Before you start

Codice fiscale
Passport or ID, and the permesso di soggiorno or its postal receipt for non-EU nationals
Proof of address, which a registered lease satisfies
Proof of income or employment, for the better-priced accounts

Step-by-step

1
Open a digital account first for the IBAN
An Italian IBAN is needed for salary, rent, utilities and direct debits. Digital banks accept a codice fiscale and a video identification and issue one within days, which unblocks the rest of the move while a traditional bank appointment is still weeks away.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 1
2
Understand the resident versus non-resident distinction
Until your residence is registered you may be offered a non-resident account, which carries higher charges and restrictions on some services. Once the comune registers you, ask the bank to reclassify — banks do not do it automatically and people pay non-resident fees for years.
In personWho: You
3
Take a traditional bank if you will need a mortgage
Italian mortgage lending is relationship-driven and still overwhelmingly branch-based. If a purchase is anywhere in your plans, a current account and a salary history with a mainstream bank is the groundwork.
In personWho: You
4
Get SPID or the CIE identity as soon as you can
SPID is the national digital identity used for tax filings, the comune, INPS, health bookings and the payment app. Some providers require an Italian identity document or a video call; the CIE electronic identity card is the alternative and is issued by the comune. Almost every online public service in Italy is behind one of the two.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 2–4
5
Budget for the stamp duty on the account
Italy charges an annual imposta di bollo on accounts whose average balance exceeds a threshold, plus stamp duty on securities accounts. It is small but automatic and appears as a deduction people mistake for a bank fee.
OnlineWho: You
6
Set up domiciliazione for utilities
Direct debit of utility and council bills to the account is standard here and avoids the Italian habit of paying by bollettino at the post office. Ask for it when you sign each supply contract, not afterwards.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Codice fiscale
Passport or national ID card
Permesso di soggiorno or the postal filing receipt
Registered lease or certificate of residence
Employment contract or recent payslips

Things most newcomers don’t know

SPID or the CIE is not optional infrastructure in Italy — it is the login to the state.

Filing a tax return, booking a specialist appointment, requesting a certificate from the comune, checking your INPS contributions, claiming the transport pass discount and using the public payment system all sit behind a digital identity. Newcomers often treat it as a nice-to-have for a year and do everything by queueing. Getting SPID early converts a great deal of Italian bureaucracy from an in-person errand into a five-minute task.

Source: AgID — Agency for Digital Italy

The non-resident account classification quietly costs money for years.

Banks open a conto non residenti for people who arrive before their residence is registered, and then never revisit it. The account carries higher maintenance charges and can restrict some products, and the bank has no incentive to reclassify you. Once the comune confirms your residence, go back to the branch and ask explicitly for the switch.

Source: community-reported

Italy's cash-payment ceiling is a legal limit, not a shop policy.

Cash transfers between private parties above a statutory threshold are prohibited outright, and the limit has moved several times in recent years. It catches people paying a deposit, a car or a tradesman in cash. Both payer and payee can be penalised, so the polite offer to settle a large bill in notes is not a favour to anyone. Check the current ceiling before any large payment.

Source: Ministry of Economy and Finance

A registered lease is the document that makes everything else work.

Italian landlords are required to register the tenancy with the Agenzia delle Entrate within 30 days, and the registered contract is what the comune, the bank and the utilities accept as proof of address. An unregistered lease is void as against the tenant's interests and leaves you unable to register residence at all — which then blocks the bank, the health card and the licence clock. Ask for the registration receipt, not just a signed contract.

Source: Agenzia delle Entrate

Common mistakes to avoid

Trying to open an account before the codice fiscale exists.
Staying on a non-resident account after residence is registered.
Delaying SPID and doing everything at counters for a year.
Paying a large deposit or bill in cash above the legal ceiling.
Accepting a lease the landlord has not registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.