Your first week in Italy sets the foundation for everything that follows. The Italian bureaucratic system requires tasks to be completed in a specific sequence, where each step depends on having completed the previous one. Getting this order right saves weeks of frustration. This guide walks through exactly what to do, in what order, during your first days after arriving.
Before You Arrive
Ideally, you should complete several things before landing. Gather apostilled and translated copies of key documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, any documents required for your visa type). Arrange temporary housing for your first 2 to 4 weeks (Airbnb or short-term rental) while you search for a permanent home. Research neighborhoods in your target city. Notify your U.S. bank that you will be abroad to prevent fraud holds. Carry certified copies of all important documents plus multiple passport-sized photos (you will need these for various registrations). Download offline Italian language resources and a translation app.
Days 1 to 2: Immediate Essentials
Get a SIM Card
Your first practical step upon arrival. Italian mobile providers include TIM, Vodafone, WindTre, and the budget-friendly Iliad and ho. Mobile (Vodafone’s discount brand). A prepaid SIM (SIM prepagata) with data, calls, and texts costs EUR 7 to EUR 15/month. You need your passport and codice fiscale to purchase one (if you do not yet have a codice fiscale, TIM and some providers can process your request on the spot at larger stores, or you can get one first). Having an Italian phone number is essential for receiving verification codes, contacting landlords, scheduling appointments, and accessing services that require Italian mobile numbers.
Get Your Codice Fiscale
Your codice fiscale is the single most important document you need. This 16-character alphanumeric tax identification code is required for virtually every transaction in Italy: signing a lease, opening a bank account, setting up utilities, registering with the health service, starting employment, and more. Visit your local Agenzia delle Entrate office with your passport. The process is free and usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. Some Italian consulates issue codice fiscale before you leave the U.S., which can save valuable time.
Activate Your Temporary Housing
If you arrived with a short-term rental booked, settle in and start orienting yourself to the neighborhood. Locate the nearest supermarket, pharmacy (farmacia), bar (cafe), and public transport stops. Download local transit apps (ATM for Milan, ATAC for Rome, etc.).
Days 3 to 4: Housing and Banking
Begin Your Housing Search
Start viewing apartments for your long-term rental. Use Immobiliare.it and Idealista.it as your primary search platforms. Contact agencies (agenzie immobiliari) in your target neighborhoods. Be prepared with proof of income or funds, your passport, and codice fiscale. For detailed guidance on contracts, costs, and tenant rights, see our renting guide.
Open an Italian Bank Account
With your codice fiscale and passport, visit a bank to open a conto corrente (current account). Major banks include Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, and BNL. Online banks like Fineco, N26, and Banca Sella offer faster onboarding and often English interfaces. Some banks may require proof of address, in which case your short-term rental agreement or a dichiarazione di domicilio (declaration of domicile) may suffice. The account provides your Italian IBAN, which you need for rent payments, salary deposits, utility direct debits, and SEPA transfers. See our banking guide for details.
Days 5 to 7: Registration and Services
Sign Your Lease
Once you find a permanent apartment, sign the rental contract. Ensure it is a properly registered contract (the landlord or agency registers it with the Agenzia delle Entrate within 30 days). The signed lease is your proof of address for residency registration.
Register Residency at the Anagrafe
Visit your comune’s (municipality’s) Ufficio Anagrafe (civil registry office) to register your residency (residenza). This is a critical step: Italian residency registration triggers your tax residency, starts the clock on requirements like permanent residency timelines, and is required for SSN health enrollment. Bring your passport, codice fiscale, rental contract, and a completed residency application form (richiesta di residenza). After you submit, the vigile (municipal police officer) will visit your declared address within 45 days to verify you actually live there. Be home and have your name on the doorbell or mailbox.
Apply for Permesso di Soggiorno (If Required)
Non-EU citizens on a visa must apply for their permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) within 8 working days of arriving in Italy. The application is submitted through the kit postale available at any Poste Italiane (post office). Complete the form, attach required documents (passport copies, visa, photos, marca da bollo EUR 16, payment of EUR 30 to EUR 100 for the electronic permit card), and submit at the post office. You will receive a receipt and an appointment date at the Questura (police headquarters) for biometrics. Processing takes 1 to 6 months, but the postal receipt serves as proof of legal status in the interim.
Set Up Utilities
Once you have your lease and IBAN, transfer utilities into your name or set up new contracts for electricity (luce), gas, water (acqua), and internet. See our utilities guide for providers, costs, and the process. Key providers include Enel, Eni, A2A (Milan area), and ACEA (Rome). Internet options include fiber (TIM, Vodafone, Fastweb, WindTre) and fixed wireless for areas without fiber coverage.
Register with the SSN (National Health Service)
With your residency registration and permesso di soggiorno (or receipt), visit your local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) to enroll in the Italian national health service (SSN). You will choose a medico di base (general practitioner) from a list of available doctors in your area. SSN enrollment gives you access to Italy’s universal healthcare system, covering doctor visits, specialist referrals, hospital care, emergency services, and prescription medications at subsidized rates.
Within the First Month
SPID (Digital Identity): Apply for your SPID (Sistema Pubblico di Identita Digitale), Italy’s digital identity system. SPID is increasingly required to access government services online: tax filing, INPS, health portals, school enrollment, and many municipal services. Providers include Poste Italiane (easiest in-person verification), Aruba, InfoCert, and others. You need your codice fiscale, an Italian phone number, and an email address.
Tessera Sanitaria: Your health insurance card arrives by mail after SSN registration. In the meantime, the ASL provides a temporary certificate. The tessera sanitaria also functions as your codice fiscale card.
Explore your neighborhood: Find your nearest mercato rionale (local market), farmacia, tabaccheria (tobacconist, where you buy bus tickets, stamps, and marca da bollo), and edicola (newsstand). Locate your comune office, ASL, and nearest Poste Italiane. These are the places you will visit regularly.
Practical Tips
Patience is essential. Italian bureaucracy moves at its own pace, and offices often have limited hours (typically mornings only, 8:30 to 12:30). Bring every document to every appointment, even if you think it will not be needed. Carry your passport, codice fiscale, and several passport photos at all times during the first weeks. Make photocopies of everything before submitting originals. Learn key Italian phrases for bureaucratic interactions: vorrei fissare un appuntamento (I would like to make an appointment), ho bisogno di (I need), dove si trova (where is), quanto tempo ci vuole (how long does it take). Arrive early at government offices, as they often work on a first-come, first-served basis with limited daily capacity.