Carta d'identità elettronica (CIE) for foreigners living in Italy (2026)

Checked against official sources · 25 October 2026

The Carta d'identità elettronica (CIE) is the Italian electronic identity card, issued by your Comune. Foreign residents can have one too, and it is worth getting: with its PIN it becomes your login for Italian public services. It is not valid for travel abroad, so keep your passport.

Who can get one

EU and non-EU citizens who are registered as residents (iscritti in anagrafe) can apply at their Comune. The Ministry of the Interior says you apply at the Comune of "residenza o dimora"; Comuni such as Torino also serve people temporarily staying there who are resident in another Italian Comune. In practice, get your residenza first.
Non-EU citizens must also show a permesso di soggiorno. Torino accepts a valid permesso or the receipt of the renewal request. Not every Comune publishes this rule, so check your Comune's page before booking if your permesso is in renewal.

Not a travel document

For foreign citizens the CIE is only an identity document. It carries the wording that it is not valid for travel abroad ("non valida per l'espatrio").

For non-EU citizens this comes from the law: the identity document for foreigners "non è valido per l'espatrio" (Testo unico immigrazione, art. 6, comma 9).
For EU citizens too, the Comuni of Torino and Firenze state that the card they issue to foreign or EU citizens is not valid for travel. Travel on your own passport or your home country's ID card.

How to book

Book at your Comune's registry office (anagrafe). The Ministry's booking platform is prenotazionicie.interno.gov.it, for Comuni that have activated it; many large Comuni also run their own booking system. Check your Comune's website for which one applies.

What to bring

Passport (or your EU country's ID card) for a first issue. Torino also accepts a consular certificate with a photo.
Permesso di soggiorno (non-EU citizens), or the renewal receipt where your Comune accepts it.
One passport-format photo on paper, unless you uploaded a digital photo when booking through the Ministry's system.
Codice fiscale or tessera sanitaria: recommended to speed up registration.
Your old Italian ID card, if you have one: you hand it back. If it was lost or stolen, bring the police report (denuncia).

At the counter they take two fingerprints (compulsory from age 12) and you can state your choice on organ donation.

Cost

The national cost is €16.79, plus Comune fees where they apply. Examples: Torino charges €22.21; Firenze charges €22, or €27 to replace a lost card. Your Comune's amount may differ.

Delivery

The card is produced centrally and delivered within 6 working days to the address you give (or you collect it at the Comune). Torino states it arrives by registered post. Torino and Firenze state that the paper receipt from the counter works as an identity document inside Italy until the card arrives.

Validity

The card expires on your birthday after:

3 years for children under 3;
5 years for ages 3 to 18;
10 years at most for adults (9 years plus the days to your next birthday).

Since 30 July 2026, a card issued to someone aged 70 or over has no expiry date, although Torino notes it works as a digital identity only for 10 years. Torino gives 3 years to holders of a permesso for international protection applicants (richiesta di protezione internazionale). If fingerprints cannot be taken temporarily, it lasts 12 months. You can renew from 180 days before expiry.

PIN, PUK and online login

The first half of your PIN and PUK is on the receipt you get at the counter; the second half comes in the envelope with the card. Keep both. The PIN lets you log in to public portals with "Entra con CIE", including through the free CieID app, and you can use the PUK in that app to set a new PIN.

Many foreign residents cannot get SPID with a permesso alone; see Can you get SPID with a permesso di soggiorno?.

Sources: cartaidentita.interno.gov.it (Rilascio e rinnovo in Italia; Sistema di prenotazione; Modalità di acquisizione impronte; Codici PIN e PUK; Cos'è la carta); normattiva.it (D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 6); comune.torino.it (Richiedere la carta di identità); comune.firenze.it (Carta di identità elettronica). Checked October 2026.