Paperwork is a necessary evil. But a good estate agent should help with the administrative burden. Starting with your codice fiscale...
Codice Fiscale
The codice fiscale is a tax identification number. It does not mean that you automatically become an Italian tax payer by having one.
You will need it to be able to enter into various contracts or transactions; to open a bank or postal account, to sign a lease, for utilities’ contracts, to buy a vehicle or before taking out any insurance policy or taking up employment...
It also operates as a social security | national insurance number. You will need one to access the Italian health service.
It’s free and fairly easy to obtain. A good estate agent should be able to get this for you as part of the service he provides - at no extra cost. Do not believe any estate agent who tells you this is a complicated and costly exercise.
Alternatively you can obtain one yourself. Here is the link to the AgenziaEntrate - the Italian tax office - explaining in English how to get one.
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