BUREAUCRACY

Permits or permissions are required for everything, and there are benefits for having them, and also for not. There are endless pieces of paper required to do almost anything, if it is done officially; if it is just done and you get caught, you will get a slap on the wrist and fined. In England everything is legal unless actually prescribed against; in Italy nothing is legal unless a law exists to control it. Remember, though, that the guiding ethos of all Catholic countries is forgiveness, and while the Protestants carry their sins past the grave until confronted by Saint Peter, the Pope's lot can commit any sins they like, confess on Sunday, and start with a clean sheet. They are also in receipt of absolution when they die. They all arrive in heaven with a clean sheet.

National and local government and local bureaucracy is much the same. I have lived and worked in Italy for many years with the minimum of paperwork. My wife is a fully fledged paid up stamped and sealed member of the community. With the EEC, new rules and regulations are being promulgated on a daily basis. I think it is best to ignore them all until a man comes knocking on the door; then plead guilty, say you're sorry, a stupid foreigner, and promise to comply. They will forgive, you will pay a small fine and comply, everyone will be happy. My wife has an entirely different approach, choose the one you like best!

Minor bureaucrats often invent problems so that eventually they can help one solve them. They are then shown to be more important, and by helping to overcome the problem, have made another foreign friend. There is no need to bribe, and even the offer would cause deep offence. A cup of coffee when meeting in the street, a smile, an acknowledgement, is all that is necessary.

Codice Fiscale

A codice fiscale is Italy's equivalent of the American social security number. It is a combination of numbers and letters that unequivocally identifies an Italian resident. You will need this number when you want to do most anything - from opening a bank account to obtaining your health insurance or setting up utilities for your home. In fact, every member of your household must have their own - individual - codice ficale number. So, it's advisable to get this number as soon as possible.

Some people have been able to get a codice fiscale from the Italian consulate when getting their Visa. But, usually, to get a codice fiscale, you must appear in person at your local Agenzia delle Entrate.

You can find your local office by clicking your region here www.agenziaentrate.it/indirizzi/agenzia/uffici_locali/index.htm.

The documentation that you will need is:

• Identification (passport)
• Permit to Stay (Permesso di Soggiorno) or Residency documents

If you are purchasing a house in Italy, many times your real estate agent will be able to get you a codice fiscale without a permesso di soggiorno but you will need to show your passport.

There is a predefined method for determining your codice fiscale such as name, date of birth, birthplace, etc. And, there are many sites on the internet where you can input some data and the computer will calculate the codice fiscale for you. One of those sites is: http://www.comuni.it/servizi/codfisc. But, remember, there is no 100% guarantee that the code given is correct. The data to input is:

Cognome = Last Name
Nome = First and Middle Names
Sesso = Gender
Comune di Nascita = Town of Birth (if you are a foreigner, insert country of birth: Stati Uniti; Inghilterra, etc...)
Provincia = Province (use only if born in Italy)
Data Nascita = Birth Date (Day-Month-Year)

This code can be used for simple transactions like buying a cell phone while on vacation. But, it is not a VALID REGISTERED CODE. You will not be able to use a code you get off the internet to set up a bank account or buy a house. You'll need to appear in person at your local Agenzia delle Entrate, as mentioned above.

For several years, Wales wasn't listed as a separate country and was considered to be a part of England, much to the annoyance of the Welsh. Slovenia and Slovakia also get easily confused.