Company formation in Italy for non-resident shareholders
We incorporate Italian limited liability companies for founders and groups based abroad: the company form, the deed, the tax codes and the registrations, coordinated by one person who answers in English.
Published by Proclama S.T.P. S.p.A. · Last updated October 2026
What we do
Company form: SRL or SRLS
We compare the ordinary SRL with the simplified SRLS on the points that actually decide the choice: who the shareholders are, how the company will be financed, whether governance has to be tailored, and what the notary will cost.
Articles of association and corporate decisions
We work with you on the objects clause, share capital and administration, and prepare the information the notary needs, so that the deed is not rewritten twice.
Codice fiscale for every shareholder and director
Individuals and corporate shareholders need the appropriate Italian tax identification before signature. We assist individuals with form AA4/8 and corporate shareholders requiring a tax code only with form AA5/6. The consular route is assessed separately for individuals.
Incorporation without travelling to Italy
The deed can be executed as an electronic public act with the parties attending by video conference, or signed in Italy by a representative holding a special power of attorney notarised and apostilled abroad. We prepare both routes with the notary.
PEC, digital signature and VAT number
We guide you through the certified email address (PEC) and the director's qualified digital signature, both needed for the Business Register filings, and through the VAT number application that follows incorporation.
Business Register and Revenue Agency filings
Registration with the Chamber of Commerce through the single communication (ComUnica), the Revenue Agency formalities and the choice of the ATECO activity code, the statistical code that describes what the company does.
What the company needs before it can invoice
Incorporation produces a registered company; operating it produces obligations. In the first weeks the company needs a certified email address (PEC), which is the legally valid channel towards Italian public administration, a qualified digital signature for the director, who uses it to file with the Business Register, and a VAT number, which brings periodic settlements, an annual return and electronic invoicing through the Italian exchange system.
A non-resident director obtains the digital signature through remote identity verification, so a few days should be planned for it rather than discovered on signing day. Corporate shareholders also need an Italian tax code, which is an identification number and not a VAT registration.
If you already have a company and need to change it — share transfers, capital increases, amendments to the articles, registered office changes, mergers or transformations — the work is scoped separately in a specific engagement.
You can size the fixed costs before speaking to us with the SRL formation quote builder.
How it works
- 1
First call
A short introductory call. We collect the activity, the shareholders, the intended timing and where the company will actually be managed.
- 2
Written scope and quote
The proposal separates support during incorporation from the recurring bookkeeping that follows, and lists the third-party costs you will pay directly.
- 3
Documents and tax codes
We open the tax code files, check the reciprocity position of non-EU shareholders, and collect identity documents, powers of attorney and proof of the share capital.
- 4
Deed and registration
The notary executes the deed, we follow the Business Register and Revenue Agency filings, and the company receives its VAT number.
- 5
Operating setup
If you also appoint us for bookkeeping, we set up invoicing, the SDI delegation and the deadlines from the first invoice.
What it costs
Professional fee by quote. Third-party costs listed separately.
Incorporation is not a fixed-price product: the work depends on the number of shareholders, on whether they are individuals or companies, on the route chosen for the deed and on the corporate decisions taken before signature. After the first call we send a written quote that separates our fee from the amounts paid to third parties.
For an ordinary SRL with the capital contributed in cash the fixed third-party charges are the €200 registration tax, the €90 secretarial fee for the standard electronic Business Register filing and €156 of stamp duty on the notarial deed, which already includes the copy of the deed and the Register application. Other filings are charged separately. The notary's fee, the PEC address, the digital signature and the share capital are separate again: the capital is not a cost, it is paid into the company.
For an SRLS incorporated with the standard model in person the deed and the Business Register filing are exempt from stamp duty and secretarial fees, and no notary's fee is due; the €200 registration tax — the SRLS capital is always contributed in cash — and the annual Chamber of Commerce fee remain payable.
- Comparison of company forms and preparation of the corporate information for the notary
- Coordination with the notary, including the video-conference or power-of-attorney route
- Codice fiscale files for shareholders and directors
- Business Register, Revenue Agency and VAT number filings
- Guidance on PEC and digital signature
The amounts above are third-party charges, not our fee. They are the fixed public charges of an ordinary incorporation with the capital contributed in cash; the notary's fee varies with the deed and is quoted by the notary.
What you need from us
Nothing on this list is filed without your instruction or signature. Where a step needs a document issued on your side, we tell you before the deadline, not after it.
What we need from you
- Passport or identity card of every shareholder, director and beneficial owner
- Proof of residence abroad and, for non-EU shareholders, the elements needed for the reciprocity check
- A short description of the business, the customers and the expected volumes
- For a corporate shareholder: certificate of incorporation, good standing and ownership chain
- For the power-of-attorney route: the signed and apostilled mandate, prepared abroad
What you get from us
- A single contact person for the whole incorporation
- The draft corporate information to review before the notary appointment
- The list of third-party costs, separated from our fee
- Support on PEC, digital signature and the first access to the Revenue Agency services
- The handover to bookkeeping, with the deadlines already mapped
Frequently asked questions
Can a non-resident open an SRL in Italy without coming here?
Yes. The notarial deed can be executed as a digital public deed with the parties attending by video conference — available for SRL and SRLS with registered office in Italy and share capital paid entirely in cash — or you can sign a special power of attorney abroad, notarised and apostilled, appointing a representative to sign in Italy. Every shareholder needs a digital signature for the video-conference route.
Do I need an Italian tax code before the company exists?
Yes. Every shareholder and director named in the deed needs an Italian codice fiscale before the notary can proceed. Non-resident individuals can apply using form AA4/8, including through an authorised representative, or use the applicable consular procedure. Corporate shareholders requiring a tax code only use form AA5/6.
Is the notary included in your fee?
No. The notary's fee is separate and is paid by you; the notary can be one of your choice or one we indicate. Our fee covers the professional work described on this page, and the third-party charges — registration tax, stamp duty, Chamber of Commerce fees, PEC and digital signature — are listed in the quote and paid directly. For an SRLS incorporated with the standard model in person, no notary's fee is due at all.
SRL or SRLS: which one suits a foreign shareholder?
An SRLS must be incorporated by individuals only, with share capital of at least €1 and less than €10,000, paid in full in cash, and standard articles that cannot be departed from; its deed and Business Register filing are exempt from stamp duty and secretarial fees, and no notary's fee is due when the standard model is executed in person, while the €200 registration tax and the annual Chamber of Commerce fee remain payable. An ordinary SRL costs more to incorporate but allows corporate shareholders, contributions in kind and tailored governance, which is why foreign groups normally use it. Contributions in kind are possible subject to the statutory rules, but an SRL formed with capital below €10,000 must receive them in cash and in full.
How long does incorporation take?
It depends on the documents available, on the characteristics of the transaction and on the notary's availability. The timetable is agreed case by case in the quote; starting to operate may require further filings after registration.
Which third-party costs apply to an ordinary SRL?
For an ordinary SRL with the capital contributed in cash the fixed charges typically include the €200 registration tax, the €90 secretarial fee for the standard electronic Business Register filing and €156 of stamp duty on the notarial deed, which already covers the copy of the deed and the Register application; other filings are charged separately. The notary's fee, PEC and digital signature come on top. Where the capital is contributed in kind, the registration tax is not the flat €200 and the notary applies the proportional treatment. Share capital is not a cost: it is paid into the company.
Read next
How to open an SRL in Italy as a non-residentThe ownership checks, the documents and the incorporation steps, including the reciprocity rule for non-EU founders.
Tell us what you want to set up
Describe the activity, the shareholders and when you would like to start. A chartered accountant reviews your request and replies in English, and the written quote follows the first call, with no obligation.