SIM card in Italy and your Russian number

How to keep your Russian number abroad and get an Italian SIM from Iliad, Vodafone, WindTre or TIM: codice fiscale, tariffs, eSIM and EU roaming.

After arriving in Italy, connectivity comes down to two separate questions, which it is convenient to solve in parallel. The first - how not to lose your Russian number, to which Gosuslugi, banks and messengers are linked. The second - how to quickly get an Italian number, without which SMS do not arrive when filing contracts, apps do not activate and in a number of regions they do not issue an appuntamento for fingerprints. Below - the order based on community experience; this is not legal advice, but an overview of practice, so verify operators' tariffs, prices and conditions for accuracy.

An Italian number is one of the first steps after landing, alongside codice fiscale and residenza: for most tariffs you will first need a tax number, so it is logical to line up the two tasks in a chain.

In brief: community data

You need an Italian number right away: per the community it receives SMS when registering a rental, codes for banking and government apps, and in a number of regions the fingerprint appuntamento is given only by SMS.
A codice fiscale is usually asked for, but not always: more often needed for subscription tariffs, usually not for tourist ones; in places the SIM was set up on a foreign passport alone (Wind3, Iliad, DigiMobile).
Payment often goes only through the operator's terminal: per the community a foreign or Revolut card may not be accepted - keep cash on hand; the price is roughly 10-15 euro a month.
The 154-versus-135 code trap: for those born in the USSR the correct code is 135; a wrong code sets up a tourist profile, and changing the number then costs around 20 euro.
You lose a Russian number to inactivity, not to leaving: per the community the period is 2-12 months depending on the operator; every month or two do a paid action (a call or a paid SMS).

Why you need an Italian number right away

Without a local number many initial procedures stall. An Italian SIM receives SMS when registering a rental contract, SMS codes for logging into banking apps, and in many regions the notification of an appuntamento for taking fingerprints (part of the procedure of filing the KIT) comes exclusively by SMS. No Italian number - no fingerprint date.

An Italian number is not a formality but a working tool. In some regions an appuntamento for fingerprints is issued only via SMS, and it lands precisely on the local number. The same with PEC and the online accounts of government bodies - without an Italian number they simply cannot be activated.

Italy consultantpersonal opinion

Emergency numbers (118 ambulance, 112) work even without an Italian SIM - more in the article on the ambulance number in Italy and pronto soccorso.

Buying an Italian SIM: do you need a codice fiscale

The short answer according to the community: for regular subscription tariffs a codice is usually asked for, but not strictly always. Some people set up a SIM at a store on a foreign passport alone, especially in the provinces and at Wind3, Iliad or DigiMobile. At large train stations and in tourist spots it can be stricter. If you do not yet have a codice, it is realistic to obtain or generate it in advance - more on this in the material on codice fiscale and residenza.

The logic is simple: a tourist tariff more often does not require a codice, a full subscription one - almost always. So it is more convenient to first sort out the tax number, and only then go for a SIM.

At Termini station Iliad and TIM would not sell me a SIM: payment only through their terminal, Russian cards are not accepted, they refused to take cash. I bought Wind3 already in the provinces, calmly, on a foreign passport. So the place decides no less than the operator.

Svetlana, communitypersonal opinion

Which operatori people choose

According to the community for newcomers the most frequently named are Iliad, Vodafone, WindTre (a.k.a. Wind3) and TIM; separately they mention DigiMobile with cheaper tariffs, but sometimes more expensive for foreigners. The average price tag, according to the community, is about 10-15 euro per month with a large but not unlimited data package. You can top up the balance at a tabaccheria in amounts that are multiples of 5 euro, through the app, sometimes through PayPal.

The table below is a community generalization, a guideline rather than a source of current prices: operatori are commercial companies, tariffs and promotions change often, verify with the operator.

Operator	Accepts non-EU passport	Foreign / Revolut card	Price and GB (per the community, guideline)	EU roaming	Activation
Iliad	Yes, according to the community set up on a foreign passport	Often their own terminal only; a foreign card may not be accepted	~9-10 euro, 100+ GB, unlimited calls within Italy	Included with a GB limit	Store or totem; at activation they may ask for a codice
Vodafone	Yes, but at the store it can be stricter	According to the community a foreign/Revolut card is not always taken, they may ask for a deposit	Mid price tag, a large GB package	Included with a GB limit	Store, a codice is usually needed
TIM	Yes, a large store network	At stations and in tourist spots - often their terminal only	Mid price tag, a large GB package	Included with a GB limit; trips outside the EU - a paid option	Store, a codice is usually needed
WindTre (Wind3)	Yes, according to the community more lenient about a foreign passport	Varies by point	Cheap tariffs; but some may have no roaming	Not on all cheap tariffs	Store, often on a foreign passport
ho.mobile	Yes (virtual, MVNO)	Varies by point	Cheap tariff, the SIM is sent by mail	Included with a GB limit	Store or online with SIM delivery
Very	Yes (a WindTre brand)	Varies by point	Cheap tariff, often unlimited internet	Included with a GB limit	Store or online

Separately about Iliad: the tariff is simple and cheap, but according to the community a trap comes up - when switching to the largest package (about 300 GB) calls suddenly become paid, and the operator does not offer a way back to the previous conditions. If calls matter more than gigabytes, take a large package with caution.

I was on Iliad, was tempted by a switch to 300 gigabytes - and suddenly all calls within Italy became paid, and the operator refused to roll it back. In the end I moved to ho.mobile, where they simply sent the SIM by mail. So before changing the package inside Iliad, read what exactly changes in the calls, not just in the traffic.

Natalya, communitypersonal opinion

Points at the airport and in tourist zones I advise giving a wide berth, even with major operators: there they easily pile on unnecessary options and may set up a tourist tariff that you then cannot change. Better to walk to the shopping center nearest the airport and get a SIM at a store there.

immigration consultantpersonal opinion

The trap with code 154 and 135

A separate pain according to the community: when setting up a SIM the operator sometimes creates a profile with the wrong country-of-birth code. For those born in the USSR the correct code is 135, while 154 (Russia) is entered by mistake. Because of this they may set up a tourist profile for you, and then switching to another operator while keeping the number runs into a paid redo (according to the community on the order of 20 euro). The same 154/135 mix-up also comes up in the codice fiscale itself - there it is corrected through the comune.

On arrival they set me up with TIM, eight months later I wanted to switch to Vodafone - and it turned out the number could not be kept: at registration TIM had set up some kind of tourist codice for me. I had to pay 20 euro for the change. So make the codice fiscale in advance or at least generate it on the site - for my child I did just that, and at the agenzia the number matched.

Marina, communitypersonal opinion

eSIM or a plastic SIM

An eSIM is convenient in that you cannot physically lose or break it, but with Italian operators there is a nuance: transferring an eSIM to a new phone can be paid (according to the community roughly 10-20 euro per operation). So part of the community deliberately gets the regular plastic. In addition, setting up an eSIM remotely with Italian operatori, as a rule, requires passing KYC, and for that you need a permesso or a carta d'identita - on a foreign passport alone you usually cannot set up an eSIM remotely.

Operator TIM, about 10 euro per month, an eSIM card - it has worked over a year without complaints, it was enough for both the codice fiscale and the carta d'identita. If you do not yet have your own documents in hand, as a last resort they ask you to set it up via Italian acquaintances, but that is already at their own risk.

Olga, communitypersonal opinion

If the eSIM is needed only for internet for the first days, before getting local documents, the community gets tourist eSIMs from third-party services: they give traffic without a codice fiscale, but this is internet, not a full Italian number for SMS from government bodies.

Roaming across Europe and beyond

According to the community with the major operatori EU roaming is usually included in the tariff with a data limit (for example several GB per month), and the app has a table of how many gigabytes and minutes are available. But beyond the EU - in Switzerland, in the Balkans - the connection often goes dead or requires a separate paid option in the app, which it is important not to forget to turn off afterward. Some cheap tariffs (Wind3 is mentioned) may have no roaming at all, even if technically the operator has it. For trips abroad a temporary option (for example for Switzerland with TIM, about 5 euro for a month) is usually enabled by people themselves in the app, and the main thing is not to forget to turn it off afterward, otherwise the charge continues every month.

How not to lose your Russian number abroad

Most often a Russian number is needed abroad for receiving SMS codes: logging into Gosuslugi, Russian banks, old personal accounts. The danger is that the number is blocked not for the trip itself but for an inactivity period - if you go a long time without performing paid actions (incoming SMS are free even in roaming and do not count as activity). The term, according to the community, depends on the operator and the tariff and ranges from 2 to 12 months.

The basic set of measures according to the community:

Once every month or two perform a paid action: an outgoing call or a paid SMS. This is usually enough to keep the number from going inactive.
Switch in advance to the cheapest tariff for keeping the number, so the balance does not drain on imposed monthly options.
Where possible move the number from plastic to an eSIM - that way it is harder to physically lose, and transferring it between devices is easier (provided the registration QR code is saved in a reliable place, not in the cloud and not in the phone's gallery).
Take along at least two Russian SIMs, if you have them.

The most frequent reason for losing a Russian number abroad is not blocks at all but plain inactivity: a person goes months without performing paid actions, and the operator passes the number on. The habit of calling or sending a paid SMS once a month removes 90 percent of the problem.

immigration consultantpersonal opinion

If the SIM is lost or out of order

This is where the most unpleasant part begins, because physically restoring a Russian SIM from abroad without a power of attorney is hard. According to the community there are several paths:

Move from plastic to an eSIM in the operator's personal account - this often saves the day, even if the plastic is lost; it is worth asking support specifically about this option, it is simpler than a power of attorney.
Some operators have a service of restoring and delivering a SIM abroad to your place of stay (according to the community - paid).
Many banking apps resolve the matter of linking a new, already Italian, number through support and video verification - then returning the Russian SIM itself is not necessary.
If a power of attorney cannot be avoided, it is drawn up at the consulate of Russia (sending the text in advance) or at a local notary; in the second case the document usually has to be translated and certified in Russia.

The card went out of order, there is no power of attorney in Russia, no one to restore it without me. The main pain - logging into the bank. With one app everything was resolved in five minutes: I called the number for those abroad, the operator entered my Italian number, I passed verification by video call. So not everything comes down to precisely the Russian SIM.

Zhanna, communitypersonal opinion

The power of attorney for restoring the SIM card I made right here: I downloaded the template from the operator's site, refined it myself, at the consulate they printed it (the text must be sent in advance), certified it, I paid - and that was it. The main thing is to clarify in advance that the power of attorney must explicitly state the right to re-register the SIM.

Tatyana, communitypersonal opinion

Roaming as a Russian IP - a debatable life hack

According to the community a trick flits about: activate one day of roaming on the Russian SIM and share the internet from the phone, because roaming traffic goes through the home gateway, that is, as if from Russia. Sometimes this helps to get into a service that does not let you in from abroad. But the trick is unreliable: some services still require precisely a Russian IP of the region, the money for roaming will be charged, and the result may not come. Treat it as a backup option, not as a guarantee.

Connectivity checklist after arrival

Russian number: switch to a cheap tariff, once every month or two perform a paid action, where possible move to an eSIM, save the QR code.
A power of attorney for re-registering the Russian SIM - draw it up in advance, while you are still in Russia, or through the consulate already from Italy.
Codice fiscale - make or generate it before going for an Italian SIM; check the code 135, not 154.
Italian SIM - get it at a store (not at the airport), compare Iliad, Vodafone, WindTre, TIM; ask about the tourist tariff if you do not yet have documents.
eSIM versus plastic - decide in advance: with Italian operators transferring an eSIM can be paid, remote setup requires a permesso or a carta d'identita.

An Italian number will come in handy further on too - for example, when registering SPID, drawing up a rental contract and connecting utilities, where SMS confirmations go precisely to it.

Official sources

The rules of EU roaming and operators' tariff obligations are regulated at the EU level; general information about digital services and identification in Italy is published by Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale - agid.gov.it.
The codice fiscale, which you will be asked for when setting up a subscription tariff, is issued and verified by the tax office - agenziaentrate.gov.it.

The prices and packages in this material are community guidelines; the current conditions of tariffs and promotions are on the operators' official sites, and they change often.

Interactive "First steps in Italy" checklist - a step-by-step tracker after arrival: KIT, residenza, tessera sanitaria.
Codice fiscale, residenza and tessera sanitaria: the order
KIT-postale: filing for a permesso by mail
SPID: digital identification in Italy
Rental contract (contratto di locazione)
Utilities: gas, electricity, water
Ambulance number in Italy: 118 and pronto soccorso

Frequently asked questions

Which mobile operator should a newcomer choose in Italy?

According to the community the basic choice is Iliad, Vodafone, TIM and WindTre, and among the cheap virtual ones people more often take ho.mobile and Very (Very is a WindTre brand). Iliad is praised for a simple tariff of around 9-10 euro a month with 100+ GB and unlimited calls within Italy, but there is a trap: according to the community, when switching to the largest package (about 300 GB) calls suddenly become paid, and the operator does not let you roll it back. Payment with operators often goes only through their terminal, and a foreign or Revolut card may not be accepted - keep cash on hand. This is not legal advice, verify tariffs with the operator.

Do you need a codice fiscale to buy an Italian SIM card?

According to the community - more often yes, especially for regular subscription tariffs; but in places at a Wind3/Iliad/DigiMobile store the SIM was set up on a foreign passport alone, without a codice. For tourist tariffs a codice is usually not needed. A codice fiscale can be generated or obtained in advance - see the separate material. This is not legal advice, verify the current details with the operator.

What is the error with code 154 and 135 when setting up a SIM?

According to the community 135 is the correct country-of-birth code for those born in the USSR, and 154 (Russia) is often entered by mistake. Because of the wrong code the operator may set up a tourist profile for you, and then changing the number or switching to another operator costs around 20 euro. It is better to make the codice fiscale in advance and check that it has 135. This is not legal advice.

Should you get an eSIM or a regular plastic SIM in Italy?

According to the community opinions differ: an eSIM is convenient and you cannot break it, but transferring an eSIM to a new phone with Italian operators can be paid (according to the community on the order of 10-20 euro). Setting up an eSIM remotely with Italian operatori usually requires a permesso or a carta d'identita for KYC. Verify the current details with the operator - this is not legal advice.

How not to lose your Russian number while living in Italy?

According to the community - once every month or two perform a paid action (an outgoing call or a paid SMS), switch to the cheapest tariff and move the number to an eSIM in advance. The inactivity period depends on the operator and the tariff, according to the community from 2 to 12 months. This is not legal advice, check against your operator's terms.

Does an Italian SIM work across Europe?

According to the community with the major operatori EU roaming is included in the tariff with a data limit (for example several GB per month), but outside the EU (Switzerland, the Balkans) the connection often drops or requires a surcharge. Some cheap tariffs (Wind3) may have no roaming at all. Verify the conditions of the specific tariff.

Why do you even need an Italian number right after arrival?

According to the community - an Italian number receives SMS when registering a rental contract, the SMS code to activate banking and government apps, and in a number of regions the appuntamento for fingerprints is given only by SMS. Without a local number a number of steps simply cannot be completed. This is not legal advice.

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