½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Each person needs their own codice fiscale. For joint accounts you will both need to have one. You need this number for everything in Italy so if getting one you might as well get two. They do not cost anything and are by far the easiest document to get. Youc an read about it here [url]http://www.expatsinitaly.com/arrival/codicefiscale.htm[/url]

Hope this helps.

As per first response - just get it - really important document - means they can start taxing you. Don't start your life in Italy trying to buck the system - work it all out later.

Thanks for that folks. I'm actually looking for a holiday home at the moment rather than a permanent residence so my initial concern was money and banks. But I'll heed your advice in any case.

I'm sure I read somewhere that I could probably walk into the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Consulate here in Dublin and obtain a codice fiscale. Would that be the case?

Derek

Yes the consulate should be able to do it. If your wife will have her name on the title too then she will have to have a codice fiscale for that.

You may already know this..but thought I would mention it.

Our bank in Puglia would only let us open a temporary bank account to cover the purchase of the house . The only things we could use it for were bankers drafts for purchase of house and drawing cash at counter. No bank card or other banking facilities like direct debit etc.

We had to have residency to get a 'proper' bank account , which we did this morning ...HURRAH !! :) ...another step to being 'official' !!!!

Don't know if this applies everywhere .....think it might tho'

[QUOTE=alex and lyn]You may already know this..but thought I would mention it.

Our bank in Puglia would only let us open a temporary bank account to cover the purchase of the house . The only things we could use it for were bankers drafts for purchase of house and drawing cash at counter. No bank card or other banking facilities like direct debit etc.

We had to have residency to get a 'proper' bank account , which we did this morning ...HURRAH !! :) ...another step to being 'official' !!!!

Don't know if this applies everywhere .....think it might tho'[/QUOTE]

I think it depends on the bank - I don't have residency [holiday home only], but my bank account gives me a chequebook and pays bills by direct debit [gas and electric]. I could have had a credit/debit card [at a charge of course - nothing free with ½ûÂþÌìÌà banks] if I wished - but use my UK ones when in Italy.

[QUOTE=derekL]Thanks for that folks. I'm actually looking for a holiday home at the moment rather than a permanent residence so my initial concern was money and banks. But I'll heed your advice in any case.

I'm sure I read somewhere that I could probably walk into the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Consulate here in Dublin and obtain a codice fiscale. Would that be the case?

Derek[/QUOTE]

Just be sure to put forward your case as clearly as possible, otherwise they will not issue you a Codice Fiscale. I know they would not for us even though my sister was still living in Rome at the time.

Must be different in Dublin - in London so long as you take a passport and can give an ½ûÂþÌìÌà address (not necessarily your own!) they will issue a codice fiscale.

On the bank account - my wife recently opened a bank account ready for our house purchase and she was given the full facilities (cheque book, etc.). They even send the statements to our UK address! She did go in to the bank to open the account with an ½ûÂþÌìÌà friend who had an account there and with the ½ûÂþÌìÌà friend's cousin who also banks there and has known the manager since they were a baby! And they say it's who you know not what you know in Italy!

Thanks all for advice. I suppose I just wanted to be ready, but maybe I'm jumping the gun a little and I should wait until I've actually found a property and started the purchase before doing this. What do you think?

Derek

good evening

here's Ugo from italy , the specialist for ½ûÂþÌìÌà real estate mortgage to non italians ; you can find all info about purchasing in italy, open bank account, have the codice fiscale , and italian residence on my web site [url]www.lifeinitaly.it[/url]