Glossary

The words that show up at the counter and on the forms, with a translation and what they actually mean.

Anagrafe ENCivil registry: The municipal office holding the register of residents. Almost every certificate comes from here.
APE ENEnergy performance certificate: The energy performance certificate, mandatory when selling or letting and attached to the contract.
Apostille ENApostille: The stamp making a foreign public act valid in Italy, if the issuing country is party to the Hague Convention — every EU country and most others. Otherwise consular legalisation is needed.
Assegno unico ENSingle child allowance: A monthly INPS payment per dependent child, its size varying with the ISEE.
Autocertificazione ENSelf-declaration: A signed statement replacing a certificate. Public bodies must accept it; private parties need not.
CAF ENTax assistance centre: A tax assistance centre: it prepares the ISEE and the tax return, usually for a modest fee.
Caparra confirmatoria ENConfirmatory deposit: A sum paid at the offer or preliminary stage. Back out and you lose it; if the seller backs out they owe double.
Cedolare secca ENFlat-rate rental tax: An optional regime taxing rent at a flat rate; in exchange the landlord cannot index the rent.
CIE ENElectronic ID card: The electronic identity card: an ID document and, via NFC or PIN, a login key to online services.
Cittadinanza iure sanguinis ENCitizenship by descent: Recognition of Italian citizenship through ancestry. The rules were tightened in 2025.
Codice di triage ENTriage code: The colour or number assigned in A&E: it sets the order of care, not your arrival time.
Codice fiscale ENTax code: A free 16-character code identifying you in every dealing with the State.
Compromesso (preliminare) ENPreliminary contract: The contract binding both parties to complete the sale. Registering and transcribing it protects the buyer.
Condominio ENCondominium: The body of owners in a building. Common charges are due even if you never use the service.
Contratto 3+2 EN3+2 lease: A rent set by local agreements: lower tax for the landlord, but the rent is capped.
Contratto 4+4 EN4+4 lease: A freely negotiated lease: four years, automatically renewed for four more.
Delega ENProxy authorisation: A signed sheet with an ID copy allowing someone else to appear on your behalf.
Denuncia ENCriminal complaint: Reporting a crime to the police. Some offences require a querela within three months.
Dirigente scolastico ENHead teacher: The school head: decides enrolment and class placement, and receives home-education notifications.
Diritto allo studio ENRight to education: The bundle of books, grants, meals and transport that region and municipality guarantee students.
Domicilio ENDomicile: Where your main affairs and interests sit. It matters mostly for tax and for legal notifications.
Esame di idoneità ENProficiency exam: The yearly exam home-educated children sit to move up a school year.
Esenzione ENExemption: The right to skip the co-payment on grounds of income, age, chronic illness or disability.
Guardia medica ENOut-of-hours doctor: Continuity of care: nights, weekends and holidays when your family doctor is closed.
IMU ENProperty tax: Property tax: not due on your main non-luxury home, due on everything else.
Iscrizione anagrafica ENAnagraphic registration: The procedure by which an EU citizen registers after three months of stay. It replaces a residence permit.
ISEE ENMeans-test indicator: The indicator of household economic position: nearly every benefit and discount depends on it.
Marca da bollo ENRevenue stamp: A €16 stamp to be affixed to many applications and certificates. Bought at a tobacconist.
Medico di base ENFamily doctor: The general practitioner you choose yourself: visits are free and prescriptions come from them.
Modello 730 ENSimplified tax return: The simplified return for employees and pensioners: any refund arrives through payroll.
Modello Redditi PF ENFull tax return: The full return, required if you hold foreign income or assets to report.
Patronato ENWelfare assistance office: An office that files your social-security claims free of charge: INPS, pensions, allowances.
PEC ENCertified email: Certified email with the same legal weight as registered post. Required for many formal filings.
Permesso di soggiorno ENResidence permit: The permit to stay in Italy required of non-EU nationals. EU citizens do not need one.
POD e PDR ENElectricity and gas supply IDs: The codes identifying the electricity (POD) and gas (PDR) supply point. They are on the bill.
Protocollo ENFiling reference: The number and date under which the office records your filing. Always ask for it: it is your proof.
Quadro RW ENForeign assets schedule: The part of the return listing foreign accounts and property. Omitting it is expensive.
Querela ENFormal complaint with prosecution request: A complaint explicitly asking that the offender be punished: without it certain cases never start.
Raccomandata A/R ENRegistered letter with return receipt: The standard way to make a formal communication stick, from lease notice to complaint.
Ravvedimento operoso ENVoluntary correction: Fixing your own error or delay at a reduced penalty, before the audit arrives.
Regime al 7% EN7% regime: A substitute tax for foreign pensioners moving to small municipalities in the south.
Residenza ENRegistered residence: Where you habitually live and are registered. Different from domicilio, where your interests are centred.
Ricorso ENAppeal: A challenge to an act. Against a fine you choose between the Prefect (free) or the Justice of the Peace (paid).
Rogito ENNotarial deed: The public act before the notary that transfers ownership. From that moment the property is yours.
Silenzio-assenso ENTacit approval: If the administration does not reply within the deadline, in many cases the request counts as granted.
SPID ENPublic digital identity: A digital identity issued by accredited private providers: it opens almost every Italian public portal.
Subentro ENRe-activation: Activating a contract on a closed meter: costlier than a transfer and slower.
TARI ENWaste tax: The municipal waste tax, based on square metres and number of occupants. You must declare it.
Tessera sanitaria ENHealth card: The card carrying your tax code that unlocks health services. The EHIC is on the back.
Ticket ENCo-payment: The patient’s share for tests and specialist visits. It varies by region and exemption.
Traduzione giurata ENSworn translation: A translation sworn before a court or consulate: plain translations are rarely enough.
URP ENPublic relations desk: The public relations office: the right desk when you do not know which office owns your case.
Verbale ENOfficial report: The act by which an officer records a violation. The traffic version is your fine.
Visura catastale ENLand registry extract: The extract describing the property and its cadastral income, the basis for taxes and reliefs.
Voltura ENUtility transfer: Moving a live utility contract to a new holder without cutting the meter.
ZTL ENLimited traffic zone: A camera-enforced restricted zone: entry only with a permit, within the posted hours.