious for limited opening hours — often mornings only, a few days per week, with long lunchtime closures.
C'è un numero verde per informazioni.
There is a freephone number for information.
Use this when directing someone to a helpline or when asking if a freephone service exists. Numero verde (literally 'green number') is the Italian term for freephone numbers, which are common for public services, utilities, and government agencies.
Questa burocrazia è esasperante.
This bureaucracy is exasperating.
Use this to vent frustration about Italian bureaucracy. It is a completely natural and widely shared sentiment in Italy — Italians themselves are the first to complain about their own system. Commiserating over bureaucratic difficulties is a social bond-building experience in Italian culture.