Getting a CIN without SPID: what to do if you live abroad

Almost every public portal involved (the Ministry, the Regions, the Comuni) is accessed with SPID or CIE:

• SPID generally requires Italian documents, and in practice non-residents struggle to get one;
• the CIE, the electronic identity card, is issued to residents of Italy and to Italian citizens.

It's not only the CIN. The notice to the Comune (the town hall) or to the regional portal, which comes before the regional code, usually requires SPID or CIE too. That's where many owners are stuck for months.

For the CIN request itself, the Ministry of Tourism lets people without an Italian digital identity access its accommodation database (BDSR) with a username and password. How it works:

1. On the BDSR login page you choose registration for foreign users and fill in your name, date of birth, Italian tax code (codice fiscale), nationality, home address, ID document details, contact details and the Comune where the property is.
2. Registration is not instant: Ministry staff check the data before enabling you.
3. You receive credentials by email. When you log in, the portal also asks for a one-time code from an authenticator app on your phone, such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator. This is where many owners get stuck.
4. Once you are in, the steps are the same as for Italian users: find the property, add the cadastral data and get the CIN.

The catch: this only solves the last step. If your region requires a regional code first, and the regional or municipal portal asks for SPID, you are still stuck.

This is the most common solution. You sign a delegation (delega), or a special power of attorney (procura speciale) where the office requires one, in favour of a professional or agency in Italy. They file everything in your name with their own credentials. The offices explicitly allow it:

• the Comune di Firenze provides "procura speciale proprietario" and delegation forms for the short-let authorisation;
• for Alloggiati Web (police guest registration) credentials, the Questure accept requests filed by a third party with a delegation and the owner's ID;
• the notice to the Comune's SUAP (municipal business desk) can be filed by an authorised intermediary.

You sign remotely and receive the codes. Legal responsibility still stays with the owner, so it's worth choosing someone who really knows the procedures in your area.

• Italian tax code (codice fiscale). You already have one if you bought property in Italy, because the notary requires it. If you've lost it, request it from the Agenzia delle Entrate (the Italian Revenue Agency) or through an Italian consulate.
• A valid ID, such as your passport.
• Deed or cadastral record (visura catastale) for the property's cadastral data.
• A gas/CO detector and fire extinguisher installed in the property.
• Tourist tax details, if your Comune charges it.

Short-let income from Italian property is declared in Italy even if you live abroad. If you use a platform such as Airbnb, it often withholds part of the tax at source, but the annual Italian return is still required. Double-taxation treaties prevent you from paying twice, but your situation should be checked with an Italian accountant (commercialista).