Codice Fiscale Calculator: Italian Fiscal Code Generator

Calculate your codice fiscale online

Open our free calculator, enter your surname, first name, sex, date of birth and country of birth, and click “Calcola”: the 16-character code appears immediately. The calculator for people born abroad is in Italian. Here is what each field means:

The calculator is free, works on phones and computers, needs no registration, and the data you type is not saved on our servers. If you were born in Italy, use the main Italian fiscal code calculator (calcolo codice fiscale) on our homepage.

Is the codice fiscale calculator for foreigners different?

No. Foreigners use the same rules as Italians. The only difference is the place-of-birth block: instead of an Italian town code, the code contains the code of your country of birth. For foreign names, double surnames and countries that no longer exist, read our detailed guide on the codice fiscale for foreigners (in Italian).

Fiscal code generator or calculator: is there a difference?

No. A “fiscal code generator” or “Italian tax code generator” is the same as a calculator: a tool that applies the official rules to your personal data. It does not create a new or official code. It rebuilds the code that matches your data, which is the same code the Italian administration will give you in almost every case.

What is codice fiscale? Meaning in English

The codice fiscale (in English: Italian tax code or fiscal code) is the personal identification number used by the Italian tax system and public administration. It was introduced by Presidential Decree no. 605 of 29 September 1973 and is given to everyone born in Italy and to every foreigner who deals with Italian authorities.

Word for word, codice fiscale means “fiscal code”. In English you will see it called:

• Italian tax code or tax code, the most common translation;
• fiscal code or Italian fiscal code;
• Italian tax ID or Italian TIN (tax identification number), the term used on international forms and in banking.

Italians often abbreviate it as CF or C.F.

Codice fiscale pronunciation: how do you say it?

It is pronounced KOH-dee-cheh fee-SKAH-leh (IPA: /ˈkɔːditʃe fiˈskaːle/). The “c” in codice sounds like the “ch” in “cheese”, and the stress in fiscale falls on the “a”.

What do you need a codice fiscale for?

You need it for almost any contract or official step in Italy, even if you do not live there:

• signing a rental contract or buying property in Italy;
• opening an Italian bank account;
• getting an employment contract or registering as self-employed;
• enrolling at an Italian university;
• registering with the Italian national health service (SSN);
• connecting utilities (electricity, gas, internet) and many mobile phone contracts;
• buying a car, receiving an inheritance, or paying Italian taxes.

Codice fiscale, partita IVA and your own tax number

Important: your passport number or your home tax number does not replace the codice fiscale. Italian offices, banks and landlords will always ask for the Italian code.

Code fiscal italien: a note for French speakers

In French the codice fiscale is called code fiscal italien and it works exactly as described on this page. It has nothing to do with the French numéro fiscal (13 digits): a person born in France has the country code Z110 in the Italian codice fiscale, and still needs the Italian code to rent, work or open an account in Italy.

How the Italian fiscal code is built (16 characters)

The Italian fiscal code has 16 characters in 7 blocks: 3 letters from the surname, 3 letters from the first name, 2 digits for the year of birth, 1 letter for the month, 2 digits for the day of birth and sex, 4 characters for the place of birth and 1 check character. These rules come from the Italian Ministry of Finance (decree of 23 December 1976).

Surname and first name letters

• Surname: take the first three consonants (SMITH → S, M, T). If there are fewer than three, add the vowels in order, then X if the name is still too short (surname “Li” → LIX).
• First name: take the first three consonants, but if the first name has four or more consonants, take the 1st, 3rd and 4th (ROBERT has R, B, R, T, so you take RRT).
• Spaces, apostrophes and accents are ignored: O’Brien = OBRIEN, José = JOSE. The letters J, K, W, X, Y count as consonants.
• Use your names as written on your passport: do not translate them into Italian (John stays JOHN, not Giovanni).

Birth date, month letter and sex

The year is written with its last two digits (1990 → 90). The month is a letter:

The day of birth is written with two digits. For women, 40 is added to the day: a woman born on the 22nd has 62, a man born on the 22nd has 22. This is how the code shows your sex.

Place of birth: the Z code for people born abroad

For people born in Italy, positions 12–15 contain the cadastral code of the Italian town (e.g. H501 for Rome). For anyone born outside Italy, Italian citizens included, they contain the code of the country of birth: the letter Z followed by three digits. The city does not matter: someone born in London and someone born in Manchester both get Z114.

You do not need to look up the code: in our calculator you just pick the country from the list. The full list of country codes is published by ISTAT, the Italian statistics institute.

The check character

The 16th character is a check letter calculated from the first 15. Each character gets a value from two official tables (one for odd positions, one for even positions); the values are added up and the remainder of the division by 26 gives a letter (0 = A, 1 = B, 2 = C … 25 = Z). It is there to catch typing errors: if one character is wrong, the check letter no longer matches. Our calculator does this step for you; the tables are in our Italian guide come funziona il codice fiscale.

Codice fiscale example: step by step

John Smith (fictional), male, born in the United States on 5 July 1990, has the codice fiscale SMTJHN90L05Z404C. This is how it is calculated:

Second example, a woman: Emily Brown (fictional), born in the United Kingdom on 22 March 1995. Surname BROWN → BRW; first name EMILY → consonants M, L, Y → MLY; year 95; March C; day 22 + 40 = 62; United Kingdom Z114; check character A. Codice fiscale: BRWMLY95C62Z114A.

Calculated code vs official code

A code calculated online is correct in almost every case, but it is not an official document: the valid codice fiscale is only the one issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate. There are two reasons why the two can differ:

• Omocodia: when two people have the same data and therefore the same code, the Revenue Agency changes some digits of the second code into letters. A calculator cannot know this.
• Data recorded differently: if your name, date or country was recorded differently when the code was issued (for example a missing middle name), the official code follows the recorded data.

So use the calculator to know your code in advance, fill in a form, or check a code you were given. When an Italian office needs proof, show the official certificate or card.

How to get a codice fiscale online (for foreigners)

Foreigners get the official codice fiscale for free from the Agenzia delle Entrate (in Italy) or from the Italian consulate or embassy in their country. From abroad you can authorise a person in Italy to request it for you or, where your consulate allows it, send the AA4/8 form and a copy of your passport to the consulate by email. No office charges for the code.

From abroad: through a person in Italy (proxy)

Many Italian consulates now issue the code to foreigners who do not live in Italy only in limited cases, for example when an Italian online procedure needs it or when you cannot authorise anyone in Italy. The usual route is therefore a proxy (delega): someone in Italy, such as your notary, accountant, estate agent or a friend, takes these documents to an Agenzia delle Entrate office:

• the AA4/8 form signed by you;
• a signed delegation (delega) in Italian;
• a copy of your passport;
• the proxy’s own ID.

The office usually issues the certificate to your proxy on the same day.

From abroad: at the Italian consulate

If your consulate accepts requests from foreigners (or if you are an Italian citizen registered with AIRE), contact the Italian consulate or embassy responsible for your area. The usual steps are:

1. Download the AA4/8 form. The modello AA4/8 is on the Agenzia delle Entrate website; fill it in and sign it.
2. Attach a copy of your passport. Or of your EU identity card, if you have one.
3. Send the request. By email, through the consulate’s online services portal, or in person, following the consulate’s instructions.
4. Receive the certificate. The certificate of attribution of the codice fiscale usually arrives by email as a PDF.

Processing times depend on the consulate: some answer in a few days, busy ones can take several weeks. Check the “codice fiscale” page on your consulate’s website before you send anything.

In Italy: at the Agenzia delle Entrate

If you are already in Italy, go to any office of the Agenzia delle Entrate (it does not have to be in your city), ideally with an appointment. Bring:

• the AA4/8 form, filled in and signed;
• your passport (EU citizens can use their national identity card);
• for non-EU citizens, where relevant, your visa or residence permit (permesso di soggiorno).

The office normally prints the certificate with your codice fiscale on the same day. If you are entitled to Italian public healthcare, the tessera sanitaria (health card with the code on it) arrives later by post.

Other channels: non-EU workers entering with a work permit (nulla osta) get the code through the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione, and people who apply for a residence permit get it through the Questura. International students can ask their university’s international office which route to use.

How to apply for codice fiscale online yourself

You can, but the online service of the Agenzia delle Entrate requires SPID, CIE or CNS (Italian digital identity), which most foreigners do not have. Without them, applying online means emailing the AA4/8 form and your passport copy to your proxy in Italy, to your consulate (if it accepts requests from foreigners) or, if you are in Italy, to an Agenzia delle Entrate office, since many offices accept requests by email or PEC. Full details, including requests for newborns and duplicates, are in our guide to the richiesta codice fiscale online (in Italian).

Watch out for paid services. Some websites ask for a fee to “get your codice fiscale online”. At best they send the same free request on your behalf; at worst they only calculate the code, which you can do yourself for free.

Codice fiscale application form in English

The AA4/8 form exists only in Italian, but the Agenzia delle Entrate publishes information leaflets for foreigners in English and other languages. Here is what the main parts of the form mean:

Renewal, lost code and download

• Renewal: there is nothing to renew. The codice fiscale never expires and stays the same for life. Only the tessera sanitaria expires (usually after 6 years), and it is sent again automatically to people registered with the health service.
• Finding your code: look at your tessera sanitaria, the certificate you received, an Italian payslip, a rental or bank contract, or a tax return. There is no public search to find someone’s code online from their name.
• Lost it? Ask the Agenzia delle Entrate office or your consulate for a duplicate certificate. The code does not change.
• Download a copy: if you have SPID or CIE, you can download a copy of your health card or certificate from the Agenzia delle Entrate reserved area. Otherwise, keep the PDF the consulate emails you.

Codice fiscale translation (traduzione codice fiscale)

When an Italian office asks for your codice fiscale, you never translate it: the code is the same in every language. What you may need to translate is the document that shows it.

• “Codice fiscale” in English is “tax code” or “fiscal code”. On English forms, write the code in the field “Italian tax ID” or “TIN”.
• Translating the certificate: if a foreign bank or authority asks for it, a simple translation is usually enough; some offices ask for a certified (sworn) translation. The 16-character code itself stays as it is.
• In other languages: French code fiscal, German Steuernummer (see our German guide), Spanish código fiscal.

Check your codice fiscale online

To check a codice fiscale online, enter it in a verification tool: it checks the structure and the check character and, if you add the personal data, whether they match. This is useful if you received a code by email and want to make sure there is no typo. Use our verifica codice fiscale tool (in Italian): type the code and click “Verifica”. The only official check of whether a code exists in the Italian tax register is the free service on the Agenzia delle Entrate website.

Frequently asked questions