Can you get SPID with a permesso di soggiorno? (No. Here is what works)

Short answer: no. The official SPID website states that foreign citizens in Italy cannot request SPID using their permesso di soggiorno. SPID providers require an Italian identity document: an Italian identity card, driving licence or passport.

The good news is that your permesso can get you the document that unlocks everything.

The route that works

1. Register your residence (residenza anagrafica) at your Comune.
2. Apply for the CIE, the Italian electronic identity card, at your Comune. As a resident with a valid permesso (or its renewal receipt) you are eligible. The national fee is €16.79 plus municipal fees, typically about €22 in total.
3. Log in with CieID, the free official app, on any public portal ("Entra con CIE"). Or use your CIE to obtain SPID from a provider.

Do you even need SPID?

Often not. CieID works on the same public portals as SPID and is free. Get SPID only if a private service you use specifically asks for it.

If you do want SPID: PosteID (Poste Italiane) is free for the first year and then costs €6 a year since 1 January 2026; identifying yourself with your CIE and PIN in the PosteID app is free, while in-person identification at a post office costs €12.

Two things to know about the CIE

• For foreign citizens it is only an identity document inside Italy, never a travel document.
• Keep the PIN and PUK: the first 4 digits are on the paperwork you get at the counter, the last 4 arrive with the card.

Sources: spid.gov.it (come attivare SPID); cartaidentita.interno.gov.it; poste.it (PosteID); comune.torino.it and comune.firenze.it (CIE for foreigners). Checked October 2026.