SettledkitRegistering residence in Italy as a foreigner arriving from abroad (2026)
If you are a non-EU citizen who has just moved to Italy from abroad, you declare your residence (residenza anagrafica) to your Comune within 20 days of moving in. EU citizens must register once they stay more than 3 months; the ANPR service for EU citizens states there is no fixed deadline and no fine. Declaring is free. The national ANPR online change-of-residence service is not the channel for non-EU newcomers: you use your Comune's own channel.
Why it matters
Residence means being entered in the Comune's population register (the Anagrafe) at your address. It is separate from your permesso and from your rental contract. You need it for the Italian identity card (CIE), for many bank accounts, for certificates and for official mail.
The legal clock
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| You declare your new residence | within 20 days of moving in (DPR 223/1989 art. 13); EU citizens: required after 3 months of stay |
| The Comune registers you provisionally | within 2 working days |
| The Comune checks you really live there, usually with a Polizia Locale visit | up to 45 days |
| If the check is positive | residence counts from the day you declared |
Which channel is yours
| You are | Where to declare |
|---|---|
| Non-EU citizen arriving from abroad | Your Comune's own channel. Milan has an online form for foreigners arriving from abroad; Rome accepts its online service, PEC, registered post or the Municipio desks. Search your Comune's site for "residenza stranieri provenienti dall'estero". |
| EU citizen (or family member) staying more than 3 months | The ANPR "Services for European citizens" online, no SPID needed, or your Comune's desk |
| Already registered in Italy, moving within or between Comuni | The ANPR online "cambio di residenza" (SPID, CIE or CNS), or your Comune's channel |
Plain email is often not accepted (Rome stopped accepting it in 2022). Use the official form, PEC or the counter.
Documents (Milan as an example; check your Comune)
- [ ] valid ID
- [ ] proof of your right to live there: rental contract, deed, loan agreement, or a declaration of consent from the tenant or owner
- [ ] non-EU: passport, valid permesso di soggiorno, codice fiscale.
- [ ] Still waiting for your first permesso card? Do not assume you must wait. Ask your Comune whether it accepts the post office receipt (ricevuta) while you wait; some do. Milan, for example, accepts it for people waiting for a family-reunification permit, together with the passport, entry visa and a copy of the nulla osta.
- [ ] EU: proof that you meet the conditions for staying over 3 months: work, or study plus resources and health insurance, or sufficient resources plus health insurance covering all risks for at least a year. The EHIC does not count as that insurance.
How to pass the police check
- Put your name on the intercom and the mailbox. Ask your landlord first. Checks often fail when officers cannot find your name.
- Tell neighbours or the doorman that you live there.
- If officers leave a note, call back quickly.
After registration
- Book your CIE (identity card) at the Comune.
- You (or your landlord, depending on the contract) must declare the occupancy for the TARI waste tax; deadlines and forms vary by Comune.
- Non-EU residents: after every permesso renewal, renew your dichiarazione di dimora abituale at the Anagrafe within 60 days, attaching the new permit.
Sources: DPR 223/1989 arts. 7, 13, 19; anagrafenazionale.interno.it (cambio di residenza; services for European citizens); D.Lgs. 30/2007 art. 9 and L. 147/2013 art. 1 (TARI) (normattiva.it); comune.milano.it; comune.roma.it. Checked October 2026.