I laid the groundwork, in advance of getting my CF, to open two other wildly necessary elements to life as a foreigner in Italy. A bank account in Euros and a Partita Iva.

Cross border banking has become mired in red tape, especially for Americans, where FATCA strives to ensure you can’t hide funds from the omniscience of the IRS. And banks worldwide are charged with keeping vigilant for customers attempting to take part in global financial crimes. So even opening an account is difficult for foreigners.  

However, I was lucky to find an American friend who has an investment banker who speaks perfect English AND has accounts for foreigners living in Italy. 

Next, the Partita Iva seems to be the equivalent of a Sole Proprietorship in the US. Basically I’ve opened a tiny business, through an accountant indicating my expectations to pay taxes. I will use this PI to work for others, invoicing them for my services. Theoretically this tiny business could grow, and in the future I may have the opportunity to employ Italians. 

So, both my banker and my accountant were waiting for me to provide the CF to complete the transactions. I emailed PDF copies to each on Halloween. Boom! Boom! Slam dunk!