PagoPA: How to use Italy's official system for paying taxes and fees

If you need to make a payment to any type of state office or institution in Italy, the good news is that you can do so online.

This is a relatively new development: Italy’s PagoPA system, for payments to the public administration, was gradually introduced for some types of payment from 2019.

READ ALSO: Italian bureaucracy: What is a SPID and how do you get one?

In 2021 PagoPA became the mandatory system through which all such payments must be processed, ending the previous need to make payments in person at banks or post offices - and then to scan paper receipts in order to upload proof of payment to electronic systems.

This means you'll now need to use PagoPA to make payments to government offices, state-owned companies, universities and local health authorities.

Examples of the type of thing you may need to pay for via PagoPA include:

• Taxes 
• Utility bills
• University tuition fees
• Stamp duties
• Fees for processing applications for Italian citizenship or residency

Being able to pay these charges online is clearly more convenient than having to make a special trip to the Italian post office and then scan your receipts.

But PagoPA isn’t as simple to use as some might hope: Which website do you use? Do you need login credentials? And which codes do you use to make the payment?

This may not be too tricky if you’re already used to Italian bureaucratic systems. But for those who have recently moved to Italy or anyone who hasn't yet grappled much with the country’s public administration, the PagoPA website can take some figuring out (and it's only available in Italian).

So if you’ve had a request to pay using PagoPA, here’s a step-by-step look at what you’ll need to do:

How to pay using PagoPA:

There are several ways to make payments using PagoPA, and the best option might depend on what you're paying for and how you received the bill or payment request.

If you received a notice requesting payment, the details you'll need from it are:

• The IUV code, which may be called a Codice Avviso
• The QR code (for payments at physical locations or via apps) or the CBILL code (for online banking payments using the CBILL circuit).

If you were not issued a payment request, you will probably need to pay directly via the website of the office or institution you're dealing with.

In general, the payment options are:

App or website

Follow the intructions (in Italian) on the PagoPA website or in the IO app, Italy's official app for dealing with public administration. Find more information about the IO app here.

Using IO requires login credentials: either a SPID digital identity or your Italian electronic ID card (CIE).

You'll also need a debit, credit or a prepaid card (the only payment options available at the moment). You can make the payment using an QR code from a payment notice or by entering the details manually.

Online banking

You can make payments via your profile on your bank’s website or app, if your bank allows it.

You need to access the payments or utility bills section on your bank’s website, and then select the CBILL circuit option (if supported by your bank).

READ ALSO: How to pay or cancel your Italian TV licence fee

The system will recognise the CBILL code you find on the payment notice once you enter it. Then you need to enter the IUV code and the amount to complete the payment.

ATM

You can also pay at authorised ATMs in Italy.

If your bank allows this, choose either the Ricariche (top ups) or Pagamenti (payments) option at the ATM, then select the CBILL circuit and the nuovo pagamento (new payment) option.

Then enter the CBILL code you find on the PagoPA notice of payment and the IUV code.

Pay in person

If you prefer doing things the old-fashioned way or just find the online payment systems baffling, don't worry: you still also have the option to make in-person payments at banks and post offices. Essentially, they'll act as intermediaries and make the online PagoPA payment on your behalf.

When you want to pay at a physical location, such as a post office, all you have to do is hand over the notice of payment to the merchant and make the payment to them.