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Settling in

Settling in Rome

Rome asks no visa of a French family, but it does ask for method: the codice fiscale first, then residency at the Municipio, then the ASL, school and housing. Here is the order of steps we would have liked to know on arrival, checked against official websites and the French-speaking associations.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

As EU citizens, you enter Italy with an ID card and may live and work there without a residence permit. Beyond three months, residency is declared at the town hall, and almost everything starts with a small sixteen-character code.

Good to know

  • The codice fiscale is the first step, for every family member, children included: it is issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate of your municipality (or by the Italian consulate before you leave). Check that it carries all your first names: a mistake costs you later, and the French embassy cannot correct it. Source
  • Beyond 90 days, EU citizens register with the anagrafe of their Municipio (TuPassi appointment at the Palazzo dell'Anagrafe, Via Petroselli 50, or online with a SPID); the local police may call to check within 45 days. Residency opens the health system, Italian schools, the Italian ID card, the museums' MIC card and the ZTL permit. Source
  • Once resident, register the family with your local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale): you receive the tessera sanitaria, the Italian health card, and you choose the paediatrician. Source
  • Registration with the French consular register is free, valid 5 years and done online: French ID, photo under 6 months old and proof of residence in Rome for you and each child. It is a condition for school grants and voting. Source
  • Week 1, in order: codice fiscale, SIM card and bank account (which require it), anagrafe appointment for residency, then ASL, SPID and consular registration. Keep the A4 sheet of the codice fiscale: it is not a card, but you will be asked for it everywhere. Source
  • If you arrive with your French car, you have 60 days after applying for residency to register it in Italy, on pain of a heavy fine and immobilisation; the procedure goes through the Motorizzazione or an approved agency. Source

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Rome

    Consulate

    Via Giulia 252, 00186 Roma

    In the heart of the historic centre, behind the Palazzo Farnese. Procedures by appointment Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm, some on Wednesday afternoons; buses 40, 64, 70 and H from Termini, tram 8 from Trastevere. No car access: the area is a ZTL.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families follow the schools: Parioli, Flaminio and the Trieste district for the Chateaubriand nursery and primary at Strohl-Fern, Nomentano for the secondary near Porta Pia, the Via Cassia for Saint-Dominique. The market moves fast, and the vocabulary of the listings holds surprises.

Good to know

  • Rome remains Italy's most sought-after city, to buy or to rent, and a terrace is the most requested feature: have your documents ready (codice fiscale, work contract, ID) before you start viewing. Source
  • Three contracts dominate: the 4+4 at free rent (four years renewable for four, six months' notice), the 3+2 at agreed rent, cheaper and tax-efficient for the landlord, and the transitorio, from one to eighteen months, for a documented temporary need. Source
  • Expect a deposit of two to three months' rent and agency fees of one month; the offer is made in writing (proposta) with a one-month cheque, and utilities (water, gas, electricity, waste tax) are in principle the tenant's: ask what the spese condominiali cover. Source
  • A trilocale has three rooms, kitchen and living room included, and the advertised surface may include walls and common areas: ask for the metri quadri calpestabili. Everything is negotiable before signing, repairs above all; afterwards the landlord is less obliging. Source
  • Furnished flats (arredato) are easier to find, as Italian law protects their owners better; listings repeat from one site to the next and the same flat can appear in two neighbouring districts, check the address. Source
  • In eight major Italian cities, Rome and Milan first, the rent of a three-room flat has risen by more than a quarter since 2015, utilities not included: the housing budget is settled before choosing the school, not after. Source

Addresses

  • Parioli et Pinciano

    Neighbourhood

    The smart residential district north of the Villa Borghese: international schools, Villa Ada, trams 3 and 19 to Strohl-Fern in fifteen minutes. Known to be expensive, quiet and safe, very popular with expat families.

    Source

  • Flaminio

    Neighbourhood

    The district of Strohl-Fern, the Chateaubriand nursery and primary up to Year 8, the MAXXI and Explora; metro A Flaminio and tram 2, the Villa Borghese on foot.

    Source

  • Nomentano, Trieste et Piazza Bologna

    Neighbourhood

    The Chateaubriand secondary (Patrizi and Malpighi, near Porta Pia) ten to fifteen minutes on foot, Villa Torlonia and Villa Paganini, two metro B stations, a bilingual nursery. Particularly pleasant for young children; parking is hard.

    Source

  • Prati et Della Vittoria

    Neighbourhood

    The grid of streets behind the Vatican, popular with families and young professionals for its friendly feel; metro A, the Trionfale market, and several French-speaking psychologists and the speech therapist from the consulate's list.

    Source

  • Aventino et San Saba

    Neighbourhood

    The green residential hill above the Circo Massimo, popular with families and expats for its calm; the Orange Garden, metro B at Piramide, the French-speaking paediatrician and a GP from the consulate's list.

    Source

  • Monteverde et Trastevere

    Neighbourhood

    The Villa Doria Pamphilj, over 180 hectares of playgrounds and lawns, the Gianicolo and the Bambino Gesù children's hospital; Trastevere for the village feel and tram 8, Monteverde for family-sized flats.

    Source

  • Via Cassia, Vigna Clara et Olgiata

    Neighbourhood

    The residential north towards the Institut Saint-Dominique: houses with gardens, compounds with pools, an international community, golf and tennis, but a car is essential and traffic is heavy at rush hour; train to Valle Aurelia then metro A.

    Source

  • EUR, Casal Palocco et Infernetto

    Neighbourhood

    The south towards the sea: wide avenues and the Planetario at the EUR, spacious villas and gardens in Casal Palocco, Ostia fifteen minutes away. The choice of families working in the south or at Fiumicino airport.

    Source

Go further

Phone and insurance

The codice fiscale is required for a phone line as for the bank, and SPID opens online formalities. On insurance, only the car is required by law; home insurance is strongly advised.

Good to know

  • The codice fiscale is required for a phone or internet line as for the bank: an Italian SIM card is bought in a shop with ID and this code, no-contract plans are the norm and children can have their own number at low cost. Source
  • Third-party car insurance is compulsory, with the sticker displayed on the windscreen; a new vehicle has its technical inspection four years after purchase then every two years, and the emissions check is done every January. Source
  • Home insurance is not compulsory but strongly recommended, fire, theft and personal liability included: you will need the codice fiscale, your family composition and the value of the insured contents. A policy covers one address only. Source
  • SPID, the Italian digital identity, is required for online procedures (residency, health record, school enrolment, certificates): get it as soon as you have the codice fiscale, you will skip queues. Source

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Banking and money

An Italian account is not compulsory but it makes everything easier (rent, school canteen, direct debits), and it requires the codice fiscale. Day to day, Rome mostly pays by card and by app.

Good to know

  • To open a conto corrente, the bank asks for ID and the codice fiscale, and often proof of address or an employment contract. As a legal EU resident, you are entitled to a basic account (conto di base), with a card and transfers, which the Banca d'Italia asks banks to offer proactively. Source
  • Italian bank fees can be negotiated; choose a branch near home, as not every operation can be done elsewhere, and ask straight away for your full IBAN for transfers from France. Source
  • Until you have a Italian account, your French bank card works just as it does at home: a payment or withdrawal in euros in another EU country must be charged as it would be in France. Still, check your card's terms before you leave. Source
  • Day to day, cards and contactless work almost everywhere, even for a coffee. Between individuals and in many shops, two Italian apps are widely used: Satispay and the BANCOMAT app, which sends money from your account using just a phone number. Source
  • Payments to public bodies (the city's school services, taxes, fines) go through pagoPA: the notice carries a code you can pay by card, from your banking app or the IO app, or at many authorised outlets. Source
  • Since 2025, the BANCOMAT app has been gradually linked to Bizum in Spain and MB WAY in Portugal: you can send money by phone number from one country to another, depending on whether your bank has switched it on. Source
  • To send or receive money with France, a euro transfer is enough: since 2025, euro area banks must offer instant transfers, at the same price as a standard one, and check the payee's name before sending. French school fees can therefore be paid from your French or local account. Source
  • Your French IBAN is valid throughout the SEPA area: an employer, landlord, school or energy supplier is not allowed to refuse it because it is not local. If it happens, point to the rule; it is European law. Source
  • Keep your French account, useful for taxes, insurance and holidays back home, but tell your bank you are moving: it becomes a non-resident account and some terms may change. Check before you leave. Source

Addresses

Go further

Setting up your home

Rome has three large IKEA stores, in Anagnina, Porta di Roma and Fiumicino, and almost everything can be delivered. Day to day, neighbourhood supermarkets and large shopping centres on the outskirts; second hand goes through Subito and the French-speaking families' mutual-help groups when people move away.

Addresses

  • IKEA Roma Anagnina

    Furniture and home

    Via Fattoria Rampa 35, 00173 Roma

    Large store south-east of Rome.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Roma Porta di Roma

    Furniture and home

    Via Casale Redicicoli 501, 00139 Roma

    Large store north of Rome, next to the Porta di Roma shopping centre.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Roma Fiumicino

    Furniture and home

    Viale Donato Bramante 31/65, 00054 Fiumicino

    Store to the west, towards the airport, in The WOW Side shopping centre.

    Website Source

  • Conad

    Supermarket

    Cooperative supermarket network, present in most neighbourhoods.

    Website Source

  • Coop

    Supermarket

    Cooperative network of supermarkets and hypermarkets.

    Website Source

  • Lidl

    Supermarket

    Discount supermarkets, many stores.

    Website Source

  • Carrefour, bientôt GS

    Supermarket

    Carrefour's Italian supermarkets, bought by the Italian group NewPrinces, are gradually returning to the historic GS brand.

    Website Source

  • Porta di Roma

    Shopping mall

    Via Alberto Lionello 201, 00139 Roma

    Large shopping centre in the north of Rome.

    Website Source

  • Euroma2

    Shopping mall

    Viale dell'Oceano Pacifico 83, 00144 Roma

    Large shopping centre in EUR, to the south.

    Website Source

  • Roma Est

    Shopping mall

    Large shopping centre east of Rome.

    Website Source

  • MediaWorld

    Appliances

    Appliance and electronics chain, stores and website with delivery.

    Website Source

  • Unieuro

    Appliances

    Italian appliance chain, part of the Fnac Darty group.

    Website Source

  • Subito

    Second-hand

    Italy's classifieds site: furniture, pushchairs, bikes.

    Website Source

  • Vinted

    Second-hand

    Second-hand children's clothes, toys and baby equipment.

    Website Source

Getting around with children

Three metro lines, six tram lines, hundreds of bus routes and a single ticket: Rome can be crossed without a car, especially with children who travel free until age 10. Driving in the centre is another story.

Good to know

  • The BIT ticket is valid 100 minutes on bus, tram and metro (one metro ride); it is bought at tobacconists, kiosks, machines or on the app, never from the driver, and must be validated on boarding or you risk a fine. Source
  • Children under 10 travelling with an adult pay nothing on the whole ATAC network; monthly and annual passes are valid on buses, trams, metro and urban trains. Source
  • The metro runs from 5:30am to 11:30pm, until 1:30am on Fridays and Saturdays; lines A and B cross at Termini, line C serves the east. Apps (Viaggia con Atac, Muoversi a Roma) give bus waiting times, precious with a pushchair. Source
  • The surface network has over 360 daytime routes, 47 night routes and six tram lines; pedal bikes are allowed on board. Pushchair: prefer trams and the newer low-floor buses, and check which metro stations have lifts before you leave, not all of them do. Source
  • Your French licence remains valid indefinitely in the EU; only the old pink three-fold licence must be exchanged after two years of residence in Italy. Source
  • The historic centre is a ZTL: closed to cars without a permit Monday to Friday 6:30am to 6pm and Saturday 2pm to 6pm, with night-time ZTLs at weekends in Trastevere, Testaccio and San Lorenzo; cameras fine every entry, and a French-registered car receives the fine at its French address. Source
  • On regional trains, under-4s travel free without a seat and 4 to 12-year-olds pay half; on Frecce and Intercity trains, half price from 4 to 15: the sea, the lakes and Naples are within weekend reach. Source

Go further

Admin: health cover, taxes and the consulate

The codice fiscale is your all-purpose number, the tessera sanitaria your health card, and income tax is declared every year even when the employer deducts it. The consulate remains your town hall and prefecture, not your Italian counter.

Good to know

  • Working in Italy opens compulsory enrolment in the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale for you and your dependants (partner, children), for the length of the contract or indefinitely if permanent or self-employed; without work, voluntary enrolment remains possible against an income-based annual contribution, failing a French S1 form or private insurance. Source
  • The tessera sanitaria carries your codice fiscale and doubles, on the back, as the European Health Insurance Card (TEAM) for your travels; it is valid six years and the Agenzia delle Entrate automatically sends a new one at expiry. Source
  • You become an Italian tax resident beyond 183 days a year; the 1989 France-Italy tax treaty avoids double taxation, and your French obligations move to the Direction des impôts des non-résidents. Source
  • Wages from a job performed in Italy are taxed in Italy; the annual return is filed with the 730 form by 30 September or the Redditi form by 30 November, online or through a CAF (tax assistance centre) or an authorised professional. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards by appointment, registration of births and marriages, consular register, school grants for accredited schools (child and parent on the register, first campaign January to March, second in September for limited cases), elections, exceptional social assistance. Source
  • What it does not do: correct a codice fiscale or intervene with the Italian administration, cover your health, hospital or repatriation costs, or give legal advice; general questions go through the Service France Consulaire, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Source
  • A birth in Rome is declared at the Italian town hall then registered with the consulate so that the child has a French birth certificate and an up-to-date family record book; the civil status service also handles marriages and acknowledgements. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Rome is cheaper than Paris or London on many items, but it has its traps: the neighbourhoods around the French schools, childcare for the little ones and rising school fees. On the other side, public healthcare, museums and children's transport lighten the bill. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: comparable to a large French city, markedly less than Paris for the same space, but Parioli, the Aventine and the historic centre are a world apart, and Rome remains Italy's most sought-after rental market. Source
  • Childcare: municipal nurseries charge by income but are scarce, reserved for residents and allocated first to working parents; private nurseries and a full-time tata (declared nanny) are expensive, comparable to a large French city. Source
  • School: state school free at least to the end of primary, school meals by income; the French schools cost markedly less than in London or Geneva (see our school fees page), but Chateaubriand parents have challenged a 40% rise spread over three years. Source
  • Health: the contracted paediatrician and public hospital are free, public specialists charge a co-payment with exemptions (income, age, pregnancy); private care, widely used to avoid waits, is paid out of pocket or through insurance. Source
  • Culture and transport: Roma Capitale's museums have been free for residents since February 2026, under-10s travel free, and a car-free family also saves insurance, parking and ZTL fines. Source
  • Groceries: comparable to France in supermarkets, cheaper at the neighbourhood market (Trionfale, Testaccio, Esquilino); pizza, coffee and local restaurants noticeably cheaper than Paris, petrol and alcohol about the same.

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Rome will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Rome
  2. 2 Consulat, les premières démarches en Italie
  3. 3 service-public.fr, inscription au registre des Français établis hors de France
  4. 4 Rome Accueil, mémo pratique sur la résidence
  5. 5 ASL Roma 1, assistance sanitaire des citoyens de l'Union
  6. 6 Rome Pratique, les quartiers où vivre à Rome
  7. 7 Consulat, fiscalité des Français en Italie
  8. 8 Agenzia delle Entrate, le codice fiscale pour les étrangers

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