Opening an Italian Company from Australia or the UK: The Complete Remote Guide
For UK businesses, Brexit turned EU market access into a maze of customs, VAT registrations and regulatory barriers. For Australian companies, the EU has always been a distant but lucrative market. An Italian SRL solves both problems: it gives you a full EU legal entity, an EU VAT number, and the credibility of the Made in Italy ecosystem.
Why Italy instead of Ireland or Estonia?
- Full EU single market access with a respected jurisdiction (not flagged as a 'letterbox' location)
- Minimum capital from €1 with the SRLS structure
- The Made in Italy brand premium for products in fashion, food, design and manufacturing
- A large domestic market: Italy is the EU's third-largest economy
- Remote incorporation is fully legal — no travel required
What you need as a UK or Australian citizen
Both the UK and Australia satisfy Italy's reciprocity requirement, so citizens of both countries can freely own and direct Italian companies. You will need: a valid passport, an Italian Codice Fiscale (we obtain it for you remotely), and a qualified digital signature for the video-conference notary deed.
The remote process, step by step
- Week 1: strategy consultation, Codice Fiscale application, document preparation (bilingual)
- Week 2: digital signature setup and remote notary incorporation via video call
- Week 3: registration with the Business Register, VAT number activation, PEC certified email
- Week 4: bank account introductions, accounting setup, INPS/INAIL registrations where needed
VAT and selling into the EU
Your Italian SRL gets an EU VAT number valid for intra-EU trade (OSS/IOSS schemes available for e-commerce). For UK companies this restores the frictionless EU sales lost with Brexit; for Australian companies it eliminates the need for fiscal representatives in multiple EU countries.
Costs and ongoing obligations
Setup packages range from €3,900 to €11,900 one-time depending on the level of support (accounting, tax filings, bank assistance). Ongoing: annual financial statements, corporate tax return, VAT filings — all included in our Professional package for the first year. Time zones are never an issue: we work async and schedule calls in AU/UK friendly hours.