Have you recently moved to a new home in Italy and are unsure how to officially update your residence? Are you wondering how to change your residence in Italy, whether you need to visit the local municipality in person or can complete the procedure from home? And, most importantly, which documents are required to change your residence and who should be informed of your new address?
These are common questions, especially if you are not familiar with the Italian administrative system. Between documents, utilities and public services, it is easy to worry about forgetting an important step. Fortunately, the procedure has become easier in recent years, particularly thanks to the possibility of changing your residence online.
In this guide, we explain what you need to do, which documents may be required, how long the procedure takes and who you should inform after changing your official residence in Italy.
Table of Contents
- What does changing your residence mean in Italy?
- How to change your residence in Italy
- How to change your residence online in Italy
- What documents do you need to change residence?
- How long does a change of residence take?
- Who should you inform after changing residence?
- Do you need a new Italian identity card?
- What happens if your whole family moves?
What does changing your residence mean in Italy?
Before looking at the procedure, it is important to understand what residenza means under the Italian system.
In Italy, your official residence is generally connected to your dimora abituale, meaning the place where you habitually and permanently live. It should not be confused with simply staying somewhere temporarily.
When you permanently move to a new home, whether within the same municipality or to another Italian municipality, you must declare your new residence to the local registry office, known as the Ufficio Anagrafe.
The declaration must generally be submitted within 20 days of moving. The registry office normally records the registration or change within two working days, with effect from the date on which the declaration was submitted.
Changing your residence is therefore more than simply updating the address where you receive your mail. Your new residence is entered into Italy’s official population records and may affect public services and administrative procedures connected to the area where you live.
How to change your residence in Italy
There are two main ways to change your residence. You can contact the Ufficio Anagrafe of the relevant Comune — the Italian municipality — following its procedures, or you can use the online service provided through Italy’s National Resident Population Registry.
The online option can be particularly convenient for foreigners living in Italy who want to avoid visiting a municipal office when their situation can be handled digitally.
The service allows eligible residents to declare a move from one Italian municipality to another or a change of address within the same municipality.
For example, moving from Turin to Bologna means transferring your residence from one Comune to another. Moving from one street to another within Turin still requires you to update your official registered address.
How to change your residence online in Italy
The main online service is provided through ANPR – Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente, Italy’s National Resident Population Registry.
To access the reserved online area, you need an accepted digital identification method, such as SPID, the CIE (Carta d’Identità Elettronica) or CNS (Carta Nazionale dei Servizi).
Once logged in, you can complete the declaration by entering information about your new home and the people involved in the move, and then submit the application electronically.
An online residence change can also include other members of your household who are moving with you. Particular attention should therefore be paid to the composition of your registered household, especially if other people are already officially resident at the new address.
This distinction can be important because the Italian concept of a registered famiglia anagrafica does not always correspond exactly to what a foreign resident might normally understand as a family or household.
What documents do you need to change residence?
The exact documents required depend on your personal circumstances, nationality and type of move.
In general, you should have your identification details available, together with your Italian codice fiscale (tax code), the complete address of your new home and information showing your legal right to occupy the property, when required. This could include details of a registered rental agreement or ownership of the property.
Foreign nationals and people moving to Italy from abroad may need to provide additional documentation. The requirements can also differ depending on whether you are an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen and on your individual immigration status.
For this reason, if you are a foreign national, you should carefully check the documents requested by the ANPR procedure or by the Ufficio Anagrafe of your municipality before submitting the application.
How long does a change of residence take?
One point that often causes confusion is the 45-day period. This does not normally mean that you must wait 45 days before your new residence is registered.
The registration or change is generally recorded within two working days of submitting the declaration and takes effect from the date on which the application was presented.
Afterwards, however, the municipality can carry out the necessary checks to verify the information provided and confirm that the property is actually your habitual residence.
If no problems are reported within 45 days, the declaration is consolidated according to the procedure established by Italian law. It is therefore essential to provide complete and truthful information when submitting your application.
Who should you inform after changing residence?
Updating your official residence does not necessarily mean that every private organisation you deal with will automatically receive your new address.
You should therefore check and, where necessary, update your details with your bank, insurance companies, employer, utility providers, subscription services and other organisations with which you have contracts or ongoing relationships.
For your driving licence and registered vehicles, it is advisable to check that your address information has been correctly updated through the relevant public systems. A change of residence does not necessarily mean that you need a new physical driving licence.
Healthcare may also require some attention. If your move places you within a different local health authority, known as an ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale), you may need to choose a new medico di base, or general practitioner, according to the rules of the relevant Italian region.
You should also check TARI, the municipal waste tax, separately. Changing your registered residence should not automatically be treated as completing all the declarations required for the waste tax.
Do you need a new Italian identity card?
Changing your residence does not, by itself, mean that you need to request a new Italian identity card simply because your address has changed.
Your official residence is updated in the population registry, while the identity document follows its own validity and renewal rules.
If your identity card is approaching its expiry date or there is another reason for replacing it, you can request a new document according to the normal procedure.
What happens if your whole family moves?
If your entire family or household is moving, you must correctly indicate which people are changing their residence.
You should not assume that everyone previously registered at the same address will automatically be transferred to the new one. The application must identify the people involved and provide the necessary information about the new household.
If other people are already officially resident at the property, the municipality may also need to determine whether you will become part of an existing registered household or create a separate one, according to Italian registry rules.
Before submitting your application, it is therefore worth checking the details of everyone involved, preparing the necessary documents and verifying the information about your new home.
With everything ready, changing your residence in Italy, whether online through ANPR or through your local Comune, becomes much easier to understand and manage — even if you are not an Italian citizen.
This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)