What is this Codice Fiscale and how to get it?

Codice fiscale is the Italian tax code that is created with an algorithm of your name + surname + birth date + birth place.

You will be asked to give your codice fiscale number to do a rent contract, to create a bank account, to take your scholarship, nearly everywhere. So if you decided to live in Italy, it’s better to take it at the first days of your arrival.  

To get your codice fiscale you should go to the “Agenzia delle Entrate” (which can be found in every city) with the necessary documents:

• Your passport AND two photocopies of the personal data/visa information pages
• The non-EU citizens should show their Italian visa.
• The form that you can take from the “Agenzia delle Entrate” at your arrival.

Interestingly, it is a very short process compared to the other bureaucratic issues so keep silent while waiting at the 2 hour line J You will get your codice fiscale immediately.

Tip: If you have more than one name or surname, check the paper if it is written correctly. I have a friend who could not receive her scholarship on time because her codice fiscale was written with the wrong name order (her name is A+B, but it was written like B+A on the document)

Tip 2: The paper you are given is as important as a treasure. Make a lot of copies and if necessary give the copies to the bank, hospital etc. Keep the original one as hardcopy and also scan and save it on your Google Drive or Dropbox.

Tip 3: This is not so legal way but if you immediately need to create a codice fiscale, you can create it from this link. But don’t forget that this is not the legal way to obtain the codice fiscale.

Step 3: How to get visa?

As I mentioned in the posts before, I am a citizen of a non EU country. Therefore getting visa to study in Italy for two years was really big problem for me. If you are a non-EU country citizen like me (Croatia, Iceland, Turkey, China, India, etc.) this post can assist you while trying to complete the bureaucratic procedures.

The documents will vary depending on your country. But this list can give you an idea what you are facing with.

1) 2 photos (35-40mm)

2) Original and Copy of Passport (The copy should include the pages which contain personal information) Your passport's due date should be at least one year later than the end of your master of science program. 
Ex: My master program will end in 2013 and my passport's validity is till 2014.

3) Health insurance covering 30,000€ (a yearly insurance costs 60€ in Turkey)

4) Formal Acceptance Letter

5) If you have a scholarship, the document which proves it.

6) Flight ticket or reservation

7) Copy of the Bachelor of Science degree diploma

8) The proof of your residence

9) The proof of where the person who will support you (the money you need in Italy) works. How much income he/she earns yearly? Copy of ID of his/her.

10) Proof of the money you have in the bank account. (In the bank account I showed 9900€ for two years)

11) In my formal accepted letter, it is written that there is not any problem about finding a place to stay because the university has a large dormitory. But if it is not mentioned in your formal acceptance letter, you should show a document which shows where you will stay.

Attention: You should prepare and give these documents to the Italian Embassy or Consulate at least one month earlier than your departure date.

Edit after four years: Actually it would be better to apply to the visa before more than 1,5 months. You know that a lot happened in the last months about the immigration issues especially from Syria to the EU contries, therefore they are know examining all the files more carefully which means they need more time to confirm the visa.