Reader question: Can I buy a car in Italy if I'm not a resident?

Question: 'We own a second home in Italy and we'd like to purchase a car to use there during our visits. But we're not registered as residents. Are we allowed to buy a car in Italy?'

It's a common question from people who spend extended periods of time in Italy but are, for one reason or another, not registered as Italian residents.

The short answer is: if you're a legal resident in Italy, then you can buy a car in Italy.

As a general rule, if you don’t have residency in Italy – even if you own property in Italy or have business interests in the country – you are not legally allowed to buy a car in Italy.

READ ALSO: Can second-home owners get an Italian residence permit?

According to the Italian highway code, you need to have registered your residency with an Italian municipality to be able to buy a new or used vehicle in Italy.

While you might find a friendly neighbour willing to sell you their old motor regardless, you would also need to register the change of ownership with the Motor Vehicles Office (Ufficio Motorizzazione Civile) and the Public Vehicle Registry (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico or PRA).

This is where you'd run into trouble without the right paperwork, which includes a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno), or if you’re an EU citizen, your proof of residence (certificato di residenza). You’ll also need your Italian tax code (codice fiscale) and other documents, some of which you may not be able to obtain without residency.

The Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) has complete information about these requirements here.

So could you instead bring your own car to Italy from abroad? For short periods, there's no issue with doing this - assuming that you're willing and able to drive between Italy and your home country.

But for the longer term, importing a car to Italy and registering it here would again require you to be able to show proof of Italian residency, according to ACI.

If you live between two or more countries, there's a lot to consider when deciding whether you should - or could - register as a resident in Italy.

Doing so is more than a simple declaration of your presence in Italy; being registered as a resident means you'll face certain requirements (most notably those related to paying taxes) as well as rights in the country. Read more about the process of obtaining Italian residency here.

So if registering as a resident is not an option in your circumstances, you may have to stick with the rental car for now or explore the longer-term alternatives to hiring a car in Italy.

Please note that many bureaucratic processes and requirements often vary from one part of Italy to another. This article is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to purchasing or registering a car in Italy.

For further information and advice please contact your local Motorizzazione Civile office or consult the Automobile Club d’Italia.

See more in The Local's Driving in Italy section.