Gather and legalize documents

The codice fiscale (tax code) is needed for almost everything: the association, a bank, insurance, the Partita IVA. Request it through the Italian consulate (by post, free) or at an Agenzia delle Entrate office in Italy via form AA4/8 - and get one for family members too. To confirm your profession, join an industry association for your activity (community membership fee ~60-65 EUR/year) and attach your diploma, CV, portfolio and client reviews. Qualification is usually backed by a profile diploma and/or proven experience (community: from ~3 years).

Russian documents (diploma, marriage and birth certificates, criminal-record certificate) have no force in an Italian office on their own. The chain: original or a duplicate; apostille (the stamp is in Russian); accredited translation done only after the apostille; then consular legalization (the consulate confirms the translation and binds the documents). Diplomas are apostilled at the regional education department on the original, not on a notarized copy. Translation is priced per page (~1800 characters); queues grow from mid-May to mid-October, so allow 10-14 days. Check the spelling of your name against your passport exactly.

You need to show where you will live: a booking in the target city for at least a month, or an invitation from a resident (dichiarazione di ospitalita) certified at the Comune. This address later determines your Questura for fingerprinting after arrival.