PEC and CIE in Italy: how to get them

Besides SPID, in Italian digital life there are two more tools around which foreigners have the most questions: PEC and CIE. Below is what providers there are, what it costs, and how a foreigner can arrange both. This is not legal advice, but an overview based on community experience; the issuing procedure depends on the provider and the comune, so verify the current details on official sources.

What are PEC and CIE and why do you need them?

PEC (Posta Elettronica Certificata) is certified email: a letter sent from it has the same legal force as a paper registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt (raccomandata A/R). CIE (Carta d'Identita Elettronica) is the electronic identity card; PEC is available to a foreigner almost right away, even before moving, while CIE runs into registration. The fundamental difference between PEC and ordinary mail is that government bodies, the questura, schools, and companies are obliged to reply to a letter that arrived by PEC within a set period - whereas an ordinary letter they calmly ignore.

Based on community experience, PEC is most often needed to:

• conduct official correspondence with government bodies, the questura, the prefettura, the comune, INPS;
• work as a self-employed person: for Partita IVA holders a PEC is, as a rule, mandatory (see taxes for the self-employed);
• submit applications, reminders (solleciti), and appeals, where a legally recorded date of dispatch is important;
• set up a digital address for notifications from the state (more about this below).

PEC is, in essence, the only way to get an official reply from an Italian agency. An ordinary letter they have the right not to read at all, while to PEC they are obliged to respond within a period. Yes, they don't always reply, but without PEC there is no chance at all.

How a foreigner can arrange a PEC without residenza

The main plus of PEC for those only preparing to move: it can be set up without Italian registration, without an Italian phone number, and without a permesso. According to the community several people opened a PEC while still physically in Russia, on a Russian or Belarusian mobile number. The only mandatory things are personal data, including the codice fiscale.

If you do not yet have a codice fiscale, start with it - it is the basic identifier for everything: see codice fiscale and residenza. It is convenient to decode the ready code and check which country of birth is embedded in it in our breakdown:

I set up a PEC while still sitting in Moscow, on my Russian number. No Italian SIM was needed - only passport data and a codice fiscale. That is, this can be done in advance, before any move.

A subtlety on which people get stuck according to the community: at some providers registration has two-factor confirmation by SMS, and the form expects precisely an Italian +39 number - virtual Italian numbers at that often don't pass. The workarounds members named: set up a mailbox where SMS is accepted also on a Russian/Belarusian number (for some people codes to a Belarusian number arrived fine), or enter a hotel phone and address in the profile. It also helped to keep the provider's page in the browser's auto-translation - then registration with a Belarusian number went through to the end.

For two days I struggled to open a PEC from Russia: at the second step the form required a +39 number, and it wouldn't accept my virtual Italian one. In the end at another provider everything went through with no phone confirmation at all - I simply entered a hotel address and phone in the profile, and the mailbox was activated.

A pitfall: the place of birth and the USSR

According to the community, the most frequent reason registration stumbles is a mismatch of the place of birth with what is encoded in your codice fiscale. The system not infrequently refuses those born in Soviet times if you choose the country of birth "Russia": you need to specify precisely "URSS"/USSR, otherwise the codice fiscale is considered incorrect and does not pass.

The registration kept insisting that the codice fiscale did not match the place of birth. I decoded my code letter by letter and understood what was going on: the USSR is embedded in it. I put "URSS" as the country of birth instead of Russia - and everything went through.

PEC providers and how much it costs

PEC is issued by accredited providers (gestori PEC), the list of which is maintained by the digitalization agency. According to the community the most frequently mentioned are:

• Aruba (aruba.it / pec.it);
• Poste Italiane (postecert.it, the postecertifica service);
• Namirial;
• InfoCert;
• TIM - PEC can be added as an option to a TIM SIM card.

PEC is a paid subscription (for many this is generally the only paid mail they ever encounter). You pay a periodic fee - monthly or, more cheaply, once a year; sending letters themselves is free and unlimited, and the price depends on the mailbox volume. According to the community the prices at the providers are roughly comparable.

Of the specific figures that members cited: at Aruba the advertised price was about 5 euro, but in fact it came out more expensive; at Namirial - 2 euro for the first year and about 19 euro for subsequent ones. These are one-off observations according to the community, the tariffs change - verify the current details at the provider itself and on agid.gov.it.

A couple more practical details from the chats. The subscription can be arranged both monthly and yearly - the yearly one is usually cheaper per unit. Those who need PEC not for constant correspondence but for a one-off task (an auction, citizenship, one or two letters) sometimes set up a mailbox, use it, and delete it, and for the next time open a new one - this way the auto-renewal does not drag on. At a SIM-card-based provider (TIM) a PEC is added as an option to the tariff, and the subscription fee for the phone and for the mail is charged from one place.

I made a PEC at Namirial: 2 euro for the first year, then 19. In reality I needed a letter a couple of times at most - for an auction and for citizenship, I had no constant correspondence with government bodies. So I just deleted the old mailbox and set up a fresh one for the new task, so as not to pay for what I don't use.

The disputes about the price of PEC are endless. Some consider it an overpayment and an almost useless toy, because questuras simply don't read the letters. Others remind that PEC is cheaper than a trip to the post office with a registered letter and pays for itself with the very first official reply. The truth is somewhere in the middle: for a self-employed person it is mandatory, for the rest - depending on the situation.

The basic mailbox and video identity verification

An important nuance: you can use the basic PEC mailbox right away, without confirming your identity. Full video verification (for example, a video call at Aruba) is needed only for separate legally significant or confidential scenarios - and here a foreigner may run into a problem. At this step they often require precisely an Italian document (CIE), and a foreign passport or a D visa may not be accepted.

I never properly got through Aruba's video verification. The call was entirely in Italian, the operator demanded a printed codice fiscale with that QR stamp (glyph), and they wouldn't let me have a translator sit alongside. I don't speak Italian - and they simply wouldn't take me further.

At the verification they requested an Italian document, and my D visa was not enough for them. In the end I got stuck at this step - and they refunded me the subscription money. The basic mailbox worked the whole time, the problem was only with full identity confirmation.

Another stumbling block at video verification that the community warns about: on the call they often require precisely a paper codice fiscale with a stamp-glyph (a QR stamp), and an ordinary PDF printout from email may not be accepted. One member recounted that at the Agenzia delle Entrate, without an appointment, they printed a new paper for him and immediately stamped it with a timbro bearing the word "originale" - and it was with this version that verification passed. For some people the passport wasn't even looked at on the call: they were immediately asked to show the codice fiscale and ran into this stamp.

An important fork between providers: the video call is a story about Aruba. According to the community, at Poste Italiane (postecert) confirmation is arranged differently - there they asked not for a video link but to sign an agreement and send a scan, without a conversation on camera. If your Italian is weak, this path may turn out calmer.

I opened a PEC at Poste Italiane - and there there was no video call at all: you had to sign an agreement and send a scan, that's it. After the stories of acquaintances who were driven around in Italian on video and turned away because of the stamp on the codice fiscale, for me this turned out much simpler.

The conclusion according to the community: if you don't need full verification yet, don't rush to go through it - the basic mailbox is enough for most tasks. And if you do need it, it is better to have a CIE on hand and to understand that the conversation will be in Italian.

Domicilio digitale: notifications from the state to a PEC

When you have a PEC, you can set up a domicilio digitale - a digital address to which Italian government bodies will send official notifications. This is convenient so as not to miss letters while abroad: according to the community one member confirmed that letters from INPS arrive there. The downside is that the activation of domicilio digitale itself may require authentication via CIE/SPID/CNS, so without them it cannot always be enabled.

How to write to the questura and prefettura by PEC

A separate and very practical topic is correspondence with the questura and prefettura. According to the community there are two rules here that are easy to break:

• for a letter to be accepted at the office's PEC address, you usually need to send also from a PEC address: letters from ordinary mail are often rejected or returned;
• conversely, some offices have a simple address (not PEC), and then a letter sent to a PEC simply won't reach them. First clarify which exact address the office uses.

Why members wrote to the questura and prefettura by PEC (according to the community):

• to speed up the booking date (appuntamento);
• to send a sollecito - a reminder referring to the legally established deadline (often around 180 days is cited; verify the current details on portaleimmigrazione.it);
• to transfer a pratica (case) from one city to another;
• to submit a declaration of hospitality (ospitalita);
• to send a nulla osta or al seguito request (family reunification);
• to reply to a communication under art. 10-bis (notification of a possible refusal).

A separate snag with the mailbox provider itself: according to the community some questuras do not accept letters sent from Russian mail services - the letter simply doesn't arrive. Members advised in such cases writing from a non-Russian mailbox (for example, gmail or hotmail). When booking nulla osta it is also useful to format the letter subject correctly (in Milan they cited a format like "2^ sezione - nulla osta") and to indicate in the body when and what the appuntamento is needed for - this way the request reaches the right department faster.

For half a year I wrote to one questura almost every week - silence. It turned out the matter was the provider: from a Russian service the letters simply didn't reach them. I switched to a non-Russian mailbox, carefully formatted the subject for nulla osta - and the correspondence finally got moving.

The reaction, according to the community, is very varied: some offices reply within a couple-three days, others don't respond to a PEC for months at all. So PEC raises the chances of a reply, but does not guarantee it. Samples of applications and reminders are gathered in the Document library.

What a CIE is and who gets it

CIE (Carta d'Identita Elettronica) is the Italian identity document in the form of a plastic card with a chip. Besides the document function, it works as a digital key for logging into public services. But unlike PEC, you cannot get it in advance: the CIE is issued by the comune only after registering residenza (registration). For non-EU citizens, as a rule, a permesso is needed first - although according to the community some comuni (Milan was mentioned, for example) issued a CIE already on a ricevuta and registration.

According to the community the CIE's validity for an adult is 10 years. The comune's fee members cited in the range of 20-22 euro, paid on the spot; the card is sent in approximately 6-10 business days. These are one-off observations, the figures are time-dependent - verify at your comune and on interno.gov.it.

What to bring for a CIE

According to the community, for arranging a CIE people bring:

• a document-format photograph (as for the permesso);
• a foreign passport;
• a permesso or carta di soggiorno;
• a codice fiscale / tessera sanitaria.

Together with the card you are given a separate paper with PIN/PUK codes - they are needed for online services. A useful point: with these codes you can register on the portals even before the plastic card itself arrives.

Important about the ricevuta: the receipt confirming the CIE request from the comune is recognized as an identity document within Italy while the card has not been delivered - but for travel abroad it is not suitable.

My CIE was arranged at the comune after registration. They also handed over a sheet with PIN and PUK - and it turned out that with these codes you can log into government sites even before the card itself arrives. Very convenient, I didn't have to wait for the plastic.

The battle for the codice fiscale: 154 versus 135

A separate difficulty that the community warns about concerns those born in the USSR. The comuni now not infrequently "switch" such applicants to code 135 for the CIE, and getting a card with the old code 154 can be difficult.

I had a whole story with the codice fiscale on the CIE: 154 versus 135. The anagrafe insisted on 135 for those born in the USSR, while I needed to keep 154. I had to obtain a "stessa persona fisica" certificate stating that it is one and the same person, and argue. In the end it was resolved, but it took quite a few nerves.

CIE, SPID, or CNS: what a foreigner should choose

Here newcomers have the most confusion. Let's separate the three tools for logging into public services.

• SPID - a digital identity in the form of a login and password from a provider (Poste, Aruba, Sielte, Namirial, and others). But to register SPID, you need an Italian-issued document - a CIE, an Italian license, an Italian passport, or a tessera sanitaria. So without residenza/permesso SPID is usually not obtainable; a frequent error when trying is the code "ERROR_02 validazione del documento di riconoscimento".
• CIE - a plastic card (see above). If you have it, SPID, as a rule, is no longer needed: most government sites let you in by CIE through the CieID app, which sends confirmation to your phone. SPID is gradually being wound down in favor of CIE and the future IT Wallet (digital documents in the IO app).
• CNS / TS-CNS (the chip on the tessera sanitaria, or an "Aruba Key") - this is the workaround for a newcomer. It can be ordered from a commercial provider (for example, Aruba) with only a codice fiscale, a passport, and an Italian phone, without residenza, its validity is about 3 years, and it opens the same government sites where SPID and CIE work. If you are entitled to a tessera sanitaria anyway, the chip may be free.

It is precisely the CNS that breaks that very trap-chain: no permesso -> no residenza -> no CIE -> no SPID. The CNS is ordered earliest of all and gives access while you wait for the rest.

The fastest way to get access to government sites at the start is to order a CNS or Aruba Key. For it a codice fiscale and a passport are enough, you don't have to wait for either a CIE or SPID, which have long queues for documents. I advise almost all newcomers to start precisely with a CNS.

Ever since I got a CIE, I never found a reason to set up SPID. Through the CieID app the card logs in practically everywhere: you tap the phone, confirmation arrives - and that's it. SPID simply wasn't needed.

How exactly login by CIE works in practice (according to the community): you install the CieID app on your phone and activate the card once by tapping it to the phone via NFC. Then on the government site you choose login "by CIE", on the phone a window pops up "someone is trying to log in", you confirm - and you get into the personal account (INPS, regional health, ordering certificates on the comune site). With a CNS, instead of the app, you use a physical card reader: according to the community almost any one from Amazon will do, as long as it matches the card format.

A useful warning about CNS: the digital signature (firma digitale) and the CNS chip itself are different things, and one may work when the other doesn't. Several members ran into the card signing documents fine, but no portal recognizing it as a CNS (sometimes - because of an incorrectly saved certificate in Windows, sometimes - because of a defective device, for which they were refunded). If a CNS isn't seen by the site, according to the community it's worth checking the certificate, trying another computer, and updating the software from the provider's site.

I bought an Aruba Key, and it came out strange: the signature worked, but the USB key as a CNS - no, no portal recognized it. With tech support we figured out that these are different things and one lives without the other. In my case the matter was the device itself - in the end they refunded me.

When SPID still can't be avoided

Despite the course toward CIE, some portals still accept only SPID and reject CIE. According to the community this is how, for example, the motorists' portal ACI and some regional doctor-booking sites behave (ER Salute, SalutePiemonte were mentioned). Because of this some members set up SPID specifically to catch freed-up doctor slots online.

CIE was enough for me for everything except booking a doctor through the regional site - there it only let me in by SPID. I had to set up SPID separately to manage to grab others' cancelled slots with specialists. A shame, but there was no other way.

About SPID and intermediaries

And an important warning according to the community: never hand over the SPID login and password to a consultant or commercialista. The legal path is to arrange a formal power of attorney (delega) or to work so that the specialist acts while you yourself log in with your own credentials and sit alongside. Access to your digital identity is access to everything.

PagoPA and payments without SPID

Payments through PagoPA (bills, school fees, bollo) often push you toward logging in via SPID, but this is not a dead end. According to the community you can pay without it too - by guest payment by e-mail, or in cash at a tobacco shop (tabaccheria) or the post office. The specific blockers that members without SPID complained about are the tax on a doctor's visit (about 16 euro) and the marca da bollo. That is, the absence of SPID slows things down but is almost always worked around.

How CIE differs from a tessera sanitaria

This is a frequent source of confusion, so let's separate the concepts once more:

• CIE - the electronic identity card; issued by the comune after registering residenza.
• tessera sanitaria - the card for access to public healthcare (SSN); arranged through the ASL (see SSN and tessera sanitaria).

These are different cards from different bodies, and one does not replace the other. At the same time the tessera sanitaria chip (TS-CNS) can work as a CNS for logging into public services - but as an identity document the medical card does not replace the CIE. Read about the CIE on interno.gov.it, about the medical card and SSN - on salute.gov.it.

Related articles

• SPID: what it is and how to arrange it - the digital identity and logging into public services.
• Codice fiscale and residenza - the basic identifier and registration.
• Taxes for the self-employed (forfettario) - when PEC becomes mandatory.
• SSN and tessera sanitaria - the medical card and the CNS chip.
• KIT and permesso - submission after arrival.
• Document library - samples of applications, solleciti, and declarations for PEC.

Official sources

• agid.gov.it - Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale: the rules for PEC, domicilio digitale and the list of providers
• spid.gov.it - the official SPID portal: providers and registration
• interno.gov.it - the Ministry of the Interior: CIE and identity documents
• salute.gov.it - the Ministry of Health: SSN and tessera sanitaria
• agenziaentrate.gov.it - Agenzia delle Entrate: codice fiscale
• portaleimmigrazione.it - the deadlines and status of the pratica for the permesso
• poste.it - Poste Italiane: PEC (postecert) and SPID PosteID

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner arrange a PEC without residenza and an Italian SIM?

According to the community - yes. Several members set up a PEC while still in Russia, on a Russian or Belarusian phone number, without a permesso and without an Italian address. You only need personal data and a codice fiscale. You can use the basic mailbox right away, without video identity verification. See the rules and the list of PEC providers on agid.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

How does CIE differ from SPID and do you need both?

According to the community both serve to log into public services, but they are different things: SPID is a login and password from a provider, while CIE is a plastic card with a chip. If you have a CIE, SPID is usually no longer needed - almost all websites let you in by CIE through the CieID app. But some portals (for example ACI and some regional doctor bookings) accept only SPID. Details about the CIE are on interno.gov.it.

What to do if you have neither residenza nor a permesso, but you need access to government sites already?

According to the community the chain catches a newcomer like this: no permesso - no residenza - no CIE - no SPID. The workaround is a CNS (the chip on the tessera sanitaria or an 'Aruba Key'): it can be ordered from a commercial provider with only a codice fiscale, a passport, and an Italian phone, without registration, and it opens the same government sites. Verify the procedure on agid.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

Why does the system reject my codice fiscale when registering a PEC?

According to the community a frequent reason is a mismatch of the place of birth with what is embedded in the codice fiscale. Those born in the USSR need to choose the country of birth 'URSS'/USSR, not Russia, otherwise the system considers the codice fiscale incorrect. You can decode your code with our codice fiscale breakdown - this is not legal advice.

Can you write to the questura from ordinary mail if you have no PEC?

According to the community - as a rule no: letters from an ordinary mailbox to the PEC address of the questura or prefettura are often rejected. To write to a PEC you need to write from a PEC. At the same time some offices also have an ordinary e-mail, and then a letter to the PEC won't reach them - clarify which address the office uses. A separate nuance: some questuras do not accept letters from Russian mail services, and members advised writing from a non-Russian mailbox. This is not legal advice.

Is a video call mandatory to confirm a PEC?

According to the community it depends on the provider. The video call (entirely in Italian, with the requirement of a paper codice fiscale with a stamp) is primarily about Aruba. At Poste Italiane (postecert) members, instead of a video link, signed an agreement and sent a scan, without a conversation on camera. At the same time the basic mailbox at most providers can be used right away, without full verification. Verify the procedure at the provider itself and on agid.gov.it - this is not legal advice.

Related materials - Digital services (SPID, PEC, CIE)

• SPID, PEC and CIE in Italy: where to start
• How to get SPID in Italy as a foreigner 2026
• SPID without CIE: which provider to pick
• Codice fiscale (tax code) for foreigners

Next stepCodice fiscale calculatorCompute your codice fiscale and see each part explained (unofficial aid).