
If you’re thinking of bringing a vehicle into Italy from another EU country on a permanent basis, you may do well to register it officially with the authorities. Whether you are an Italian resident or not, you cannot drive an unregistered car in the country for more than a year. There are several steps to take and several documents you will need to complete this process.
Preliminary steps
First, you will have to cancel the vehicle’s registration in the country where it is currently registered. You will then be issued with a cancellation certificate and a form with the technical specifications of the vehicle, and in the meantime, you’ll be able to drive around Italy on a temporary registration.
To register a used car in Italy that has been imported from abroad, it first needs to pass a sort of MOT to see if it meets with Italian regulations. Assuming your car passes this test, you’ll be given a Certificate of Conformity with EU rules.
Other paperwork
You now have 60 days in which to register your vehicle on the Public Automobile Register (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico or PRA). This is done by going to your local Motor Vehicle Office (Ufficio Provinciale della Motorizzazione Civile or UMC) and presenting the following documents:
- Cancellation certificate
- Technical specifications form
- Registration application form (domanda di immatricolazione) TT2119
- A previous registration document for the vehicle and a certified Italian translation of it. Sometimes a certificate of permanent export will do
- A technical inspection certificate signed and stamped by the manufacturer or an accredited distributor, with a certified Italian translation
Note that new cars imported from EU countries are subject to 21% VAT in Italy. Your local branch of the Italian Automobile Club (Automobile Club d'Italia or ACI) can provide you with more information and advice.