Codice fiscale Italian tax code
Apply at the Italian consulate or at any Agenzia delle Entrate office in Sicily.
UK → Sicily Removals to Sicily —
Removals to Sicily —
Palermo, Catania, the south
We move UK households to Sicily by road and ferry from Genoa or Naples. We deliver to Palermo, Catania, Syracuse, Taormina, Modica, Trapani, Cefalù and the inland villages.
By road and ferry
What does a move to Sicily involve beyond the mainland?
A move to Sicily adds a sea crossing to the long drive down Italy. The island ranges from dense historic cities to Baroque hill towns and remote villages. The questions below cover the ferry, Palermo, Catania and the east coast, the south-east and the interior, and paperwork for returning families.
How does a household move from the UK reach Sicily?
By road to a mainland port and then by ferry. We use the Genoa to Palermo crossing or the Naples crossings to Palermo and Catania. We choose the port that best fits your Sicilian address. Customs formalities are completed before the sea leg, so the goods arrive on the island ready for delivery.
For western Sicily, including Palermo, Trapani and Marsala, either route can work. The choice depends on sailings and how the rest of the load is planned. For eastern Sicily, including Catania, Syracuse and Taormina, the shorter crossing from Naples usually makes more sense. We pick the route at quote stage and explain why.
Ferry bookings shape the collection plan in the UK, because the lorry has to reach the port for a specific sailing. Your written quote gives an estimated delivery window that already includes the sea crossing. We keep you informed if rough weather moves a sailing.
What is it like delivering into Palermo?
Palermo's historic centre is divided into four old quarters, the mandamenti, which meet at the Quattro Canti. Its streets are narrow, often lined with markets such as Ballarò and the Capo, and partly ZTL-controlled. Further north, the Libertà district and the newer city have wide streets and apartment blocks a lorry can reach easily.
In the Kalsa, the Albergheria and around the cathedral, many buildings are old palazzi split into flats. Staircases are grand but worn, and lifts are few. Market stalls fill the streets for much of the day. We time unloading around them and use a small van for the final stretch.
Via Libertà and the districts around it were built from the nineteenth century onwards. Broad avenues and condominio buildings there follow normal Italian practice. Mondello, the seaside suburb, has villas and flats with good road access. We check ZTL permits and loading permission with the comune before the day.
What should you expect moving to Catania, Taormina or Syracuse?
Each has its own access challenge. Catania's Baroque centre, rebuilt in dark lava stone, has ZTL zones and busy streets. Taormina is a cliff-top town reached by hairpin roads, with a pedestrian main street. Ortigia, the historic heart of Syracuse, is a small island of narrow lanes, served by shuttle from the mainland side.
Around Catania, many households choose villages on the slopes of Etna, such as Zafferana Etnea and Trecastagni. Roads climb steeply, and ash from the volcano can settle on streets and terraces. We plan the vehicle for the climb and protect goods during unloading if ash is falling.
In Taormina, the lorry usually stops below the town. A smaller vehicle or porters complete the delivery, sometimes with a hoist for cliff properties. In Ortigia, permits and small vans are needed, and many buildings have narrow stairs. We survey these addresses carefully and set out the extra handling on the quote.
How do moves to the Val di Noto and the Sicilian interior work?
With smaller vehicles and plenty of local knowledge. The Baroque hill towns of the Val di Noto, including Modica, Ragusa Ibla, Scicli and Noto, have steep, stepped streets. Inland villages around Enna, Caltanissetta and the Madonie mountains are reached by winding roads, and sometimes by trazzere, the old rural tracks.
Modica and Ragusa are built down the sides of deep valleys. Houses are linked by staircases rather than roads. A lorry stops at the top or bottom of the town and the crew carries the rest, sometimes with a small van for part of the way.
Many interior moves are to family houses in ancestral villages. These homes may have stood empty for a long time, with narrow doorways and steep inner stairs. We find out who holds the keys, who will meet the crew and where the lorry can safely turn. We confirm any access questions with the comune.
What paperwork applies when a family returns to Sicily?
It depends on citizenship. Italian citizens on the AIRE register move their residence from the overseas register to their Sicilian comune. UK nationals register at the anagrafe and, where their status requires, apply for a permesso di soggiorno at the provincial Questura. Everyone needs a codice fiscale, and inherited property often needs a notary.
Many Sicilian moves from the UK are families returning to the island after generations away. Keep your AIRE record, consular papers and proof of your UK residence together. They also support the customs relief for transferring your residence to Italy.
Questure are organised by province, including Palermo, Catania, Messina, Syracuse, Trapani, Ragusa, Agrigento, Caltanissetta and Enna. Small comuni have small offices with limited opening, but staff are often used to returning families. Property and inheritance matters go to a local notary or lawyer. We handle the household goods.
Cities & towns we serve From Palermo's mandamenti —
From Palermo's mandamenti —
to Ortigia and the interior
- Palermo Centro Storico
Listed Norman-Arab-Byzantine centre; ZTL permit; pedestrian zones around the four mandamenti need shuttle.
- Palermo outer suburbs
Modern apartment stock; standard access.
- Catania (centre)
Baroque-rebuild centre; modern standard access; ZTL in some inner zones.
- Taormina
Cliff-top resort town; severe narrow-road access; small-vehicle transfer essential.
- Syracuse / Ortigia
Ortigia island historic centre is pedestrian-only; shuttle from Syracuse mainland.
- Modica / Ragusa / Scicli (Val di Noto)
Baroque hill towns; narrow medieval centres; shuttle-loading.
- Cefalù
Norman cathedral town on the north coast; established UK community; standard coastal access.
- Trapani / Marsala (western coast)
Wine country (Marsala); standard provincial access.
- Inland Sicily (Enna, Caltanissetta, Madonie)
Rural-village logistics; sometimes trazzera final-mile.
Local terms & paperwork Sicilian paperwork —
Sicilian paperwork —
for new and returning residents
Permesso di soggiorno Italian residence permit
Apply at the Questura for your Sicilian province shortly after arrival — the Polizia di Stato sets the deadline, so book early.
Comune Municipality
Sicilian rural moves: the comune is the practical first stop.
Trazzera Old rural track / lane
Inland Sicilian rural property sometimes accessed via trazzere — old gravel tracks. Smaller-vehicle final-mile transfer common.
Questure & comuni
Where you'll apply
Where you'll apply
for your permesso di soggiorno
- Questura di Palermo: for permesso di soggiorno in Palermo and western Sicily.
- Questura di Catania: for Catania, eastern Sicily, Etna foothills.
- Questura di Messina: for Messina, the Aeolian Islands, Taormina area.
- Questura di Siracusa: for Syracuse and the Val di Noto.
- Questura di Trapani: for Trapani, Marsala, the western coast.
- Questura di Ragusa: for Ragusa, Modica, Scicli.
UK collection cities Loaded in the UK —
Loaded in the UK —
and over the water to Sicily
Collections from London
Our London collection page
Collections from Manchester
Our Manchester collection page
Collections from Birmingham
Our Birmingham collection page
Collections from Edinburgh
Our Edinburgh collection page
Collections from Glasgow
Our Glasgow collection page
Collections from Bristol
Our Bristol collection page
Collections from Leeds
Our Leeds collection page
Collections from Liverpool
Our Liverpool collection page
FAQs Ferries, ports and islands:
Ferries, ports and islands:
Sicily questions
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Customs formalities are completed on the mainland before the ferry sails. Sicily is part of Italy, so there is no further customs step when your goods land at Palermo or Catania. Once the lorry is off the ferry, delivery continues by road to your address. The documents prepared for your import, including the inventory and evidence of residence, travel with the load in case anyone asks to see them.
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Catania is usually the better landing for the south-east of Sicily, reached on the ferry from Naples. That covers Syracuse, Ragusa, Modica and Noto, which are a far shorter drive from Catania than from Palermo. Ortigia, the island centre of Syracuse, is largely pedestrian, so a smaller vehicle finishes deliveries there. The baroque hill towns of the Val di Noto also have narrow centres that need the same approach.
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Yes, we deliver to cliff-top properties in Taormina. The town sits high above the sea at the top of a winding road, and its centre is too narrow for a full-size lorry. The lorry stops below the town and a smaller vehicle handles the approach. The most exposed cliff properties sometimes need a hoist, and we check access, parking and any steps at survey before the move is confirmed.
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Yes, we move Italian-heritage families from the UK back to Sicily, often to family villages across the island. These moves can involve a house that has stood empty, relatives holding the keys, and AIRE paperwork for Italian citizens returning to live in Italy. Inland villages may be reached by narrow roads or a trazzera, a rural track, so we plan a smaller vehicle where the final stretch needs one.
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Yes, we can deliver to the Aeolian Islands, with an extra ferry leg from Sicily to islands such as Lipari, Salina or Stromboli. The added handling is significant, because goods move from the lorry to smaller transport for the crossing and again on the island. Roads on the smaller islands are limited, so we discuss the approach to your property with you at quote stage.
Official sources
Rules and procedures change, so check these official sites for the current position before you rely on any detail above.
- Polizia di Stato: Questura di Palermo: Contacts and immigration-office information for permesso di soggiorno applications in Palermo and its province.
- Comune di Palermo: Residence registration, ZTL information and city services in Palermo.
- Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli: Italian customs: transfer-of-residence relief and the rules on excise goods such as wine.
- Agenzia delle Entrate: Issues the codice fiscale and handles Italian tax registration.
- GOV.UK: Living in Italy: UK government guidance for British nationals on residency, healthcare and driving in Italy.