Last update October 2022 by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility
If you are not resident in Italy, you can drive in Italy with your vehicle, registered in another Member State, for up to 1 year.
If you have resided in Italy for more than 3 months, you must register the vehicle in Italy.
If you are a private citizen and you import your vehicle (new or second-hand) to Italy for private purposes, you are usually not required to pay VAT.
In order to register your vehicle, you must first submit an application to your provincial Revenue Agency department to check whether VAT exemption conditions apply. You can find the necessary information by consulting the order of 17 July 2020 issued by the Director of the Revenue Agency at the following link:
www.agenziaentrate.gov.it/portale/documents/20143/2570158/Provvedimento+del+17.07.2020_..pdf
The provincial Revenue Agency office will notify the Vehicle Licensing Agency Data Processing Centre (CED) of your vehicle identification details to enable it to be registered.
If you wish to contact the provincial Revenue Agency office for further information, please click on the following link and select the region and town closest to you:
https://www.agenziaentrate.gov.it/portale/web/guest/siti-web-regionali
To register your vehicle, you must submit a single application directly to the Vehicle Licensing Agency office and to the relevant provincial Public Vehicle Registration (PRA) office.
To find the contact details of the Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, click on this link: Direzioni Generali Territoriali | mit (Local Directorates-General – Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport); select your geographical area and click on the name of the office located in the nearest town to you.
To find the PRA provincial office contact details, click on the link: ACI - Contatti / Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico (contact details/public relations office); under Scegli l′ufficio (choose an office), select Ufficio PRA (PRA office) and under Scegli la Provincia (choose a province) select the town closest to you.
The application form is known as the istanza unificata (single application) and contains your personal details (first name, surname, tax number, place and date of birth, address of residence in Italy) and your vehicle identification details (number plate or VIN, year of first registration abroad, date of import into Italy and date of last service).
The form is available online, with a privacy notice and completion instructions, on Il Portale dell′Automobilista [drivers′ portal] at the following link:
https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/web/portale-automobilista/modulistica-documento-unico
You can view the form and download it in PDF format in Italian and also in a bilingual Italian-German version. You can view and download a courtesy version in English.
You can download the application form from the Automobile Club d′Italia (ACI) website at the following link:
https://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/modulistica.html
The application can be more easily filled in and signed directly in electronic format by going to an STA ( Sportello Telematico dell'Automobilista – motorists′ access point) in operation at Vehicle Licensing offices, provincial PRA offices or authorised vehicle consultancy firms.
The STA issues a registration certificate, which acts as a single registration and ownership document.
Attach the following to your application:
The amounts due are shown in the scale of charges on Il Portale dell′Automobilista at the following link: https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/documents/56611/82780328/TARIFFARIO_SDG_EN.pdf as well as on the ACI website at the following link: http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/acquisto-veicolo-nuovo.html
You will be able to pay online on both websites after registration.
Payment can also be made at an STA that offers online payment facilities.
Special conditions or requirements for driving or registering a vehicle for :
If you are a student from another EU country, there are no special conditions or requirements for registering a vehicle in Italy. You must register your vehicle only if:
Alternatively, you can drive in Italy with a vehicle registered in another EU country for up to 1 year.
If you are an EU citizen and have a stable relationship with Italy, even if you are not a resident, you can register your vehicle by giving the address of another individual resident in Italy or a vehicle consultancy firm.
If you are a cross-border commuter worker from another Member State, and you are not resident in Italy, you can drive your foreign-registered vehicle through Italy.
If you are an employed or self-employed person residing in Italy carrying out your professional activity in the territory of another neighbouring or bordering state, you can drive in Italy, without any time limit, with your vehicle registered in the neighbouring or bordering state provided that the vehicle is registered in the REVE (Register of Foreign Vehicles) kept by the PRA (Public Vehicle Register). Your vehicle, if it is registered in the REVE, can also be used by family members that live with you.
If you are an employed or self-employed worker resident in Italy and carry out your professional activity in the territory of another neighbouring or bordering state, you can drive in Italy without any time limit with a vehicle registered in the name of the company where you work, if you use it for more than 30 days (including non-consecutive days) in the calendar year. Again, you must register the vehicle in the REVE and you must always carry a document with you that bears a definite date and is signed by the vehicle′s owner, certifying your entitlement (e.g. company loan) and the period the vehicle is available to you.
If you transfer your residence to the same municipality or to another Italian municipality, or if you assign the use of the vehicle to another person resident in Italy, you must update the data in the REVE.
For further details, please consult the following link:
https://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/registro-dei-veicoli-esteri-reve.html
If you do not have Italian residence and come to Italy with a vehicle registered abroad that you have hired without a driver or leased, you can drive freely for a maximum period of 1 year. You must always keep the rental or lease agreement on board the vehicle.
If you are resident in Italy, you can drive a vehicle hired without a driver or leased that is registered abroad, provided that you register it in the REVE. You must always keep the rental or lease agreement on board the vehicle.
If you have been resident in Italy for more than 3 months and you have not yet registered your vehicle from abroad, the police can apply the following penalties:
If you are an employed or self-employed worker resident in Italy and carry out your professional activity in the territory of another neighbouring or bordering state and you use a vehicle registered in the name of the company where you work, the police can apply the following penalties:
To register a new vehicle purchased in Italy, you must submit a single application directly to the Vehicle Licensing Agency office and to the relevant provincial Public Vehicle Registration (PRA) office.
To find the contact details of the Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, click on this link: Direzioni Generali Territoriali | mit (Local Directorates-General – Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport); select your geographical area and click on the name of the office located in the nearest town to you.
To find the PRA provincial office contact details, click on the link: ACI - Contatti / Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico (contact details/public relations office); under Scegli l′ufficio (choose an office), select Ufficio PRA (PRA office) and under Scegli la Provincia (choose a province) select the town closest to you.
The application form is known as the istanza unificata (single application) and contains your personal details (first name, surname, tax number, place and date of birth, address of residence in Italy) and your vehicle identification details (number plate or VIN, year of first registration abroad, date of import into Italy and date of last service).
The form is available online, with a privacy notice and completion instructions, on Il Portale dell′Automobilista [drivers′ portal] at the following link:
https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/web/portale-automobilista/modulistica-documento-unico
You can view the form and download it in PDF format in Italian and also in a bilingual Italian-German version. You can view and download a courtesy version in English.
You can download the application form from the Automobile Club d′Italia (ACI) website at the following link:
https://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/modulistica.html
The application can be more easily filled in and signed directly in electronic format by going to an STA ( Sportello Telematico dell'Automobilista – motorists′ access point) in operation at Vehicle Licensing offices, provincial PRA offices or authorised vehicle consultancy firms.
The STA issues a registration certificate, which acts as a single registration and ownership document.
Attach the following to your application:
The amounts due are shown in the scale of charges on Il Portale dell′Automobilista at the following link: https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/documents/56611/82780328/TARIFFARIO_SDG_EN.pdf as well as on the ACI website at the following link: http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/acquisto-veicolo-nuovo.html
You will be able to pay online on both websites after registration.
Payment can also be made at an STA that offers online payment facilities.
If you purchase a vehicle already registered in Italy, you will have to go with the seller to a motorists' access point (STA), found at Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, provincial PRA offices or authorised vehicle consultancy firms, to carry out the sales transaction.
To find the contact details of the Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, click on this link: Direzioni Generali Territoriali | mit (Local Directorates-General – Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport); select your geographical area and click on the name of the office located in the nearest town to you.
To find the PRA provincial office contact details, click on the link: ACI - Contatti / Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico (contact details/public relations office); under Scegli l′ufficio (choose an office), select Ufficio PRA (PRA office) and under Scegli la Provincia (choose a province) select the town closest to you.
The contract of sale is signed by the seller and the signature is authenticated by the STA manager.
Once the sales transaction has been carried out, you will be able to submit a single application directly to the provincial Vehicle Licensing Agency office and to your local provincial PRA office to apply to have the vehicle ownership transferred to your name (this can be done at the same time).
The application form is known as the istanza unificata (single application) and contains your personal details (first name, surname, tax number, place and date of birth, address of residence in Italy) and your vehicle identification details (number plate or VIN, year of first registration abroad, date of import into Italy and date of last service).
The form is available online, with a privacy notice and completion instructions, on Il Portale dell′Automobilista [drivers′ portal] at the following link:
https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/web/portale-automobilista/modulistica-documento-unico
You can view the form and download it in PDF format in Italian and also in a bilingual Italian-German version. You can view and download a courtesy version in English.
You can download the application form from the Automobile Club d′Italia (ACI) website at the following link:
https://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/modulistica.html
The application can be more easily filled in and signed directly in electronic format by going to an STA ( Sportello Telematico dell'Automobilista – motorists′ access point) in operation at Vehicle Licensing offices, provincial PRA offices or authorised vehicle consultancy firms.
The STA issues a registration certificate, which acts as a single registration and ownership document.
Attach the following to your application:
The amounts due are shown in the scale of charges on Il Portale dell′Automobilista at the following link: https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/documents/56611/82780328/TARIFFARIO_SDG_EN.pdf as well as on the ACI website at the following link: http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/acquisto-veicolo-nuovo.html
You will be able to pay online on both websites after registration.
Payment can also be made at an STA that offers online payment facilities.
Only vehicles registered in Italy are subject to annual payment of the bollo auto (car tax) to the region where your residence is..
If you do not have Italian residence, but you have a stable relationship with Italy (student, second home owner, etc.) and you have registered a vehicle giving the address of an individual resident in Italy or a vehicle consultancy firm, you will have to pay the ownership tax to the region where the address you have given is located.
The individual regions decide on the possible benefits, providing for reductions in the amount of the car tax for certain types of vehicles or persons (for example, for vehicles that are less polluting and for vehicles owned by disabled people).
This information is available on the ACI website at the following link: http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/servizi-online/bollo-auto.html , You can calculate the car tax here and pay online.
If your vehicle is registered Italy, you must have it tested to ensure that the vehicle:
The criteria, timing and procedures for having the roadworthiness test done differ according to the type of vehicle, based on the relevant EU provisions.
For passenger cars, the test is due on the fourth year following the date of first registration; afterwards, the frequency is every 2 years.
You can book to have the test carried out at a Vehicle Licensing Agency office (for all vehicle types) or at an authorised mechanical repair workshop (for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight less than or equal to 3.5 t).
To find the contact details of the Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, click on this link: Direzioni Generali Territoriali | mit (Local Directorates-General – Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport); select your geographical area and click on the name of the office located in the nearest town to you.
To find the authorised mechanical repair workshops closest to you, use the search engine on “Il Portale dell′Automobilista” website at the following link: Il portale dell'Automobilista - Ricerca officine autorizzate (ilportaledellautomobilista.it) .
For costs, see the scale of charges available “Il Portale dell′Automobilista” website at the following link:
After registration, you will be able to pay online.
The general rule in Italy is that the vehicle must be de-registered before it is exported. Anyone who does not comply with this obligation can be fined an amount ranging from a minimum of EUR 173.00 to a maximum of EUR 694.00.
Moving abroad with your vehicle registered in Italy
If you wish to export a vehicle abroad permanently, you must first de-register it, for permanent export abroad, from the National Vehicle Record Office and the Public Vehicle Register.
In order to be de-registered for permanent export abroad, the vehicle′s roadworthiness tests must be up to date or the deadline for the first test must not have passed.
You will only have to submit a single application to your local Vehicle Licensing Agency office and PRA office, enclosing:
To find the contact details of the Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, click on this link: Direzioni Generali Territoriali | mit (Local Directorates-General – Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport); select your geographical area and click on the name of the office located in the nearest town to you.
To find the PRA provincial office contact details, click on the link: ACI - Contatti / Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico (contact details/public relations office); under Scegli l′ufficio (choose an office), select Ufficio PRA (PRA office) and under Scegli la Provincia (choose a province) select the town closest to you.
The application form is known as the istanza unificata (single application) and contains your personal details (first name, surname, tax number, place and date of birth, address of residence in Italy) and your vehicle identification details (number plate or VIN, year of first registration abroad, date of import into Italy and date of last service).
The form is available online, with a privacy notice and completion instructions, on Il Portale dell′Automobilista [drivers′ portal] at the following link:
https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/web/portale-automobilista/modulistica-documento-unico
You can view the form and download it in PDF format in Italian and also in a bilingual Italian-German version. You can view and download a courtesy version in English.
You can download the application form from the Automobile Club d′Italia (ACI) website at the following link:
https://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/modulistica.html
The application can be more easily filled in and signed directly in electronic format by going to an STA ( Sportello Telematico dell'Automobilista – motorists′ access point) in operation at Vehicle Licensing offices, provincial PRA offices or authorised vehicle consultancy firms.
The amounts due are shown in the scale of charges on Il Portale dell′Automobilista at the following link: https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/documents/56611/82780328/TARIFFARIO_SDG_EN.pdf as well as on the ACI website at the following link: http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/acquisto-veicolo-nuovo.html
You will be able to pay online on both websites after registration.
Payment can also be made at an STA that offers online payment facilities.
The STA issues a single vehicle and ownership document, not valid for use on the road, certifying that the vehicle has been de-registered in Italy. This document can be used to re-register the vehicle in the country of destination.
If you need to drive your vehicle to the foreign country of destination, you can apply to a Vehicle Licensing Agency office for issue of a travel pass and temporary licence plates or contact a vehicle consultancy firm.
The travel pass indicates the route, duration and any technical requirements. However, the duration of the journey cannot exceed 60 days.
When the vehicle is de-registered, you are no longer obliged to pay the car tax.
De-registration of a vehicle registered in Italy sold to a person who is exporting it
If you sell your vehicle that is registered in Italy to another person who wants to re-register it abroad, you will have to apply for it to be de-registered per definitiva esportazione all′estero (for permanent export abroad) from the National Vehicle Record Office and the PRA.
You will only have to submit a single application to your local Vehicle Licensing Agency office and PRA office, enclosing:
In order to be de-registered for permanent export abroad, the vehicle′s roadworthiness tests must be up to date or the deadline for the first test must not have passed.
To find the contact details of the Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, click on this link: Direzioni Generali Territoriali | mit (Local Directorates-General – Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport); select your geographical area and click on the name of the office located in the nearest town to you.
To find the PRA provincial office contact details, click on the link: ACI - Contatti / Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico (contact details/public relations office); under Scegli l′ufficio (choose an office), select Ufficio PRA (PRA office) and under Scegli la Provincia (choose a province) select the town closest to you.
The application form is known as the istanza unificata (single application) and contains your personal details (first name, surname, tax number, place and date of birth, address of residence in Italy) and your vehicle identification details (number plate or VIN, year of first registration abroad, date of import into Italy and date of last service).
The form is available online, with a privacy notice and completion instructions, on Il Portale dell′Automobilista [drivers′ portal] at the following link:
https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/web/portale-automobilista/modulistica-documento-unico
You can view the form and download it in PDF format in Italian and also in a bilingual Italian-German version. You can view and download a courtesy version in English.
You can download the application form from the Automobile Club d′Italia (ACI) website at the following link:
https://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/modulistica.html
The application can be more easily filled in and signed directly in electronic format by going to an STA ( Sportello Telematico dell'Automobilista – motorists′ access point) in operation at Vehicle Licensing offices, provincial PRA offices or authorised vehicle consultancy firms.
The amounts due are shown in the scale of charges on Il Portale dell′Automobilista at the following link: https://www.ilportaledellautomobilista.it/documents/56611/82780328/TARIFFARIO_SDG_EN.pdf as well as on the ACI website at the following link: http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/acquisto-veicolo-nuovo.html
You will be able to pay online on both websites after registration.
Payment can also be made at an STA that offers online payment facilities.
The STA issues a single vehicle and ownership document, not valid for use on the road, certifying that the vehicle has been de-registered in Italy. This document can be used to re-register the vehicle in the country of destination.
If the person who bought your vehicle registers it abroad before you have de-registered it from the National Vehicle Record Office and the PRA, the vehicle will still be registered in your name. If the vehicle is not de-registered, you will still be obliged to pay the car tax.
If this happens, you can still apply for the vehicle to be de-registered, but you must also enclose a copy of the foreign registration certificate issued to the person who bought your vehicle.
If you wish to scrap your vehicle, you will have to go to an authorised collection centre (demolition centre) where you will hand over the vehicle to be scrapped together with:
Upon vehicle handover, the demolition centre will immediately issue you with a certificato di rottamazione (certificate of destruction). From this moment on, you are no longer obliged to pay the car tax and you are released from all liability (civil, criminal and administrative).
The demolition centre must de-register the vehicle within 30 days by submitting an application to the local Vehicle Licence Agency office and the provincial PRA office.
In general, the procedures described in this document are concluded within 30 days of submitting the application.
Any longer deadlines may depend on the complexity of the procedure.
As a general rule, the rejection of an application by a Vehicle Licensing Agency office can be challenged by:
The information in this document is taken from the current provisions set out in the Italian Highway Code (Legislative Decree No 285 of 30 April 1992), available on the www.normattiva.it website at the following link:
https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:1992-04-30;285
The main rules of the Highway Code that have been used as reference are as follows:
Article 93 – Formalities required for the use of motor vehicles, motorcycles and trailers
Article 93-bis — Formalities required for the use of motor vehicles, motorcycles and trailers registered in a foreign country and driven by residents of Italy
Article 94 – Formalities for the transfer of ownership of motor vehicles, motorcycles and trailers and for transferring the holder′s residence
Article 99 – Travel pass
Article 103 – Obligations arising from the cessation of use of motor vehicles and trailers
Article 132 – Use of vehicles registered in foreign countries
Article 134 – Use of motor vehicles and motorcycles belonging to Italian citizens resident abroad or to foreigners
The relevant authorities with competence for the procedures set out in this document are the Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, present in each provincial capital.
The offices report to four local Directorates-General, which have jurisdiction over the North-East, North-West, Centre and South regions.
A full list of Vehicle Licensing Agency offices, contact details and the names of the contact persons can be found on the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility website www.mit.gov.it at the following links:
http://trasparenza.mit.gov.it/archivio13_strutture-organizzative_-1_14320_25_1.html (for the North-West)
http://trasparenza.mit.gov.it/archivio13_strutture-organizzative_-1_14321_25_1.html (for the North-East)
http://trasparenza.mit.gov.it/archivio13_strutture-organizzative_-1_14322_25_1.html (for the Centre)
http://trasparenza.mit.gov.it/archivio13_strutture-organizzative_-1_14323_25_1.html (for the South)