Italy remains a country where fax plays an active role in business, government, and professional communication. While digital alternatives are gaining ground, many Italian organisations continue to use fax for official correspondence -- driven by regulatory requirements, a culture of administrative formality, and the practical need for verifiable document delivery across sectors where paper-based processes still carry weight.
Government administration is a major driver of fax usage in Italy. Comuni (municipalities), province, tribunali (courts), questure (police headquarters), and ministries maintain active fax lines for receiving official documents, applications, and correspondence. Italy's administrative culture places significant value on formal, written communication, and fax has long served as a standard channel for submissions that require a traceable delivery record. Citizens and businesses dealing with Italian bureaucracy -- whether for permits, tax filings through the Agenzia delle Entrate, or legal proceedings -- regularly encounter fax as an accepted or preferred method of submission.
The legal profession is another significant user. Italian avvocati (lawyers), notai (notaries), and courts rely on fax for contracts, atti giudiziari (court documents), legal notices, and client correspondence. Faxed documents carry legal validity in the Italian system, and the rapporto di trasmissione (transmission report) serves as proof of delivery -- particularly important for deadline-sensitive filings where the exact moment of submission may be disputed. While Posta Elettronica Certificata (PEC), Italy's certified email system, has taken over some of this role, fax remains widely used alongside PEC, especially when communicating with parties who have not adopted certified email. For guidance on preparing legal documents for fax, see our guide on how to fax legal documents online.
Healthcare and financial services contribute to the picture as well. Hospitals, clinics, and ASL (Aziende Sanitarie Locali) offices use fax for patient records, referrals, and administrative communication. Banks, insurance companies, and financial advisors use fax for account documents, claims, and compliance-related correspondence where secure, documented delivery is expected. Italy's manufacturing, automotive, and fashion industries also maintain fax for purchase orders, invoices, and contract exchanges with domestic and international partners.
Important formatting note for faxing to Italy: Italy is one of the few countries where the leading zero of the area code is not dropped when dialling internationally. The country code is +39, and the full number -- including the leading zero -- must be dialled. For example, a Rome number beginning with 06 is dialled as +39 06 followed by the local number. This is a common source of failed faxes to Italy. For detailed formatting instructions, see our guide on how to send an international fax online.
JustFax Online makes it easy to send a fax to Italy from anywhere in the world. Upload your document -- PDF, PNG, JPEG, or TIFF -- enter the Italian fax number with the country code +39 (keeping the leading zero), and send. No account, no subscription, no app required. You pay a flat rate for the first four pages, with additional pages priced separately. If delivery fails after all retry attempts, you are not charged. To get started, see our step-by-step guide to sending a fax online.