The Italian House-Buying Timeline: Compromesso to Rogito

Before you can sign any binding document in Italy, you need two things — a codice fiscale (Italian tax ID) and, for most closings, an Italian bank account. Missing either one stalls every subsequent step. Start both processes 4-8 weeks before you expect to make an offer.

Codice fiscale. This is the Italian analogue of the Spanish NIE or the French numéro fiscal. You need it to sign a binding contract, open a bank account, register the deed, pay taxes, and interact meaningfully with any government office. Two paths to get one:

• Apply at an Italian consulate in the US. NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, DC, San Francisco, and Detroit all issue codice fiscale to US residents. You submit form AA4/8, provide a passport copy and a reason for needing the number ('acquisto di immobile in Italia' — purchase of property in Italy — is fully accepted), and receive the code in 1-4 weeks. No fee for most posts. The Agenzia delle Entrate consular page lists the procedures.
• Apply in Italy in person at any Agenzia delle Entrate office. You walk in with your passport and the form, wait in line, and walk out with the code the same day. Total time: 2-4 hours. This is the fastest route for anyone already in Italy.

A power of attorney to an Italian lawyer can also handle the codice fiscale on your behalf for about €200-400, useful for buyers who can't travel.

Italian bank account. Non-resident foreigners can open accounts at Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, BPER, BancoPosta, and a few online banks (Fineco, N26). You need the codice fiscale, passport, and proof of US address. Fees run €5-15/month. Account opening takes 1-5 days once you have the codice. Some American buyers skip the Italian bank account and use Wise multi-currency for incoming wires, but the notaio will usually want proceeds in an Italian bank before the rogito. r/ItalyExpat threads on opening bank accounts have recent reports on which banks are currently most open.

Currency strategy. Plan how you'll move USD to EUR. Wise, CurrenciesDirect, Moneycorp, and OFX all work. For six-figure transfers budget 2-5 business days and a 0.35-0.8% spread. Avoid US bank wire (2-3% hidden spread). See our euro currency strategy article.

Engaging an Italian real estate lawyer (avvocato immobiliarista). Separate from the notaio. The avvocato represents you specifically, runs pre-purchase diligence, drafts or reviews the compromesso, and advises on negotiation. Italian law does not require a lawyer (the notaio covers most legal functions), but foreign buyers should retain one for roughly 1-1.5% of purchase price. Firms like The Italian Lawyer, Italian Real Estate Lawyers, and Italy Law Firms handle American buyers regularly.

Italian real estate offers do not work the way American offers do. The standard Italian process starts with the buyer making a written proposta d'acquisto irrevocabile — an irrevocable purchase proposal. This is a unilateral offer from the buyer to the seller: 'I commit to buy your property at this price, with these terms, for this period of time.'

What the proposta contains:

• Purchase price in euros
• Payment schedule (typical: small deposit with proposta, 10-20% at compromesso, balance at rogito)
• A small deposit (deposito cauzionale or caparra penitenziale) typically €2,000-10,000 paid to the estate agent via cashier's check
• An expiration date — typically 7-14 days for the seller to accept
• Any contingencies (financing, due diligence, etc.)

What happens when the seller accepts. The proposta becomes a binding bilateral contract. The deposit converts from a caparra to a caparra confirmatoria under Article 1385 of the Italian Civil Code, which is the key provision American buyers should understand. Under Article 1385, if the buyer defaults, the seller keeps the caparra; if the seller defaults, the buyer is entitled to double the caparra back. This is structurally similar to the Spanish arras penitenciales and serves the same protective function.

What happens if the seller does not accept within the deadline. The proposta lapses and the deposit is returned to the buyer. The buyer is free to make a different offer or walk away.

Typical timeline for Stage 1: 1-2 weeks from the buyer signing the proposta to the seller's acceptance or rejection. During this window the buyer should be using the time to engage a notaio and, if financing, to have the Italian bank run the initial underwriting review.

What not to do. Do not sign a proposta that was drafted by the seller's real estate agent without having it reviewed by your avvocato. Italian estate agents sometimes insert clauses that accelerate default, shorten cooling-off periods, or lock in penalties. A 30-minute review by a lawyer prevents most of these. r/Italy threads on proposta problems have real examples.

Once the proposta is accepted and initial diligence is complete, the parties sign the compromesso (also called contratto preliminare di compravendita). This is the formal preliminary contract of sale, a full-fledged legally binding agreement that commits both parties to close on the terms set out. Under Italian law, the compromesso is an enforceable contract even if the rogito is not yet signed — if one party backs out, the other can sue for specific performance, not just damages.

What the compromesso contains.

• Full description of the property (including cadastral references, visura catastale, and any appurtenances)
• Final purchase price and payment schedule
• Deposit — typically 10% to 30% of the purchase price, paid to the seller directly as caparra confirmatoria
• Rogito date (target for the notarial closing)
• Representations and warranties from the seller (clean title, paid-up taxes, no undisclosed liens, compliance with urbanistica and catastal regulations)
• Any conditions precedent (financing approval, good-faith closing fund transfer, absence of adverse diligence findings)
• Allocation of risk between signing and closing (who bears loss if the property is damaged before rogito)

Who drafts the compromesso. In theory, either party's lawyer; in practice the real estate agent often produces a standard form, which the buyer's avvocato reviews and revises. Most American buyers should retain their own lawyer to draft the compromesso rather than sign a standard form. Budget €500-1,500 in legal fees for the compromesso stage alone.

Registration of the compromesso (trascrizione). Optional but strongly recommended. For a fee of about 0.5% of the purchase price (plus €200 stamp duty), the compromesso can be registered with the Conservatoria dei Registri Immobiliari — the public land registry. Registration protects the buyer against the seller selling the same property to a third party before the rogito, and against liens or bankruptcies on the seller between compromesso and rogito. Without registration, your compromesso is binding but a fraudulent seller who transfers to a good-faith third party can create a mess that takes years to unwind. Casa Tuscany's purchase process guide explains the trade-off.

Timeline from compromesso to rogito. Italian law allows the parties to set the rogito date in the compromesso, typically 60-90 days later but sometimes longer for specific reasons (waiting for a financing approval, resolving a heritage question, coordinating seller's downpayment on their next purchase). Rogito dates can be extended by mutual agreement.

The 'living in the compromesso' period. Between compromesso and rogito, the buyer is the beneficial owner but not the legal owner. The property still belongs to the seller, who retains the legal right to use it (and the obligation to maintain it in the condition described). The buyer has paid substantial earnest money and is at risk if the seller defaults. This is the most sensitive period in the Italian timeline and is where things go wrong.

The rogito notarile (also called atto notarile di compravendita) is the final signing ceremony at the notaio's office. Like the French acte authentique, the Italian notaio is a public legal officer, and the rogito has the full legal force of a sovereign act. The rogito transfers ownership, and is the moment at which the seller's liability for the property ends and the buyer's begins.

What happens at the rogito.

1. Both parties (or their authorized representatives under power of attorney) appear at the notaio's office.
2. The notaio reads the atto aloud — this is a legal requirement under Italian notarial law. The atto is in Italian. If the buyer is not fluent in Italian, a sworn translator or the notaio's bilingual staff reads a translation alongside.
3. Both parties sign.
4. The buyer transfers the balance of the purchase price to the seller, typically via assegni circolari (cashier's checks from the buyer's Italian bank) handed over at the closing table, or via pre-authorized wire to the notaio's escrow that disburses on closing.
5. The notaio collects the imposta di registro, imposta ipotecaria, and imposta catastale (transfer taxes — see below) and holds them to remit to the Agenzia delle Entrate within 20 days.
6. The notaio provides the buyer with a certified copia conforme of the atto.
7. The seller hands over the keys and any property documentation (floor plans, cadastral extracts, condo association minutes).

The notaio's fee. Usually 1% to 2.5% of the declared purchase price (not the assessed value), regulated by the Italian notaio council. Most of the 'notaio fees' you pay at the rogito are actually transfer taxes that the notaio is collecting for the state — just like France. The actual notaio professional compensation is typically €2,000-6,000 for a residential transaction.

Post-rogito registration at the Conservatoria. The notaio files the atto with the land registry (Conservatoria dei Registri Immobiliari) within 20 days. Registration is typically complete within 30 days of filing. The final registered atto is the buyer's title of record. For foreign buyers, the notaio typically arranges to have the final registered copy mailed to the buyer's address or held at the notaio's office for pickup. Trevi Elite's complete notaio guide has more detail on the post-rogito flow.

Italian transfer taxes depend on whether you're buying a new build (from a VAT-registered developer) or a resale (from a private seller), and on whether the property will be your primary residence or a second home.

Resale (used) property, second home (most American foreign buyers).

• Imposta di registro: 9% of the cadastral value (valore catastale), not the market price. This is the Italian tax system's big break for foreign buyers — cadastral values are typically 50-70% of market value, so a 9% rate on cadastral value is equivalent to 4.5-6.3% on market value.
• Imposta ipotecaria: €50 fixed
• Imposta catastale: €50 fixed
• No VAT (used property is outside the VAT scope)

Resale property, primary residence ('prima casa'). Only applies if you are a resident of Italy, so foreign non-resident buyers almost never qualify. If it applies: 2% imposta di registro on cadastral value, €50 ipotecaria, €50 catastale.

New build from developer.

• VAT (IVA): 10% of the purchase price on the primary market, reduced to 4% if prima casa. Note this is on market price, not cadastral.
• Imposta di registro: €200 fixed
• Imposta ipotecaria: €200 fixed
• Imposta catastale: €200 fixed

The Agenzia delle Entrate's English real estate tax page has current rates.

Worked example. A €400,000 second home in Tuscany with a cadastral value of €200,000:

• Imposta di registro: 9% × €200,000 = €18,000
• Imposta ipotecaria + catastale: €100
• Notaio fee: ~€4,000
• Lawyer fee: ~€4,000-6,000
• Registration of compromesso (if elected): ~€2,000
• Total closing costs: approximately €28,000-30,000 (7-7.5% of purchase price)

Annual costs after closing.

• IMU (Imposta Municipale Unica) — municipal property tax, typically 0.4% to 1.06% of cadastral value per year. Primary residence is exempt for residents; second homes pay the full rate.
• TARI — waste collection tax, €200-600/year depending on property size and commune.
• Condominio fees for apartments — €1,200 to €4,000+/year depending on building.
• TASI — additional municipal services tax in some communes, variable.

For more on the Italian ongoing cost side see our cost of living in Italy article.

Italian banks do lend to non-resident foreigners, but the terms are narrow and the process is slow. Typical 2026 terms for a non-resident American buying an Italian second home:

• Maximum LTV: 50% to 60% (significantly lower than for Italian residents who get 80-90%)
• Interest rates: variable Euribor-linked at 2-4% margin, fixed rates 3.5-6% depending on term
• Term: 15-25 years max, must finish by retirement age
• Documentation: 3 years of US tax returns, US credit reports, 6 months of US bank statements, employment verification or self-employed documentation, proof of US assets, and typically an Italian credit evaluation that can take 4-8 weeks

Simon Conn's foreign buyer mortgage guide is the most comprehensive English-language source on non-resident Italian mortgages.

The practical reality: Italian non-resident mortgage processing usually takes 8-16 weeks, which is longer than most Italian compromesso-to-rogito timelines. This creates tension — you sign the compromesso expecting to close in 60-90 days, but your mortgage isn't approved in time. Options: (1) extend the compromesso, which the seller may refuse, (2) include a financing contingency in the compromesso (clausola sospensiva per ottenimento del mutuo), which lets you walk if financing doesn't come through, (3) pay cash and skip the Italian mortgage entirely. Most American buyers choose option 3. Our wiring money foreign property article and euro currency strategy article cover the cash transfer mechanics.

Putting it all together, here is a realistic calendar for an American first-time Italian property purchase.

• Week 0-4 — Research regions, shortlist 2-3 target areas, begin codice fiscale application through US consulate
• Week 4-8 — Codice fiscale in hand, engage Italian real estate lawyer, begin property viewing trip planning
• Week 8-10 — Property viewing trip (7-14 days in country), identify target property
• Week 10-11 — Submit proposta d'acquisto, 7-14 day response window
• Week 11-12 — Proposta accepted, initial diligence begins
• Week 12-16 — Compromesso drafted, reviewed, and signed; 10-30% deposit paid; compromesso registered at Conservatoria (optional but recommended)
• Week 16-24 — Full diligence runs in parallel with financing (if applicable); notaio schedules rogito; funds prepared
• Week 24-26 — Rogito at notaio's office; balance of purchase price paid; keys received
• Week 26-30 — Notaio files the atto with the Conservatoria; registered deed returned

Total: roughly 6 months from first serious engagement to fully-registered deed.

Fast path: 3-4 months if you already have codice fiscale, pay cash, and find a clean-title property with a motivated seller.

Slow path: 8-12 months if the property has inheritance issues in the seller's chain of title, requires multiple Conservatoria filings, or crosses Ferragosto (the August holiday period when Italy effectively stops working for 3-4 weeks). Avoid scheduling closings that cross August.

For the cross-country comparison see our offer accepted on a house abroad article and our countries Americans can't buy property guide. For real listings, browse our Italy country page and the city pages for Rome, Florence, Milan, Bologna, and Naples.