Before you start

Residence registered with the comune, which starts the twelve-month clock
Your original licence plus a sworn translation, unless it is an EU one
Codice fiscale
Medical certificate from an authorised doctor

Step-by-step

1
Check the reciprocity list first
Italy converts EU and EEA licences and those from a defined list including Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Argentina and Morocco. The US, UK, Australia, India and China are not on it, and for those the Italian exams are the only route.
OnlineWho: You
2
Use the twelve-month grace period deliberately
A foreign licence remains valid for one year from the date residence is registered, accompanied by an International Driving Permit or sworn translation. After that it has no legal effect in Italy.
In personWho: You12 months from residence registration
3
Convert at the Motorizzazione or enrol at an autoscuola
Conversion is a booked appointment with licence, translation, medical certificate and fees. For the exam route an autoscuola handles the foglio rosa and the scheduling, which is worth the fee for the administration alone.
In personWho: You
4
Expect the theory exam in Italian
The quiz is offered in Italian, German and French. It is thirty literal true/false statements with a low error tolerance and technical vocabulary. Most non-Italian candidates take an autoscuola course specifically for the phrasing.
In personWho: You
5
Learn the ZTL sectors and the night-time rules
Almost the whole historic centre is restricted during the day, and additional evening restrictions apply in the entertainment areas on weekend nights in the warmer months. Resident permits are tied to a sector. Check the comune's current schedule rather than relying on last year's.
OnlineWho: You
6
Arrange a temporary ZTL authorisation before a move
Moving in with a van into the centre requires an authorisation obtained in advance from the comune, with the plate registered. Retroactive appeals after the fact are almost never successful, and each gate crossed is a separate fine.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Original driving licence
Sworn translation or International Driving Permit
Passport and permesso di soggiorno or receipt
Certificate of residence
Medical certificate from an authorised doctor
Codice fiscale and passport photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

Florence's ZTL is not only a daytime restriction, which is how residents get fined.

The core zone operates during the day across almost the whole historic centre, but there are also separate evening restrictions in the entertainment districts on weekend nights during the warmer part of the year. People who have learned the daytime map assume the evening is free and cross a gate at eleven on a Saturday. Each gate is recorded separately and each produces its own fine, so a single trip can generate several.

Source: Comune di Firenze

The tramvia has changed which addresses make sense without a car.

The T1 and T2 lines link Scandicci, Careggi, Novoli and the airport to the centre and the stations at frequencies that make them a genuine alternative to driving. Rents along the lines are substantially below the centre while journey times are fifteen to twenty-five minutes. For a newcomer weighing a €1,300 central one-bed against a €850 flat in Novoli, the tram is the reason the second option is not a compromise.

Source: Comune di Firenze

The theory exam's withdrawal of English is the real barrier for the Anglophone population.

Florence has an unusually large British, American and Australian community, none of whose licences can be converted, so all of them must sit the Italian exams — and English is no longer among the available languages. The questions are true/false statements where one preposition changes the answer. Local autoscuole are used to this and some run preparation aimed at foreign candidates; self-study in a language you are still learning is the expensive route.

Source: Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport

A hire car dropped at the wrong hotel can generate fines that arrive a year later.

Hotels inside the ZTL can register a guest's plate for a limited window, but the registration has to be made and it has to cover the actual times you crossed. Rental companies pass fines on with an administrative fee of their own, and the notice often reaches you many months later. Anyone arriving with a car should confirm in writing that the hotel has lodged the plate before driving in, not after.

Source: Comune di Firenze

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming the ZTL is inactive in the evening.
Driving a hire car into the centre before the hotel has lodged the plate.
Letting the twelve-month post-registration licence period lapse.
Preparing the theory exam in English, which is no longer offered.
Renting centrally for the walkability and then discovering you cannot park a car anywhere at all.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.