This section aims to provide foreign residents with useful information on driving in Italy, as well as procedures to follow:

- Roadside assistance and recovery - the A.C.I is Italy's main provider. Call telephone number 116 for 24-hour assistance, including English-speaking operators
- To own a car in Italy you need a full certificato di residenza. To register or buy a car you also need a tax code number (codice fiscale)
- Non-residents with a permesso di soggiorno can drive on a foreign or international licence until they have lived in Italy for one year. The International Licence is preferable - apply in your home country before you go, straightforward process
- After a year's residence, non-Europeans must acquire an Italian licence, whilst Europeans with an EU model licence can keep using it. The EU model licence still has to be authenticated at the nearest Motorizzazione

- Exchanging a foreign licence for an Italian one is complicated. Best to use an agency to handle this for you, see 'Pratiche Automobilistiche - Agenzie' in the yellow pages (http://www.paginegialle.it)
- Italy has reciprocity agreements with certain countries regarding licences. Because the USA and Canada are not included, their citizens must register with a driving school and take theory and road tests to obtain their licence