How long can a car stay in Italy?

How long can a car with Ukrainian registration stay in Italy?
The general rule is set by art. 93-bis of the Codice della strada (Italian Highway Code): a car registered abroad may be driven in Italy for three months from the date its owner obtains residenza (registered residence).
If the car’s owner does not have residenza in Italy, the car may be driven freely in Italy for one year (art. 132 of the Codice della strada).
Once this period has expired, the owner must register the vehicle with the relevant Italian authorities.
The Italian government has made allowances for refugees from Ukraine and considerably simplified the rules for Ukrainian citizens’ vehicles on Italian roads.
On 22 May 2023 a circular from the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport dated 12.05.2023, protocol no. 14744 (Protocollo nr° 14744 del 12/05/2023 – Circolazione in Italia di veicoli provenienti dall’Ucraina intestati a cittadini ucraini rifugiati), came into force. Under this circular, vehicles with Ukrainian registration no longer have to be cleared through customs in Italy, provided that their owner holds a temporary protection residence permit (permesso di soggiorno protezione temporanea emergenza Ucraina).
Instead, Ukrainian citizens who are beneficiaries of temporary protection in Italy have been given the right to obtain EE (escursionisti esteri, “foreign visitors”) number plates for their cars.
So who do the new rules apply to?

• Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection in Italy
• who own a car with Ukrainian registration.
  Only one car can be registered with EE plates under this procedure, and it must be owned by the Ukrainian citizen. The vehicle’s weight must not exceed 3.5 t.

If these conditions are met, Ukrainians are exempt from all customs formalities.
To obtain EE plates, you need to go to the ufficio motorizzazione (vehicle registration office) with an application for number plates on form TT 2119. (Form TT 2119 can be found at https://www.provincia.tn.it/Documenti-e-dati/Modulistica/Modulo-TT-2119-Domanda-per-operazioni-di-Motorizzazione-per-veicoli# ).
You also need to provide the following documents:

• passport or other valid identity document
• temporary protection residence permit (permesso di soggiorno per protezione temporanea emergenza Ucraina)
• the vehicle’s Ukrainian registration certificate (translated into Italian)
• Italian codice fiscale (tax code), i.e. the tessera sanitaria (health card)
  Form TT 2119 must be accompanied by receipts for the following payments, made through the PagoPA platform:
• €32.00 stamp duty and €10.20 vehicle registration office fees (diritti di motorizzazione, code N003) and, as applicable:
• €33.16 (issue of EE plates for motor vehicles – code N115);
• €18.37 (issue of EE plates for motorcycles – code N043);
• €19.32 (issue of EE plates for trailers – code N042).

Once the documents have been examined, the Ukrainian citizen receives the EE plates and the corresponding vehicle registration certificate.
EE plates can be used for the entire duration of temporary protection in Italy, even if it is extended beyond 31 December 2024.
Please note: when driving a car with EE plates, the permesso di soggiorno protezione temporanea emergenza Ucraina must always be kept in the vehicle (to quote the circular: “il permesso di soggiorno deve sempre essere tenuto a bordo del veicolo con targa EE” – the residence permit must always be kept on board a vehicle with EE plates).
The circular of 12.05.2023 also contains instructions to be followed once the temporary protection period ends, including guidance on the possible duty-free import of vehicles with Ukrainian registration. These instructions are based on Articles 4 to 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009, which sets out the European Union’s customs arrangements.
Unfortunately, circular no. 14744 of 12 May 2023 says nothing about insuring cars with EE plates.
So which policy do you need: Ukrainian or Italian?
Many people continue to use their Ukrainian policy.
But it is worth thinking this through carefully. Clearly, in the event of a road accident involving a car with Italian EE plates, the Ukrainian insurer’s “green card” will not be valid, since it only covers cars with Ukrainian plates.
At the same time, you end up with a car on Italian plates being driven on Italian roads without Italian insurance.
In Italy, whether a car is insured is checked remotely by automated systems with access to insurers’ records. So a car with Italian plates and no Italian insurance is bound to attract the attention of the traffic police.
Driving uninsured carries a fine of €866 to €3,464 (art. 193 of the Codice della strada).
Given the possible risks, we recommend insuring the vehicle with an Italian insurance company once you have obtained EE plates.