Tvoi Concierge
Where do you start after moving to Italy? Your first month in Florence sets the tone for the whole relocation. Italian bureaucracy is strictly sequential: no bank account without a codice fiscale, no residenza without a registered rental contract, no tessera sanitaria without residenza. That is why we have broken the first 30 days into weekly steps, with documents, institutions and realistic timelines. Two Florence specifics to keep in mind: most offices only see you with an appointment booked online, and the city is divided into five districts (quartieri), with some anagrafe services tied to yours. Plan 1-2 bureaucratic tasks per week, and by day 30 you will have everything you need for normal life.
Week 1: codice fiscale, SIM card and getting around
The codice fiscale is your Italian tax code, and almost nothing works without it: banks, rental contracts, mobile plans. It is issued free of charge by the Agenzia delle Entrate on presentation of your passport; in Florence you normally need to book an appointment online first. If you applied for a type D visa, the code may already have been assigned during the application, so check before going to the office. Next, an Italian SIM card: TIM, Vodafone, WindTre or Iliad, bringing your passport and codice fiscale. You will need a local number for booking appointments and for bank verifications. For getting around, Florence's buses and trams are run by Autolinee Toscane (formerly ATAF); tickets are sold in the at bus app and at tabaccheria kiosks, and a single ticket is valid for 90 minutes. If you drive, study the ZTL boundaries first: cameras record every entry into the historic centre, and fines reach drivers of rental cars by mail too.
Week 2: bank account and rental contract
With your fresh codice fiscale, open a bank account. Online banks set one up within days through an app, while traditional banks usually require a branch appointment and sometimes proof of address. Non-residents can open a conto per non residenti, but the terms are worse, so many newcomers start with a basic online account. In parallel, check your rental contract. It must be registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate within 30 days of signing; the landlord usually handles this, but you will need the registered contract for your residenza application. Ask for a copy of the registration receipt and make sure your name and codice fiscale appear in the contract without errors.
Week 3: residenza, tessera sanitaria and a family doctor
Residenza, your official registration at an address, unlocks everything that follows. You apply at the anagrafe of your comune: in Florence this is done online or at the service points in the city's quartieri, by appointment. Bring your passport, your residence permit or the receipt of its application, the registered rental contract and your codice fiscale. After you apply, the municipal police visit the address to verify that you actually live there, so put your name on the letterbox and the doorbell. Once the application is accepted, register with the national health service: at the ASL office (in Florence, Azienda USL Toscana Centro) you choose a family doctor (medico di base) and enrol for the tessera sanitaria, which arrives by post. The procedure and cost depend on your residence permit type: enrolment is free for employees, while some categories pay a voluntary annual contribution.
Week 4: SPID, utilities and schools
SPID, Italy's digital identity for government portals, is needed for taxes, health bookings, kindergarten applications and INPS. It is issued by accredited providers; the simplest route for most newcomers is Poste Italiane, with online registration and identity verification at a post office or via the app. Transfer the utilities into your name: electricity and gas are switched with a voltura or reactivated with a subentro, which takes about 1-2 weeks. Do not wait on the internet: fibre is available in most Florence neighbourhoods, but activation takes one to four weeks. If you are moving with children, contact the comune about kindergarten or school: state schools admit pupils mid-year through the education office and directly with the principal, while the main enrolment window opens in January.
Common first-month mistakes
The most expensive mistake is doing things out of order: without a codice fiscale you lose a week on the bank and the SIM card, and without a registered contract your residenza application will be refused. The second is showing up without an appointment; in Florence the Agenzia delle Entrate, the anagrafe and the ASL work almost entirely by booking, and slots should be reserved several days ahead. The third is ignoring the ZTL and parking rules, where fines pile up quietly. Finally, keep a folder with copies of every document: passport, codice fiscale, contract, receipts. In Italy you will be asked for them everywhere.
The consolidated 30-day checklist
- Get your codice fiscale at the Agenzia delle Entrate (free of charge, book an appointment online)
- Buy an Italian SIM card (passport and codice fiscale)
- Get an Autolinee Toscane travel pass and check the ZTL boundaries if you drive
- Open a bank account
- Make sure your rental contract is registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate
- Apply for residenza at the anagrafe of your comune
- Register with the ASL, choose a family doctor and enrol for the tessera sanitaria
- Set up SPID and transfer electricity, gas and internet into your name
- Enrol the children in school or kindergarten through the comune if moving with family
Prefer not to face the paperwork alone?
Tvoi Concierge takes the first month's bureaucracy off your hands: appointments, codice fiscale, residenza, SPID, banking and negotiations with your landlord. You focus on settling in, we deal with the queues.