Is it worth importing your car to Italy?
If you move to Italy, you're likely to find having your own transport is crucial. But is it worth bringing your car or motorbike from your home country?
Living in the Italian countryside has many advantages, but public transport is not one of them. There are barely any bus routes and train stations are often far and few between.
For property investor Stjin Taillieu and his partner Debbie, importing their car from their native Belgium was a no-brainer as they needed it to get around and out of the rural part of Umbria they live in.
“It’s just so useful to have a vehicle to drive from home,” said Stjin. “We can go here, there and everywhere and right now, we’re on our way to Alto-Adige for the weekend.”
They started the paperwork for their car from Belgium in January 2023, shortly after becoming residents.
Drivers who have foreign cars should get their Italian licence plates within three months of becoming resident in Italy, after the limit was increased from two months under amendments to the Highway Code in 2022.
Should residents fail to get their licence plate or register their vehicle during this window, they could face fines of up to €2,848 or risk their car being taken off the road.
“We pretty much did it straight away, after becoming residents. It was quite straightforward.” Stjin said, adding that the cost came to exactly €1,000 altogether.
“All in all the whole process took only a month, and as the law says, we were not allowed to use our car during this time. That was tough, but it was a small sacrifice for a big payoff.”
Italian police officers are pictured as they talk to the driver of a car at the entrance of Casalpusterlengo, southeast of Milan, in February 2020. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP
Under current law you can only get behind the wheel of a foreign car when you have your Italian licence plates (targhe) and registration certificate.
Your car needs to be registered with the Italian motor vehicles office (Ufficio Motorizzazione Civile) and the public vehicle registry (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico, or PRA).
There is no strict timeline between getting your car imported all the way to driving it on the roads again, but the current average is anywhere up to six months.
READ ALSO: What you'll need to do if you bring a car to Italy from another country
“We were really lucky with how quickly we could drive again and the fact it didn’t cost too much," said Stjin.
"There were several factors, according to the worker that helped us. First, a lot of our documents, such as our residency documents and documents identifying the car did not need to be translated making the process quicker.
“Secondly, it’s a European vehicle and therefore wasn’t subject to headlight adjustments which people from the UK and other non-EU countries are subject to. And thirdly, the car was not brand new, which often makes it harder and more costly to import.
“We live in a rural location, a bit out of town, so a car is a must. I’m just happy we have our car.”
The tale is a bit different for Nicholas, who lives in the northern town of Monza; his classic spider car is still in a garage in his hometown in Cyprus.
“I was wondering whether I could bring it here to Italy. You can bring it and register it, but I’ve heard the procedure is longer for classic cars even if there are tax reductions,” Nicholas says.
To get around Monza and the surrounding area, Nicholas bought himself a scooter. He said that the insurance for this was higher than what he paid annually for his car in Cyprus, yet he’s aware that importing his car would increase the insurance significantly. He also noted that only third-party insurance, not full insurance, was available for classic cars.
A car with Italian plates returns to Italy after crossing the Nova Gorica border with Slovenia. Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP
“Right now where I am I can do perfectly fine with my scooter, and because I live in the centre of Monza, parking is hard, meaning a scooter is great,” he said. “There are lots of scooters and the infrastructure is there in Italian cities for them.
“For example, you don’t have to pay to get into the centre of Milan, you can drive on the bus lanes and so it is better organised for scooters.
“I have to weigh all of these things up if I want to bring my car over. I think scooters are good for now.”
If you decide that bringing your vehicle with you to Italy would be worthwhile, you'll likely want to read up on the process and requirements ahead of time.
READ ALSO: Who needs to exchange their driving license for an Italian one?
Be aware that you may also need to swap your existing driving licence for an Italian one. While drivers of some nationalities can exchange their licences, most non-EU nationals face the requirement to retake their driving test in Italian.
If you're a legal resident in Italy (and you will need to be in order to either register your foreign vehicle here or buy an Italian vehicle) you have one year from the date of registering as a resident to obtain an Italian driving licence.
For more information on importing and registering a foreign-registered vehicle in Italy, consult the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) website or speak to your local motorizzazione civile office.
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Living in the Italian countryside has many advantages, but public transport is not one of them. There are barely any bus routes and train stations are often far and few between.
For property investor Stjin Taillieu and his partner Debbie, importing their car from their native Belgium was a no-brainer as they needed it to get around and out of the rural part of Umbria they live in.
“It’s just so useful to have a vehicle to drive from home,” said Stjin. “We can go here, there and everywhere and right now, we’re on our way to Alto-Adige for the weekend.”
They started the paperwork for their car from Belgium in January 2023, shortly after becoming residents.
Drivers who have foreign cars should get their Italian licence plates within three months of becoming resident in Italy, after the limit was increased from two months under amendments to the Highway Code in 2022.
Should residents fail to get their licence plate or register their vehicle during this window, they could face fines of up to €2,848 or risk their car being taken off the road.
“We pretty much did it straight away, after becoming residents. It was quite straightforward.” Stjin said, adding that the cost came to exactly €1,000 altogether.
“All in all the whole process took only a month, and as the law says, we were not allowed to use our car during this time. That was tough, but it was a small sacrifice for a big payoff.”
Under current law you can only get behind the wheel of a foreign car when you have your Italian licence plates (targhe) and registration certificate.
Your car needs to be registered with the Italian motor vehicles office (Ufficio Motorizzazione Civile) and the public vehicle registry (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico, or PRA).
There is no strict timeline between getting your car imported all the way to driving it on the roads again, but the current average is anywhere up to six months.
READ ALSO: What you'll need to do if you bring a car to Italy from another country
“We were really lucky with how quickly we could drive again and the fact it didn’t cost too much," said Stjin.
"There were several factors, according to the worker that helped us. First, a lot of our documents, such as our residency documents and documents identifying the car did not need to be translated making the process quicker.
“Secondly, it’s a European vehicle and therefore wasn’t subject to headlight adjustments which people from the UK and other non-EU countries are subject to. And thirdly, the car was not brand new, which often makes it harder and more costly to import.
“We live in a rural location, a bit out of town, so a car is a must. I’m just happy we have our car.”
The tale is a bit different for Nicholas, who lives in the northern town of Monza; his classic spider car is still in a garage in his hometown in Cyprus.
“I was wondering whether I could bring it here to Italy. You can bring it and register it, but I’ve heard the procedure is longer for classic cars even if there are tax reductions,” Nicholas says.
To get around Monza and the surrounding area, Nicholas bought himself a scooter. He said that the insurance for this was higher than what he paid annually for his car in Cyprus, yet he’s aware that importing his car would increase the insurance significantly. He also noted that only third-party insurance, not full insurance, was available for classic cars.
“Right now where I am I can do perfectly fine with my scooter, and because I live in the centre of Monza, parking is hard, meaning a scooter is great,” he said. “There are lots of scooters and the infrastructure is there in Italian cities for them.
“For example, you don’t have to pay to get into the centre of Milan, you can drive on the bus lanes and so it is better organised for scooters.
“I have to weigh all of these things up if I want to bring my car over. I think scooters are good for now.”
If you decide that bringing your vehicle with you to Italy would be worthwhile, you'll likely want to read up on the process and requirements ahead of time.
READ ALSO: Who needs to exchange their driving license for an Italian one?
Be aware that you may also need to swap your existing driving licence for an Italian one. While drivers of some nationalities can exchange their licences, most non-EU nationals face the requirement to retake their driving test in Italian.
If you're a legal resident in Italy (and you will need to be in order to either register your foreign vehicle here or buy an Italian vehicle) you have one year from the date of registering as a resident to obtain an Italian driving licence.
For more information on importing and registering a foreign-registered vehicle in Italy, consult the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) website or speak to your local motorizzazione civile office.
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