Mobile phones for USA visitor to Italy

zmuda

Hi
I have a friend visiting Italy next year. She is a USA resident. She is not mobile savvy, yet, but needs it to keep in contact with home occasionally and her friends with whom she is liable to lose contact with sometimes (its a girl thing!) and emergency use. Can anyone help me re her best purchase for a 2 week period. Alternatively, is there a USA based web site as good as this which she can access for the info.
Thanks

Guys_Dad

Doe she have a mobile phone at present or can she have access to borrow one for her visit to Italy?

If so, when she is there, she can put a local sim in the phone - she will need to check with local shop as to best PAYG sim for her purposes.

If she does not have a mobile, then if she is visiting UK, she can get a mobile from CPW cheap - tri-band if she wants to take it back to USA to use. Afraid your post is not quite clear enough at present - at least for me!

Intasun32

Guys_Dad wrote: »

If so, when she is there, she can put a local sim in the phone.

Not that easy anymore, the Italians have brought in legislation so that all PAYG sims have to be registered. (Shame that is not the law in the UK.) To do this you must have a 'Codice Fiscale' obtained the the local 'DWP', you can find web sites that generate 'moody' 'Codice Fiscale' but you are taking a big risk if the number is checked. This is possible as the legislation come under anti terrorist laws.

The same laws apply in Spain but you only need to produce your passport and an address in Spain. A warning, don't put 'Hotel ****' just give the address!

My TIM Italia sim was cancelled as I could not produce the 'Codice Fiscale' by the set date.

:beer:

zmuda

yes she has bought a phone in the usa, does that make a difference?

Thanks for the further info intasun

zmuda

She has bought a mobile in the USA.
Scusi, but what is DWP and Codice fiscale?
Thanks

Guys_Dad

Thanks, Intasun32.

Zmuda - Try this thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2425643

Intasun32

zmuda wrote: »

Scusi, but what is DWP and Codice fiscale?

Hi Zmuda,

My apologies.

The DWP is the UK government Department of Works and Pensions where you obtain a National Insurance number which enables residents to work and, unfortunately, pay tax.

A 'Codice Fiscale' is the Italian work registration number, not unlike a UK N.I. no., but it is used for many things as ID, for example to open an Italian bank account. You have to produce this number when registering a sim under the Italian anti terrorism act. Similar laws apply in Spain, Greece and Portugal.

As I have said there are various web sites where you can obtain an 'unofficial' generated Codice Fiscale. It's a gamble as it's now a serious offence if you are found out.

Regarding the handset purchased in the States, make sure that it is compatible with European networks.

:beer:

mrcamp

Since she already has a phone in the USA, she just needs to make sure it's unlocked and has the UK/Europe GSM frequencies, which are 900/1800. No longer a major issue these days, since just about all GSM phones sold in the USA now are quadband. Actually, if she is a tmobile or AT&T customer, her phone would probably have sufficed.

zmuda

ok thanks so much for all that info, I will pass it on. Thanks again.