Importing & Registering Foreign Cars in Italy

The information you need before you import a car or motorcycle to Italy; including who must register and when, what paperwork is necessary and where to go to get it all done.

The Italian Ministry of Transport states that only the following people may register a foreign car in Italy:

Italian nationals (even if living abroad)
Foreign nationals with official residence in Italy (proof of the car owner's residence is required)

The car must be registered in Italy within six months of its arrival in the country.

Registering a Car from an EU Country

First cancel the car's registration with the traffic control authority in its home country. A cancellation certificate and technical specifications form for the vehicle will be issued.

The car may then be driven to Italy on a provisional number plate issued by the traffic control authority.

To register an imported used car, it must first pass a test to ensure it conforms to Italian technical norms. A certificate of conformity will be awarded to vehicles passing this test. For information concerning type-approval, contact the regional traffic control authority (Ufficio Provinciali della Motorizzazione Civile).

To import a car or a motorcycle registered abroad into Italy, it must first be registered and then entered onto the Public Motoring Register (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico/PRA). To do this, the owner must be in possession of the original (or true copy) of the foreign registration document, which must be filed with the Bureau of Civil Motoring (Ispettorato della Motorizzazione Civile).

A good first step for the registration process is to contact the nearest Provincial Office of the ACI (Automobile Club of Italy), which manages the Public Motoring Register, for guidance.

When registering the vehicle, the following documents should be taken:

cancellation certificate
technical specifications form
Registration Request (domanda di immatricolazione) Form TT2119
original and photocopy of the vehicle registration document and certified translation in Italian; a Certificate of Permanent Export may sometimes suffice
original and photocopy of roadworthiness test certificate signed and stamped by the manufacturer or a reputable dealer, with a certified translation into Italian
technical specifications form signed and stamped by the manufacturer or a reputable dealer (Note: Italians returning to Italy from outside the EU are exempt from producing a technical sheet)

It may be necessary to obtain technical specifications information from the vehicle manufacturer. This can cost several hundred Euros to obtain.

According to EU legislation, technically it is not necessary for a used vehicle from another EU country to undergo a roadworthiness test (collaudo), as demanded by Article 75 of the Highway Code, if the validity of the final technical inspection carried out abroad can be deduced from the original document.

There is a fee for issuing a number plate.

Note: In instances in which a car has never been registered, the car's original Certificate of Conformity (Certificato di Conformità Comunitario/COC) is required.

Taxes

New vehicles imported from EU countries are subject to VAT (IVA) at a rate of 20 percent. To be considered new, the vehicle must either:

have less than 6,000 Km on the odometer or
have been purchased within six months of registration

Vehicles with over 6,000 Km on the odometer or which were purchased over six months prior to registration are considered used. For used vehicles, or those registered in a foreign country for more than six months, there is no liability for payment of duty or VAT (IVA).

Registering a Vehicle Imported From the USA

Tourists may bring vehicles with valid non-Italian plates to Italy on a temporary basis and be kept in the country for a maximum of six months without paying customs duties. In rare instances, authorities will extend the permit for another six month period. After six months the car must be exported or registered in Italy (which means customs duties and sales tax must be paid).

A Certificate of Origin (Certificato di Origine) is required for vehicles from the United States that have never been registered in the United States.

The following documents are required for vehicles that were previously registered:

original and photocopy of registration card
original and photocopy of Certificate of Title
technical specifications form
Customs form and certificate (bolletta e certificati doganali)

Taxes

Residents of Italy may import a motor vehicle duty-free if it has been owned for at least a year. To import a vehicle owned for less than a year, customs duty must be paid (11 percent of the vehicle value), as well as VAT (IVA), which is currently 20 percent of the vehicle's value.

For more detailed information, contact the vehicle registration office, Pubblico Registro Automobilistico (PRA): Click here (in Italian)
For more information see the United States Embassy in Italy website: Click here

After Registration in Italy

Within 60 days of the date of issue of the Italian registration, the vehicle must be entered onto the Public Motoring Register (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico) (PRA). This is carried out at the Provincial Office of the ACI (Automobile Club of Italy), which manages the PRA in the province where the holder of the registration document lives.

For further information see the AngloINFO Information Page: Moving to Italy: Moving of Cars

Regional Contacts

Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (Italian Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure)
At: Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico, Via Caraci, 36 - 00157 Roma
Tel : 06 4158 2143/2144
Website
Motorizzazione (traffic control authority offices) Rome
At: Via delle Cincie 28
At: Via Salaria 1045
At: Via del Fosso dell'Acqua Acetosa Ostiense 9
Website
Motorizzazione (traffic control authority offices) Florence
At: Via S. Croce dell'Osmannoro
Webite
Servizi Integrati Infrastrutture e Trasporti (SIIT), Rome
At: Via Salaria km. 10,400, 00138 Roma
Tel: 06 81691
Servizi Integrati Infrastrutture e Trasporti (SIIT), Turin
At: Via Bertani, 41, 10153 Torino
Tel: 01 13012100
Servizi Integrati Infrastrutture e Trasporti (SIIT), Florence
At: Via Lucchese 160, Loc. S. Croce all'Osmannoro, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI)
Tel: 05 530681