How not to get a Codice fiscale!

One way not to get a codice fiscale (Italian social security number), is to call the local police station and ask how we do it, who will tell you to come down and report yourself, where they put you in line with the extra communitarian's the police have caught earlier this morning, until we convince them that Denmark was in fact a part of the European union, and the fact that I wanted to stay in Italy was a formality, as decided many years ago in the EU.

Anyway after the police understood I was actually a person from another EU country they send us out to this prison inspired building, with tall metal fence around. The three policemen guarding the building kindly pointing us in the direction of a queue with around 400 people already standing in front of us. At a average speed at 3 meter pr hour, we arrived at the gate of the fortress after only three hours in line, where we were guided into a new line, shorter, with an accelerated speed at a impressing 6-7 meters pr hour. Finishing this we finally reached the actual building, where we were meet by a woman who greeted us with "What do you want". Sara explained that I needed the "residenza", the woman looked strangely at us and told us that we shouldn't be here before I have gotten my Codice fiscale. Anyway we got a number anyway, and since we only need to wait 110 numbers we decided to wait, and talk with one of the people behind the bulletproof glass.

The man which called our number looked at my papers, and told us what the woman had told us. He did however tell us where we should have gone in the beginning - "ufficio di entrate di roma no 1". This was of course the other side of the city, but we called them and they didn't close for two hours so we thought we had enough time (except for the fact that we were hosting a surprise party two hours later :-)). But when we arrived we found that they had already the number of people in line, which they could serve before closing. They told us that they opened at nine, but if we wanted to be helped in the morning we should arrive at eight. Anyway it was okay, because then we could rush home and prepare the surprise party... which was a success.

This was a long day. But all in all it was an experience to experience, and after the nice party and Sara's Lasange it wasn't such a bad day :o).