ISEE and DSU: filing on the INPS portal

ISEE (Indicatore della Situazione Economica Equivalente) is the Italian indicator of a family's material situation, by which the state decides which benefits and discounts you are entitled to. In practice it works like this: you fill out the DSU declaration, send it to INPS, and in response receive the Attestazione ISEE document with the final figure. This is an overview based on community experience, not legal or tax advice: the form of the declaration, the thresholds and the reference years change, so be sure to verify the current details on the official portal inps.it.

It is convenient to estimate which income thresholds you fall under and whether you have enough funds in the calculator:

What is ISEE and what does it unlock?

ISEE is not a payment in itself, but a kind of pass to benefits. It is calculated for the whole family (nucleo familiare), not separately "for you": the income and assets of a spouse, children and dependents go into the calculation. The lower the final ISEE, the wider the set of available support measures.

Based on community experience, with a ready ISEE you can claim, for example:

• discounts and preferential tariffs for nursery, school and university;
• assegno unico - the single child benefit;
• social bonuses on utilities (electricity, gas, water);
• a number of social benefits and anti-poverty measures;
• benefits and reduced tariffs for some medical services.

An important point: the system requests quite a lot of data, but a significant part is pulled in automatically from the tax and INPS databases. You can fill out the DSU in stages - save a draft, step away for the missing figures (for example, for a bank statement) and come back later.

Two more nuances from the chats:

• according to the community each benefit or discount has its own ISEE threshold up to which it applies - there is no single "passing" figure. So even a not-very-low ISEE may unlock some measures, and it is worth checking each benefit separately.
• according to the community with a low income people separately arrange an ISEE for medical exemption (in the chats - ISEE per esenzione): it gives the right to free appointments, tests and discounts on basic medicines. For more on the connection with healthcare, see the article SSN and tessera sanitaria.

The first time ISEE scares you with the volume of fields, but the system fills in half itself. For myself I understood it like this: it is not an exam but a reconciliation - you check that what was pulled in is correct and fill in the gaps. The main thing is not to rush and to do it in several passes.

What data to prepare in advance

So as not to abandon the filling halfway, based on community experience it is worth assembling a minimal set in advance:

• access to SPID or CIE - ideally for each adult family member, otherwise you will have to choose a separate confirmation mode for them;
• the codice fiscale for all family members, including children;
• rental data, if you rent housing - the contract registration details (estremi di registrazione);
• for bank accounts: the opening date, the balance on 31 December of the reference year and the average annual balance (giacenza media) for the same year;
• data on property - both in Italy and abroad, if you owned it at the end of the reference year;
• data on cars and motorcycles, if any.

Where to get giacenza media if the bank does not show it as a direct line? According to the community you can calculate it yourself from the annual statement. For more on the accounts themselves and the origin of funds, see the article A bank in Italy for a non-resident.

A couple of subtleties from the chats worth knowing in advance:

• for Russian (and a number of other foreign) accounts it happens that the bank issues a statement only for a specific date or for account movement, but not the average annual balance (giacenza media). According to the community in such a case giacenza media is calculated manually from the annual statement. If, however, for the reference year you were not yet a resident of Italy, the income in the ordinary ISEE may turn out to be zero - then they look toward the ISEE parificato.
• according to the community in some comuni ISEE is not accepted without a Carta d'Identita - in some cities SPID and a codice fiscale are enough, in others they ask precisely for the identity document. Check the procedure in your comune or at CAF in advance, so as not to come in vain.

The hold-up is most often on the bank figures. I downloaded a statement for the year in advance, found the balance on 31 December and the average annual one - and then it went quickly. If I had gone into the declaration without this data, I would have abandoned it halfway.

With a foreign account I had a hassle: the bank gave only the balance on a date and the movement, but the average annual one as a separate certificate - no. I had to calculate giacenza media from the year's statement by hand. Budget time for this, especially if there are several accounts and they are in different countries.

DSU precompilata or CAF: two ways to submit

Based on community experience there are two working ways to do ISEE.

1. Yourself online via INPS - the DSU precompilata mode. You need SPID, CIE or CNS, part of the data is pulled from the databases automatically. Free, but requires care.
2. Via CAF or a patronato - you bring a package of documents, the specialists fill out the DSU and send it for you. Convenient if you are afraid of making a mistake, but paid services are possible.

Next we will look at precisely the independent path via precompilata - this is what people most often do themselves.

Online via precompilata is genuinely within the power of an ordinary person: the system fills in a lot and prompts you. CAF makes sense when the case is non-standard - a complex family composition, foreign assets, contested income. For a typical family with a salary and rent precompilata is usually enough.

In our first year the ordinary ISEE did not suit us: residence was less than two years, and the income in the reference year was still foreign. At CAF they advised arranging an ISEE parificato - this is a separate option for those with a short history in Italy or who need to account for foreign income. It is done not via the ordinary precompilata, so if your case is like this, ask about parificato straight away.

Step by step: logging into the portal and choosing the ISEE purpose

By the community's description the order is roughly as follows.

• You open the ISEE portal on the INPS website and log in as a cittadino - you will need SPID or CIE.
• You choose the ISEE precompilato mode (this is important: that way part of the data is pulled in) and accept the personal-data processing policy.
• You indicate why you need ISEE - the type and purpose. Since the indicator is calculated for the whole family, you have to think about everyone at once: spouse, children, dependents.

According to the community the most universal item is the basic block about services, income and housing (it is usually included by almost all families: it covers benefits on utilities, nurseries, schools and so on). If there are children, you separately mark assegno unico. Special paths like the anti-poverty measure (Assegno di Inclusione), the disability blocks or university ISEE are chosen only with a real basis - the presence in the family of a minor, a person over 60, a person with officially recognized disability, or a student who needs ISEE for university.

At first I got confused in these "purposes" and wanted to mark everything in a row. In reality for an ordinary family the basic item about services and housing is enough, plus assegno unico, since there is a child. Extra blocks only complicate things - they ask for data that does not concern you.

If ISEE is needed by a student for university - that is a separate story, and the family composition there may be counted not as for a family applicant. It threw me that for the student version they looked at the parents to whom I am connected, not at the spouse. If you are arranging ISEE precisely for the sake of university benefits, check in advance whose income is taken into account in your case.

You log into the INPS portal with SPID, CIE or CNS; if you do not have an account yet, see how a foreigner gets SPID.

Checking the family composition and specifics (Anagrafica)

Next the system will ask about the family specifics and composition. Based on community experience there are delicate spots here.

• Disabilita: set "yes" only with an officially recognized status (verbale di invalidita or handicap under Legge 104, the status non autosufficiente, etc.). A mere diagnosis or illness without official recognition is not included here.
• Prestazioni per minorenni: the toggle concerns the narrow situation where there is a child under 18 and the parents are not married to each other and live separately (different residences). It is not applied if the second parent has not recognized the child, has died, or lives abroad.

Then you check the Anagrafica block - the family composition. Some members will load themselves, your task is: to verify each one, add the missing ones and confirm.

For each family member they check:

• the codice fiscale;
• the relationship to the applicant (Dichiarante - the main applicant, Coniuge - spouse, Figlio minorenne - a child);
• the place of birth - if a person was born outside Italy, in the "comune of birth" field people often indicate the country (for example, for those born in the USSR the variant URSS is encountered);
• citizenship - usually Estera, if the person is not Italian;
• for minors the absence of their own income and assets is usually marked.

Do not be alarmed if not everyone in the family composition was pulled in - someone can be added manually later. I calmly filled in the missing one, indicated the relationship and codice fiscale, and the system accepted it. The main thing is to check each one, not to leave it as is.

Filling in income, accounts, rent and property

This is the most voluminous part, and it is here that, according to the community, mistakes are made most often. The logic is simple: what was pulled in from the official databases - we do not touch by hand, what was not pulled in - we fill in from the documents.

Income (Redditi). Part is filled in from the tax return. According to the community the main rule: do not type in by hand what is already accounted for, otherwise it is easy to double the sum. Where income does not relate to you - put 0. Be especially careful with the income block under the substitute tax (forfettario): if the indicator was already pulled in from the return, do not type it in there again. For more on the regime itself, see the article Taxes for the self-employed: forfettario and INPS.

Bank accounts (Patrimonio Mobiliare). You check the list of accounts. If one was not pulled in - you add it manually: the opening date, the balance on 31 December and the average annual balance. According to the community with foreign (non-Italian) accounts there is a technical snag - the bank-code field is mandatory, but the system may not let you fill it in; then people arrange the ISEE and make a correction via CAF.

Property (Patrimonio Immobiliare). People indicate housing both in Italy and abroad, if they owned it at the end of the reference year.

Rent. If you rent, the data is taken strictly from the contract registration (estremi di registrazione at the Agenzia delle Entrate): the codice fiscale of the tenants, the registration date, the office code, the registration series and number, the annual rent amount. These values cannot be guessed - they must match the record in the database.

The most frequent mistake I have seen - people out of diligence type in by hand deductions and income that the system already pulled in. As a result the figure doubles, and ISEE comes out worse than the real one. If you are not sure that a field is empty for a reason - leave 0, not "I'll fill it in just in case".

Confirmation by each adult and getting the document

When the DSU is prepared, according to the community each adult family member must separately log into the INPS portal and give consent to the use of their data in the application. Until then the processing status will be pending (for example, DA ELABORARE).

Sometimes after the check empty blocks or errors pop up - then people return to the declaration-confirmation phase and fill in for each family member (residence and employment as of the submission date, other income, alimony only by an official agreement, transport, disability status). By members' description, when each adult's block turns "green", everything is in order.

In the end you receive two documents: the Attestazione ISEE (a PDF with the final figure) and the DSU/ISEE protocol. They are downloaded and saved - it is precisely these that are then attached to applications for benefits.

Do not close the tab until you wait for both documents and download them. The first time I decided that everything was ready, but the Attestazione was still being generated - I had to log into the INPS account for the PDF later. It is better to save both the protocol and the ISEE itself straight away.

ISEE ordinario and ISEE corrente: what the difference is

Based on community experience the ordinary ISEE (ordinario) is calculated on data from two years ago - for a submission in 2026 this is, as a rule, income and account balances for 2024. This is logical for a stable situation, but works poorly if income has recently dropped sharply (job loss, closure of an activity).

For such cases there is the ISEE corrente - it recalculates the indicator on fresher data from the last months and is usually arranged after the ordinary ISEE already exists. According to the community it is used when the current situation is noticeably worse than what the ordinario reflects. Verify the specific conditions, validity period and list of grounds for corrente on inps.it - they change.

A typical mistake - a person looks at the old ISEE based on income from two years ago and thinks they do not qualify for a benefit, although they now earn less. That is exactly what corrente is for: it shows the current picture. If income has dropped - do not orient yourself only by the ordinario.

Frequent mistakes when filling out ISEE

Let us sum up what, according to the community, people stumble on most often:

• they type in by hand income and deductions that the system already pulled in - resulting in doubling;
• they confuse which year the data is needed for, and take current balances instead of the reference year;
• they forget about the average annual balance (giacenza media) and enter only the balance on 31 December;
• they mark disability without official recognition of the status;
• they indicate residence and employment for the previous year, not as of the submission date;
• they abandon the declaration without waiting for the consent of all adults, and then do not understand why the status is hanging.

What to do with a ready ISEE next - some bonuses are credited almost automatically, some have to be requested separately. This is covered in detail in the article Social benefits, bonuses and allowances of Italy.

Which benefits ISEE unlocks

Which specific allowances, bonuses and discounts a ready ISEE unlocks, with what thresholds and after how much residence - according to the community this changes every year, so we do not quote figures here: they are collected and kept up to date in the separate article Benefits in Italy for foreigners: assegno unico, ISEE. If you are looking for the NASpI unemployment benefit (it does not depend on ISEE), see Benefits in Italy for permesso holders.

Related articles

• Benefits in Italy for permesso holders - which INPS payments are computed from your ISEE and which permit qualifies.
• Social benefits, bonuses and allowances of Italy - what a ready ISEE really gives and how to request it.
• A bank in Italy for a non-resident - accounts, statements and giacenza media for the assets block.
• Taxes for the self-employed: forfettario and INPS - where the income in the Redditi block comes from.
• SSN and tessera sanitaria - the health card and benefits on services, where ISEE may also come in handy.
• School and nursery for foreign children - where ISEE unlocks discounts on nursery, school and meals.
• How a foreigner gets SPID - logging into the INPS portal for the DSU precompilata.
• Assegno unico: the INPS child benefit - the payment computed directly from your ISEE.

Official sources

• inps.it - National Institute of Social Security: the ISEE portal, filling out the DSU precompilata, generating the Attestazione ISEE and submitting applications for benefits.
• agenziaentrate.gov.it - Italy's tax service: income data and the registration of the rental contract (estremi di registrazione), which are used in the DSU.
• spid.gov.it - the official SPID portal: digital identification for logging into the ISEE portal.

Frequently asked questions

What is ISEE and why is it needed?

According to the community ISEE (Indicatore della Situazione Economica Equivalente) is a summary indicator of the income and assets of your whole family, by which Italy determines the right to benefits, discounts and allowances. By itself it is not a payment but a kind of pass: with a ready ISEE you can claim assegno unico, discounts on nursery and school, utility bonuses and social tariffs. Verify the exact thresholds and list of benefits on inps.it - this is not legal advice.

How does DSU differ from ISEE?

According to the community DSU (Dichiarazione Sostitutiva Unica) is the declaration itself that you fill out and send to INPS, while ISEE (more precisely the Attestazione ISEE) is the final document with the figure, which is generated on the basis of the DSU. That is, the DSU you submit, and the Attestazione ISEE you receive in response. Check against the current form on inps.it - this is not legal advice.

Can I do ISEE myself online or do I need CAF?

According to the community there are two paths: yourself via the INPS portal in ISEE precompilato mode (you need SPID or CIE, part of the data is pulled in automatically) or via CAF/a patronato, where you bring the documents and they fill out the DSU for you. Online is free but requires care; at CAF there may be paid services. Verify the current details on inps.it - this is not legal advice.

What data is needed to fill out the DSU?

According to the community the minimum is SPID or CIE (better for each adult), the codice fiscale of all family members, the rental contract registration data (if you rent), for bank accounts the balance on 31 December and the average annual balance (giacenza media) for the required year, as well as data on property and transport, if any. Verify the exact list for the year on inps.it - this is not legal advice.

For what year are income and assets taken for ISEE?

According to the community ISEE is calculated not on current money, but on data from two years ago: for a DSU submitted in 2026, income and account balances for 2024 are usually taken. If income has recently dropped sharply, a separate ISEE corrente is provided for this. Verify the current reference years and rules on inps.it - this is not legal advice.

What if two years ago I did not yet live in Italy?

According to the community the ordinary ISEE counts income received on the territory of Italy, so if for the reference year you were not yet a resident, the income in it may turn out to be zero. For cases where you need to account for foreign income or you have a short residence history, a separate ISEE parificato exists - it is usually arranged via CAF/a patronato (the chats name the trade-union platform). Verify the exact conditions on inps.it and at CAF - this is not legal advice.

How does ISEE for university differ from the ordinary one?

According to the community for a student (ISEE for the right to benefits at university, in the chats ISEEU/ISEEUP) the family composition may be counted differently: what matters is the income of the parents to whom the student is connected, not, for example, of a spouse. So for a student and for a family applicant the calculation may differ. Verify the specific nucleo rules for the university ISEE on inps.it and at the university - this is not legal advice.

Related materials - Money, taxes and daily life

• Regime forfettario 2026: rates and INPS
• Italian bank account for a non-resident
• Italy benefits for foreigners: who qualifies
• Bank account in Italy for Russian citizens

Next stepIncome & tax calculatorIs your income enough for the permit? Compare to the threshold and estimate forfettario tax + INPS.

Documents for this topic

• Certificate of Tax Residency in Italy (Attestato di Residenza Fiscale - Agenzia delle Entrate)
• Document Checklist for Admission to Italian University (Master's, Non-EU Citizens)
• Declaration of exemption from television fee (Agenzia delle Entrate)