Are you planning to travel to Italy in your own vehicle? Are you going to spend some time in the country or do you want to relocate?
If you are planning a long stay in Italy and want to bring your own car, this guide is for you.
Regardless of whether your vehicle is registered in the EU or not, it must comply with Italian road traffic regulations.
The Italian law
Italian laws on the registration of foreign cars have been tightened in recent years.
Article 132 of the Highway Code prohibits foreign vehicles from circulating in the country for more than one year from their first entry.
This means that if you are planning to spend a year or more in Italy and wish to drive legally with your own vehicle, you must have an Italian registration and an Italian registration document.
The Italian registration document contains the technical data of the vehicle and allows you to drive legally throughout the country.
On the other hand, if you are a resident in Italy and you want to drive a vehicle with a foreign registration, you cannot drive it for more than 60 days.
Failure to comply with the country's regulations may result in administrative fines and even the withdrawal of the vehicle.
To summarise:
- If you are not resident in Italy, you can drive your foreign car in the country for a maximum of 1 year.
- If you are resident in Italy, you can drive with your foreign number plate for a maximum of 60 days.
How to register a foreign car in Italy
The law establishes two different procedures, depending on the origin of the vehicle:
- Non-EU vehicles, you must go to the Office of Civil Motorisation and register the vehicle in the Public Automotive Register (PRA) afterwards.
- EU vehicles can do this in two ways. They can also go to the Civil Motorisation Office or they can do it through an application to the Motorist Telematic Help Desk (STA). As with the first option, to complete the process, they will need to register the vehicle with the PRA.
As the process can take from several days to several weeks, we recommend that you start the process well in advance, before the end of the maximum period of legal circulation in the country.
Documents required
Registration with the PRA:
- Certificate of Conformity.
- Declaration of ownership of the vehicle signed before a notary.
- Valid identity document.
- Photocopy of the residence permit if the citizen does not belong to the EU.
- Signed NP2D form.
- Photocopy of the registration issued at the Civil Motorisation Office.
- If the purchaser of the vehicle is a legal entity, the Stamp Trade Certificate or substitute declaration of the legal representative of the company is required.
Registration in the STA:
- Certificate of Conformity.
- Photocopy of valid identity document with certificate of residence (or declaration in lieu of certificate of residence, if the information is not present in the document).
- For used vehicles, foreign registration certificate.
- Form NP2C, if PRA registration has been applied for.
- Form TT2119.
- Form NP2D, if there is a bill of sale.
- If the purchaser of the vehicle is a legal entity, substitute declaration of the legal representative of the company to confirm the registered office.
The Certificate of Conformity is an essential document to ensure that the vehicle complies with European regulations.
Cost of registering a car in Italy
Registering a car in Italy is not cheap.
You will need to pay various taxes for the issuing of some documents, the documents themselves, the cost of registration and the sworn translation of the documents.
The costs can vary between 400 euros and 700 euros in total, depending on the type of vehicle, age, origin, etc.
FAQs
When registering a vehicle in Italy, the most common questions are:
How to register a German car in Italy
As a vehicle belonging to the EU, you can register it at the Office of Civil Motorisation or at the STA. You will then need to complete the registration at the PRA.
Remember that all documents to be submitted must be translated into Italian.
How to register a UK car in Italy
You will be able to register your vehicle at the Civil Motorisation Office and complete it at the PRA.
It is essential that all documents are translated into Italian, along with a sworn translation.
Conclusion
Registering a car in Italy can be quite a challenge.
Make sure you gather all the required documents in advance if you are planning to move to Italy or import a vehicle.
Bureaucracy in Italy can be a bit slow, so it's best to plan ahead.
