EDP Columns
Red Tape & Bureaucracy
Italy is infamous for its red tape and bureaucracy. I almost didn’t believe it, naively thinking that once I arrived things would fall into place nicely. However after a year of living here and discovering that literally everything has its complications, I now expect things to take twice as long as they would anywhere else and it’s somewhat of a surprise if events actually run smoothly.
One of the first problematic experiences I encountered was when registering for a codice fiscale, the equivalent of a National Insurance number. I filled out the necessary form and was told it could take anything up to three months for the card to be sent through. Eight months and two reminders later, the card has finally arrived.
On investigating opening a bank account I was informed by a clerk at a particular bank that it was no problem even without a codice fiscale. However on returning the next day with my passport at the ready, a different clerk said I couldn’t open an account without a codice fiscale. I was totally confused! I’m now sticking with the Italian post office when it comes to accounts. In my opinion they seem to be the only place where storing money is relatively straightforward.
Then there’s the issue of residency. Now that Felice and I are married, I thought it would be easy enough to obtain a Carta D’Identita, an Italian ID card that would enable me to have the same privileges as the Italians themselves (such as registering with a doctor). Wrong! My first application was for a Carta Cee – a permit to stay in the country after marrying a local. The form was sent to Bari for an official stamp, and then returned to Trani for me to collect. The whole process took two months. When I went to the police station to see if it had arrived I wasn’t allowed to take it away because, I was told, “the lady that deals with it is on holiday”. A similar thing happened when I went to the post office to make an enquiry only to be told by the manager to “come back tomorrow as the gentleman that deals with it isn’t in today”. Is there really just one person capable of doing a particular job?
The good news though is that my Carta Cee is now in my possession and Felice and I have just moved into our new home. Once the police have checked that we actually live here (they do that by knocking on your door and asking you to sign something!), I can apply for residency and once I have that I can get an ID card. Who said it was complicated!?
Despite all of this, my life in Italy is taking shape. It may be a little over a year on, but I’m learning to accept the system even if I don’t understand it. As Felice says, yes Italian bureaucracy is difficult for foreigners to understand, but imagine what its like for Italians!