Legal Guides

​Do you pay VAT when you shop in Italy​?​ Are you planning a trip to Italy and wondering about the VAT (Value Added Tax) rules? As a foreigner, it’s important to understand the VAT regulations in Italy to avoid any confusion or unexpected charges while shopping. In Italy, VAT is...

When do Italians drink a cappucino? Let’ make one thing clear. We know it’s good, we all love it, but we don’t drink it after lunch. We only drink it for breakfast. So, when we see someone drinking a cappuccino right after lunch or at 5 pm, we know he...

Should you tip in Italian restaurants? Are you wondering about the etiquette of tipping in Italian restaurants? In Italy, leaving a tip (in Italian “mancia” so you can say “lasciare la mancia“) is not customary like it is in the US. However, it’s considered a nice gesture that shows your...

Do US citizens need a visa to travel to Italy? If you are a US citizen planning to travel to Italy, it’s important to know whether or not you’ll need a visa. According to the Italian government, U.S. citizens need a visa to travel to Italy for stays of more...

What does a foreign document need to be used in Italy? If you need to register your marriage, divorce, or child’s birth with your Italian Comune, or if you are applying for Italian citizenship and need ​an official transla​tion​ ​of your foreign documents​ in Italian, please send an email to...

How to register your second or third marriage in Italy If you need to register your first, second or third marriage certificate, divorce, or children’s birth certificates with your Italian Comune, we can do it for you. You do not need to go through your local Italian consulate and this...

Limits to the use of cash in Italy in 2023 ​In Italy, cash transactions are subject to various limits, which are intended to combat money laundering and tax evasion. As of January 1, 2023, thanks to the 2023 Budget Maneuver, the threshold for all payments in cash has been set...

Do UK citizens need a visa to travel to Italy? UK citizens do not need a visa to travel to Italy for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period for tourism or to attend business meetings. Visits to other countries which are part of the Schengen Area...

How can I register my marriage in Italy withouth going through the Italian Consulate? If you are asking yourself how you can register your marriage in Italy withouth going through the Italian Consulate, you are in the right place. If you need to register your marriage in Italy we can...

Positivo negativo letterYou are applying for Italian citizenship by descent (Jure Sanguinis) and so, after some research, you now know that one of the first things, if not the first one, you have to do is collect your Italian ancestor’s birth certificate. If you need assistance requesting this “positivo/negativo” letter...

The Final Brexit Agreement: EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement Citizens on both sides of the channel were relieved that the Christmas Eve agreement avoided the feared no-deal exit which could have led to dire economic consequences.  The worst case scenario was avoided but much will change between the  EU and...

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Italian citizenship application: the “new” 48-month term Please send an email to citizenship@vademecumitalia.com and we will send you a quote for the assistance with your Italian citizenship application from day one to the day you will obtain your Italian passport. Many of our readers have asked us if the new...

Italian citizenship application: the B1 language requirement Many of our readers have asked us if the B1 level knowledge of the Italian language is a requirement for all applications by marriage. Here’s what you need to know. If you applied before the new Law no. 132/2018 entered into force, or...

How can I know if my birth or marriage has been registered with the Comune di Roma? If you need assistance to verify if your birth or marriage has actually been transcribed into the registers of the Comune di Roma, please send an email to assistance@vademecumitalia.com or fill out the...

Coronavirus in Italy: urgent measures to deal with the epidemiological emergency. The new Decree-Law no. 33 of 16 May 2020 In order to responsibly deal with Phase -2 of the COVID-19 epidemic (i.e., a period of ‘co-habitation ‘ with the virus), the Council of Ministers, upon proposal of President Giuseppe...

The New Property Tax on your Italian Real Estate is due on June 16th IMU. We can calculate the amount you have to pay for the year 2020 within the June deadline. Please send an email to assistance@vademecumitalia.com and we will send you a quote for the assistance. In Italy,...

We can collect the birth certificate you need from any Italian Comune (Municipality). We will send you a scanned copy of the certificate as soon as we have it and also the paper copy via courier, if you want it. It usually takes us from 2 to 7 days to...

There is a specific certificate called certificato penale del casellario giudiziale (criminal record certificate) that you can request from the competent Italian authority (Procura della Repubblica), which can prove that while you were staying in Italy you were not convicted of any crime....

Coronavirus in Italy: the Decree of April 26 loosens up the restrictions Dear Readers, First of all, we hope that all of you are well and happy and–wherever you are in the world–are all able to deal with the coronavirus pandemic without overwhelming difficulties. Everyone in our Vademecum family is...

Do you have an Italian ancestor? Discover immediately if you are eligible for Italian citizenship If you have an Italian ancestor (e.g. great grandfather/mother or grandfather/mother) who was born in Italy and emigrated to your country (USA, UK, Argentina etc.), you might be eligible for Italian citizenship. As a matter...

Italian citizenship application: don’t make mistakes. Our expert Italian lawyers can review your documents You discover that you have an Italian ancestor who was born in Italy and emigrated to your country. You do some research and realize that you qualify for Italian citizenship. This is great news and you...

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Criminal record certificate (police clearance certificate) during the Coronavirus pandemic. We can still collect it for you. We can obtain your Criminal record certificate/Police Clearance Certificate (Certificato del Casellario Giudiziale) within 24 hours from the request. We will send you a scanned copy of the certificate as soon as we...

Coronavirus in Italy: the Decree of April 1 extends the lockdown until April 13, 2020 Here you can dowload the latest version of the “autodichiarazione” President Conte has announced that he has signed the DPCM which extends until April 13, 2020 the measures taken so far to contain the epidemiological...

Do you have an apartment in Italy? You should partecipate in your condominium meetings. You proudly bought a house in Italy, or you inherited one from your parents or grandparents, and now you are just waiting for the first chance you have to come to Italy and spend some days...

Coronavirus in Italy: the Decree March 25 no. 19 sets up to five years in jail and € 3000 in fines for violating rules The Italian Government has published a new Decree-Law as the number of Coronavirus-related deaths in Italy reached 6820 on March 24, 2020, according to the Italian...

Coronavirus. DPCM March 22, 2020 defining the essential activities that can continue to remain open The Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Giuseppe Conte, following all the previous decrees regarding the Coronavirus, has signed a DPCM (“Decreto del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri”), introducing at national level further measures on the containment...

UPDATE: Please note that on March 22 the President Mr. Conte signed a decree that establishes more restrictive measures defining the essential activities that can continue to remain open . Please click here to read our new post. The Italian Government has issued a Decree-law yesterday March 17, 2020 no....

Coronavirus: Vademecum based on the recent Decrees of 9th/11th March 2020 NB. Please note that Decree March 11, 2020 has established new rules and, therefore, some of the provisions established by Decree March 9, 2020 stop producing their effects starting from March 12, 2020 (date of entering into force of...

Italy has been the country hardest hit by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) epidemic in the Western world. Whether this is due to the particular genetic make-up or social character of the population is hard to tell. It is suspected, however, that at the end of the flu season, Italian statistics will...

On January 31st at 11pm GMT, the UK will officially leave the European Union. The divorce is final (though alimony discussions are not!) and the only way to undo this historical decision would be to reapply for EU member status, which though at the moment seems highly unlikely (and likely...

Christmas in Italy!! Italy may be a small country but it’s big on traditions. Although the country has only been united since 1861 and customs vary from North to South, two common threads tie the traditions together throughout the country: family and the Catholic church. (0ver 70% of Italians declare...

Italian Police Clearance Certificate We can obtain your Police Clearance Certificate (Certificato del Casellario Giudiziale) within 24 hours from the request. We will send you a scanned copy of the certificate as soon as we collect it. We can also send the original to your address by express courier, which...

Can I register a birth or marriage certificate in my Italian Comune without going through the Italian Consulate? Well, the answer is yes. Example 1). You are an Italian citizen living in the UK, regularly registered with the AIRE of your Italian Comune (Municipality), for example Rome, and need to...

You have an Italian ancestor who was born in Italy, maybe more than a hundred years ago, and emigrated to your country of residence (USA, UK, Brazil etc.). So, you wonder if you can apply for Italian citizenship in light of your Italian bloodline and what the benefits would be....

EU elections are coming up very soon! They will be held in the United Kingdom on May 23rd. If you’re a citizen of an EU country (other than the UK, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus) resident in the UK, you can either vote in the UK or in your home country....

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Brexit update: April 12, 2019 In late-night deliberations on April 11th, the 27 EU members agreed to grant an extension to Brexit until October 31st. The decision was made in order to give the British Parliament a little more time to sort out the Brexit mess and to avoid the...

Brexit update We at Vademecum Italia have been waiting to write something significant about Brexit for some time now. But as there has been no ‘meaningful ‘ vote yet (meaning PM May gets Westminster to approve the deal she negotiated with the EU), it is difficult to report anything of...

Are you sure your marriage has actually been regsitered in the registers of your Italian municipality? Option 1: you are an Italian citizen that has married a foreign wife/husband and you would like her/him to become an Italian citizen. Option 2: you are the foreign wife/husband that has married an Italian...

Brexit update: ‘Much Ado About Nothing ‘ Two important rounds of voting in the British Parliament this past week turned the old adage ‘No news is good news’ on its head: in fact, there was a lot of news which brought about nothing new and whether bad or good depended...

Recent Italian case law (January 11, 2019) Marriages in general According to article 5, par. six, of law 898/70, after the amendments introduced by law 74/1987, the recognition of an alimony check, to which a function of assistance that is both compensatory and equalizing must be attributed, requires verification of...

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Short-term home rentals: the tenant’s personal information must be sent to the police authorities within 24 hours Decree-law October 4, 2018, no. 113 (published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 231 on October 4, 2018, a.k.a. ‘Decreto Sicurezza’, converted into law on December 1, 2018, no. 132 ( published in the...

Brexit Update – November 2018 When on November 14th it was reported on the news that the EU/UK negotiating committee had concluded a draft deal, we at Vademecum Italia thought we would finally have a substantial update on  Brexit for our readers. However, what we can report on Brexit is...

Our email info@vademecumitalia.com is working again! If you have not been able to contact us, or if we did not answer your email, we kindly ask you to forward us your email and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Our email addresses are: info@vademecumitalia.com and assistance@vademecumitalia.com...

Italian citizenship by marriage. Save a lot of time by submitting your application with us!  1) How to submit an Italian citizenship application with Vademecum Italia, thus avoiding the slowness of Italian consulates  According to art. 5, Law February 5, 1992, n. 91, the spouse (a foreigner or stateless person) of an Italian citizen...

FAQ. Estratto per riassunto dell’atto di matrimonio. What is it, where, when, and how can you request it? Based on our customers’ experience, we can say that it happens quite often that people file their Italian citizenship application by marriage through an Italian consulate, and only after they start the...

HOW TO RECOVER A CREDIT FROM YOUR ITALIAN DEBTOR  You provided a service, or you sold goods to an Italian company or privite citizen, but you have not been paid although the payment term has expired. Or maybe you just received a down payment and now your Italian debtor is...

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Do you have a house in Italy? Don’t forget to pay the annual tax on real estate (IMU) You bought a house in Italy because you would like to move to Italy in the future, or as an investment, or just to feel at home when you come to Italy...

Italian citizenship application. How to speed up the process. Two years or more have passed since you filed your Italian citizenship application through your Italian consulate online. Since you are not getting any answers from the Italian authority, and you want to know if you or your husband/wife are finally...

In Rome, Milan, Turin, and Naples the transcription of your act of marriage can go on a fast-track thanks to VI. Marriages between Italians and foreigners contracted abroad have immediate validity and relevance in the Italian juridical system. According to national laws, they must be transcribed in the Registers of Civil Status of...

Do you pay taxes on Bitcoin in Italy? There is no Italian law that requires an owner of Bitcoins or other cryptos to declare that he/she owns cryptos, nor does he/she have to pay taxes just because he/she is holding cryptocurrencies. At present, there is no Italian law that regulates...

PEC stands for posta elettronica certificata which means “certified email”. A certified email guarantees legal certainty of the sender’s identity, of the date and time of sending and receiving the email, and of its content. You can use it to officially write and send documents to the Italian public administration, citizens, private companies...

Documents issued by foreign authorities must be legalized and translated to be enforceable in Italy. Here’s how to do it. To be enforceable in Italy, acts and documents issued by foreign authorities (act of marriage/civil union, birth/death/citizenship certificate, etc.) must be “legalized” by the Italian diplomatic-consular authorities abroad. These acts and...

An unpleasant surprise if you are coming on holiday to Italy: the tourist tax on accommodation. What is it and in which Italian cities do you pay it? It happens very often that tourists (especially foreigners) that come on vacation to Italy, have to face an unpleasant surprise when they go...

It is very important to register your trademark (word/figurative/complex) because it identifies you, your company, your products/services, and it tells customers who you are and what you do/offer. It allows you to be officially recognized in Italy and, at the same time, protected from others who might think of copying...

For some time we have been wanting to write an update on Brexit negotiations. When the UK will indeed exit the EU, there may well be some changes for both UK (non-EU) citizens and vice-versa for Italian citizens in the UK (e.g. visa, permit of stay, etc.). Despite growing impatience with the pace of...

The Italian Government has signed several conventions with other foreign governments aimed at avoiding double taxation. These conventions are international treaties with which the contracting states regulate the exercise of their taxing powers in order to eliminate double taxation on the income and/or the assets of their residents. Italy: double...

In case you suffer a theft (in a Hotel, station, restaurant, etc.), or if you lose a precious item (credit/debit card, wallet, expensive watch, etc.), or similar, while in Italy, you will need to file a theft/loss report (denuncia di furto/smarrimento) with an Italian authority (e.g. Polizia di Stato or...

The Registry of Italians Residing Abroad (A.I.R.E.) contains personal information of Italian citizens who reside abroad for a period of more than 12 months. It is a citizen’s right/duty to enroll in the A.I.R.E.. It is a prerequisite for use of certain services provided by diplomatic and consular missions abroad,...

It is very important to register your trademark (word/figurative/3D/colour/sound marks) because it identifies you, your company, your products/services, and it tells customers who you are and what you do/offer. It allows you to be officially recognized in the territory of your interest and, at the same time, protected from others...

Under Italian law all those who are interested – therefore including foreigners (individuals and legal entities) residing or even not residing in Italy – have the right to open a bank account with an Italian bank. Foreigners residing in Italy can open a bank account just like Italian citizens residing...

The deed of purchase relative to a property in Italy is kept by the Notary Public before whom the parties have signed it. This act is public and, therefore, accessible to everyone by law. The copy of the deed may be useful to verify the ownership of a property, possible...

Foreigners who intend to stay in Italy for a short vacation or for a longer period of time, can get an Italian mobile phone number (rechargeable sim card) just by going to one of the mobile phone company stores (e.g. Tim, Vodafone, Wind, Tre, Fastweb) with a valid passport. Otherwise, foreigners, who...

There is a lot of useful information that can help tourists who want to eat at an Italian ristorante or pizzeria. For example, it’s advisable to reserve a table, it’s not necessary to leave a tip, it’s possible to smoke inside the restaurant only if there is a specified smoking area, it’s usually...

Usually Italians have breakfast between 7 a.m. and 9.30 a.m., lunch between 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m., and dinner between 7.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.. The majority of Italian restaurants/pizzerias, etc., respect these hours and, therefore, will stop serving food after 2.30/3 p.m. and again after 11.30 p.m. Supermarkets and local food stores are generally open from...

The majority of Italians love to have breakfast at a “bar”, pastry shop, or at home! A classic Italian breakfast at a “bar” or pastry shop is caffè espresso (or cappuccino) and croissant. At an Italian home you will probably find cookies, croissants, toasted bread with jam, bread with nutella or jam, cereal, yogurt,...

When the UK will indeed exit the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”), there may well be some changes for both UK (non-EU) citizens living, studying, working, and conducting business in Italy and vice-versa for Italian citizens in the UK (e.g. visa, permit of stay, etc.). Vademecum Italia is closely following the on-going developments regarding...

Foreigners who intend to come to Italy should verify if they need a visa in order to enter the Italian territory. Send us an email with your nationality, country of residence, length of stay (up to 90 days or more than 90 days) and reasons for your stay, and we can...

In Italy, there are two main train companies that allow passengers to travel throughout the Country. One is Trenitalia (Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane) and the other one is Italo (Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori). The two companies are more or less equivalent as far as quality and number of services go. Their ticket...

Passengers whose Italo train arrives more than 60 minutes late at their final destination have a right to compensation, which goes from 25% (60-119 min) to 50% (120 min or more) of the ticket price, and will be automatically paid by the Company usually within 7 days from the travel date....

Passengers whose Trenitalia train arrives more than 30 minutes late at their final destination have a right to compensation. The “sum” goes from a coupon amounting to 25% of the ticket price (30 – 59 min.) to 25% (60-119 min) or 50% of the ticket price (120 min or more)....

Rome City Council issued an Ordinance that prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol at night in certain areas of the City, which will be in effect from July 7 until October 31, 2017. Consumers who violate the Ordinance will be subject to fines of € 150. Drinking in Rome by night YEAR 2017...

Marriages between Italians and foreigners contracted abroad have immediate validity and relevance in the Italian juridical system. According to national laws, they must be transcribed in the Registers of Civil Status of the Italian Municipality of interest (Office of transcription of weddings celebrated abroad). At least one of the spouses must be an...

Foreigners who for any reason should be part of a trial before an Italian civil or criminal court have the right to fully understand every single act, document or what is happening at a hearing, and thus they have the right to an interpreter. In case of a civil trial,...

With reference to air transportation, there are other important provisions that must be taken into account. For example, the application of the protections offered by Regulation 261/2004 in cases of overbooking, cancellation or delay of a flight, does not exclude passengers’ right to take legal action before a competent judge. Passengers are entitled...

In order to buy a house in Italy there are some important steps to follow. Although there is no need to turn to a real estate agent, it is advisable for the parties to sign a preliminary contract with which they mutually agree to sell and purchase a property by signing a deed on a...

If passengers are upgraded (e.g. economy class  business class), the airline company cannot request any supplementary payment. If, on the contrary, passengers are downgraded (e.g. business class economy class), the airline company shall provide them reimbursement, that goes from 30 % to 75% of the price of the ticket, within seven days. Upgrading and downgrading: air passengers’ rights...

In the event of denied boarding (overbooking) the airline company shall first call for volunteers to surrender their reservations in exchange for benefits. If the number of volunteers is not sufficient the air carrier may then deny boarding to passengers against their will. In this last case, the air carrier shall “immediately”...

Those who are under eighteen years of age cannot buy cigarettes but they cannot be sanctioned for smoking at home or outdoors. These rules apply also to foreigners visiting the Italian peninsula for any reason. However, violations are rarely sanctioned by the authorities. During night hours and holidays it is...

In case a guest at a European (and thus Italian) hotel suffers damage, destruction or loss (theft) of goods which he had brought (in)to the hotel, the hotel-keeper should be held responsible and therefore the guest has a right to compensation according to European and Italian provisions. In Italy, the liability...

The event in which passengers missed their connecting flight not due to a fault of their own is not expressly covered by Regulation 261/2004. However, if some specific elements are met, passengers who missed their connecting flight are entitled to assistance and compensation that can go from € 250 to € 600. Missing a connecting flight:...

In the event of flight cancellation passengers are entitled to assistance and compensation (from € 250 to € 600) from the airline company of interest. There is no right to compensation in case the flight is cancelled due to “extraordinary circumstances”. Technical problems of the aircraft, poor aircraft maintenance or unavailable flight crew are not...

According to the Court of Justice of the EU, in the event of flight delay passengers are entitled to assistance and compensation (from € 250 to € 600) if they reach their final destination three hours or more after the arrival time originally scheduled by the air carrier, unless the latter can prove that...

Under Regulation (EC) no. 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council dated February 11, 2004, in the event of denied boarding (overbooking), cancellation, and long delay of flights, passengers may be entitled, in addition to assistance, also to a refund and/or compensation that can go from € 250 to € 600. Denied boarding (overbooking), cancellation, and long delay of...

Regulation (EC) no. 261/2004 establishes how to request a refund or compensation in the event of denied boarding (overbooking), flight cancellation, or extended flight delay. Any traveler can personally request a refund and/or compensation (that goes from € 250 to € 600) by going onto the website of the airline company and filling out a form, or...

NEW JUDGMENTS!!! Italian Courts have recently established some important principles concerning, among others, the residence permit, the expulsion of foreigners, Italian citizenship, the request for political asylum, the entitlement to social security allowance, the jurisdiction in case of international sale of goods, and crimes committed in international waters. The residence permit, the expulsion...

Foreigners who live in Italy can choose among many English speaking schools. It is not possible to say with certainty if they have a lower or higher level of education compared to Italian schools. Therefore, it is important to know what the student would like to do after terminating the...

With reference to Air Transportation, the Court of Justice of the European Union has recently established some important principles concerning, for example, the concepts of ‘arrival time’, ‘denied boarding’, ‘cancellation’, ‘extraordinary circumstances’, ‘all reasonable measures’, ‘damage’, ‘compensation’, and of ‘time-limits for bringing actions for compensation’. 1) The Court of Justice...

With reference to the transport of liquids in hand luggage, they must be carried in individual containers with a capacity no greater than 100 milliliters in a single transparent resealable plastic bag of a capacity not exceeding 1 liter. All liquids purchased from any duty free zone or on airplanes can be carried in hand luggage on condition...

The European Union has drawn up a list of items that travelers are not allowed to carry on an aircraft in hand and/or in checked luggage for security reasons (e.g. guns, baseball bats, toy guns, sprays, knives or razor blades, corkscrews, explosives, fireworks and acids). Prohibited items on an aircraft in hand or checked luggage The European Union has drawn...

ENAC has established a few simple rules concerning liquids, clothes, electronic devices, and metal items that must be observed by travelers who find themselves in an Italian airport. Rules to follow for security checks in order to enter the gates areas in Italian airports The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC)...

TS, TEAM and TS/CNS cards, issued by the Inland Revenue Agency to whomever has a right to health care by the National Health Service (“Servizio Sanitario Nazionale – SSN”), allow holders to receive health care (medical attention from a doctor, buy drugs at the pharmacy, book a specialized examination at...

The Italian tax code (“codice fiscale”) is the document of identification of individuals (newborns, foreigners, residents abroad) and entities other than individuals in all their relationships with the Italian public authorities and administrations. This document is required in order to obtain the Italian Health Card (Tessera Sanitaria), the “Residence permit” (Permesso di soggiorno), and also to...

Meeting people in Rome and making friends may not be easy straightaway but there are many places to gather and friendships to be made. The clubs, associations, and churches listed below are good meeting points for people arriving in Rome who do not know the language and are not familiar with...

EU Regulation no. 861/2007 established a “Small Claims Procedure” which is applicable in all EU Member States except Denmark. The European Small Claims Procedure intends “to improve access to justice by simplifying cross-border small claims litigation in civil and commercial matters (thefts, debt collection, etc., e.n.) and reducing costs. “Small...