Driving in Italy

• General Points

If you wish to drive in Italy you must have a valid UK driving licence, insurance and vehicle documents.

On-the-spot fines' for minor traffic offences operate in Italy. These may range typically between €150 - 250, therefore you are strongly advised to stick to the rules of the road, and/or have enough cash if you have to pay a fine even if everybody around you seems to be flaunting the rules in a terrifying fashion!

You must use dipped headlights during the day while travelling on motorways and major roads outside cities.

There are also new strict rules on drink driving - the limit for alcohol in the bloodstream is now 0.5 grams per litre.

The use of mobile telephones in cars is prohibited unless they are fitted with speaker devices or used with headphones.

You should carry at least one reflective safety jacket in your vehicle and wear it when standing with, inspecting or repairing your vehicle if you are on a public highway.

If you rent a car in Italy, you should check the rental insurance terms carefully. Some policies will not cover an accident that does not include a third party eg a collision with a wall. Certain provisions in policies, such as fire and theft, might not apply for all regions of Italy.

• Obtaining a Driving Licence - Useful Information on National Provisions

The licence is also valid as an identity document.

To obtain a licence, applicants must be resident in Italy, pass technical aptitude tests and fulfil the requisite physical and psychological requirements stipulated by the laws in force.

Driving licences are not valid for an unlimited period and must be periodically renewed at intervals stipulated by the highway code in accordance with the categories of vehicles concerned.

If a Community citizen has a driving licence, whether or not in conformity with the model defined in Directive 91/439/EEC, he is not obliged to convert it even if he has lived in Italy for more than a year. However, he may "register" the licence at the provincial office of the department of land transport so that the date of expiry of the licence may be notified for the purpose of the compulsory medical examination or in order to speed up the replacement procedures in the event of the original licence being withdrawn, lost or destroyed.

• Exchanging of Driving Licence - Information on Community Law

If holders of driving licences changed residence or place of work from one Member State to another they used to have to exchange their licence within one year (Directive 80/1263/EEC). This obligation was abolished on 1 July 1996 and exchanging of driving licences has been voluntary since then.

In the event of voluntary exchange, loss or theft, the Member State in which holders have taken up their normal residence will issue the person concerned with a Community model driving licence for the corresponding category or categories without requiring that person to take a theoretical or practical test.

• Applications by Holders

Applications for exchange must be made to the competent authorities in the normal country of residence, at the request of holders and on surrender of their current licence.

Before the exchange is made, applicants must submit a statement to the effect that their driving licence is currently valid. It is up to the Member State responsible for making the exchange to check the truth of the statement, if necessary.

• Further Information in Italy

Ministero dei Trasporti (Ministry of Transport)
Ministero delle Infrastrutture e Trasporti (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport)
URP
Via G. Caraci 36
00157 ROME
Tel +39.06.41586239
Fax +39.06.41586322

Source for Driving Licence Information: European Union © European Communities, 1995-2007 Reproduction is authorised.

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