WHO CAN DRIVE AND FOR HOW LONG
People holding an EU driving licence can drive in Italy without restrictions until their licence expires. However, if they are resident in Italy and their licence does not meet Italian validity requirements, they must convert it after two years of residence (for example, a category B licence valid for more than ten years).
People without an EU driving licence can drive in Italy for up to one year from the date of residence registration if they hold an international driving permit (Geneva 1949 or Vienna 1968 models) or, if accepted, an official translation of their licence. After one year, they must either convert their licence or obtain an Italian licence.
BRING YOUR OWN VEHICLE TO SICILY
The process of nationalising a car imported into Italy involves registering the vehicle, obtaining Italian number plates, and securing valid documentation for road use.
Nationalisation is carried out through the Civil Motorisation Office and the Public Automobile Register.
The procedure varies depending on the owner’s residency status and the vehicle’s country of registration.
- RESIDENCY STATUS
When you become a resident in Italy, you are required to register your imported car within 60 days of the date of residence registration.
If you are not a resident, you can drive an imported car with foreign plates only for a limited period (typically 12 months).
- VEHICLE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Vehicles imported from the EU
Necessary documents: identity document, tax code, purchase deed, foreign car registration booklet, and any European Certificate of Conformity.
Italian VAT (22%) applies to new vehicles (those with fewer than 6,000 km or purchased less than 6 months before the nationalisation request date).
The cost varies by the car’s engine power, ranging from approximately 600 to 1000 euros.
Vehicles imported from non-EU countries (including the United Kingdom)
The car must meet European technical standards to be homologated and registered.
It is necessary to clear the car through customs when entering the EU and to pay any applicable customs duties (approximately 10% of the car’s value) and import VAT (22%).
The Motorisation Office does not recommend importing vehicles from non-EU countries because the bureaucracy is complex and the costs are high.
