Your first 30 days in Italy: what to do and in what order

Week 1: land and get oriented

• Scan every document you carried over, and keep a paper set separate from the originals.
• Write down your arrival date and the date on your entry paperwork. You will be asked for them repeatedly.
• Confirm your address in writing. Keep a copy of the lease or host declaration, because most later steps depend on it.
• Get a local SIM or phone plan. Offices and banks often want an Italian number.
• Save emergency and key numbers in your phone, and note the nearest pharmacy and hospital.

• What is the first deadline that applies to my visa type? (Consulate or immigration contact)

Week 2: tax code and identity

• Get your Codice Fiscale if you don't have one. Nearly everything else needs it. See our step-by-step guide.
• Check whether you need a permesso di soggiorno and how to start. If you are given a receipt while it is processed, keep it very carefully.
• Start a paper-trail folder. Keep every receipt, stamped form and confirmation, and photograph each one the same day.

Weeks 3 and 4: residency, health and money

• Register your residence (residenza) at the Comune, if it applies to you.
• Ask your local ASL about healthcare access and what to use until you are enrolled.
• Ask a bank what it needs to open an account for someone in your situation.
• Find out about digital identity (SPID or CIE).
• Set up utilities and internet, and keep the contracts.
• Book a one-off consult with an Italian accountant (commercialista) and a US tax professional if you have income, accounts or filings to sort out.

By day 30: lock in your system

• List every appointment and deadline you were given, with dates, in one calendar.
• Make a master list of your documents: what you have, where it is and when it expires.
• Set reminders for permit, passport and insurance renewals, with a generous margin.

Common mistakes

• Starting a step before its prerequisite, for example registering an address without proof of where you live.
• Assuming every city works the same. Local practice varies.
• Throwing away receipts and stamped forms.
• Waiting to ask. Most offices can tell you at the first visit what comes before and after.

The one question to ask everywhere

At every office, ask: What exactly do I need to bring, and in what order? Write the answer down.

What comes next

Our full checklist has every task with its question, and the glossary explains each document and office.