Can anyone explain the policy on not

I found this, which may help http://www.understandingitaly.com/living-content/motoring.html

Thanks for this Galia. I had seen it some weeks ago. Not many people realise that the Channel Islands are not part of the EU (or the UK) so I'm unsure what our position would be. I've seen the older posts where many folk are saying that rental is still the cheaper option but it certainly proves expensive if we visit often.Thanks again for the link.

You could try to get a Permesso di Soggiorno as some Australians have done and this should enable you to buy a car. We are not residents, but we keep on driving twice a year all the way from Spain, with an overnight stop on the French Riviera. Not sure about comparative costs, but at least we avoid the horror stories that we hear about car hire.

Its not a policy, its a law.  The state want to know who owns what and where they live.  A car is a bene mobile, like a boat, a plane or a work of art - therefore its purchase and sale are registered.   Personally I think its technically illegal under European law to not allow EU citizens to buy a car - but it would need a class action to change anything.    There is no way around it, but you could call your Euro MP. 

Well, here is what the Police has to say http://www.foxpol.it/Intestazione-di-veicoli-cosa-e-cambiato-dal-19-gennaio-2013.htm

Back to the original question, it is my understanding is that it is indeed OK for non residents to buy a car in Italy.   The problem is rather one of registering the vehicle.   I personally would not count on this changing any time in the near future.   I doubt if the Italians would take kindly to know that 95% of the citizens of Bolzano have made the quick trip up to Austria to register and get tags for their cars.   

I do not think that it would be very easy for the Bolzano residents to get Austrian registration for their vehicles, as they will probably be asked for residence permits, or home ownership in the area... I wish that the EU will finally start regulating things like car registration within the Union...

No you cannot buy a car - it requires a passaggio di proprietà which requires residency.  

I am temporarily living in Germany.   Helped friend here purchase car in Italy which is now registered in this wonderful Teutonic country.    Not sure where modicasa is getting info from but my personal experience suggests otherwise....

Curiouser and curiouser!

I tried yet again 2 months ago to buy a car for a client who is domicilato but not resident.  The motorizzazzione, and PRA and RAC all told me the same thing.  You cannot buy a car either new or second hand if you are not resident in Italy.   However, South Tyrol like Aosta is a region with special statute and they may have exemption 

Well, yesterday I was able to confirm what I said before. I met my non-EU friends, who are not permanent residents in Italy (they come twice a year for a few weeks) and who own property in the area and I was able to see their Italian registered car. They explained to me that first they had to obtain a "permesso di soggiorno ", then a "carta d'identità" (which can be issued not only to permanent residents, but also to those with a DOMICILE in Italy, and that is all. Italian citizens living overseas must have a certificate of inscription in their local AIRE. I know, this contradicts some of the information that circulates; however, my friends have done it. Perhaps, and this is not unusual, different regions interpret regulations in a different way, we are in Tuscany, lucca Province; however, it should be the same in Veneto, Liguria, Lazio, Abruzzo or Sicily. I hope that this helps http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/acquisto-veicolo-nuovo.html

Interesting Gaia.  I too had clients who bought a new car with a carta d'identita 4 years ago.  Now it doesnt seem possible.  Perhaps being NonEU and going through the PdS channels helps, but an EU citizen cannot be given a C/I only for domicile.  Ive tried and failed.... 

Modi, my friends purchased their car 3 months ago. So it is something very recent. Perhaps, as you said, the reason is that they are non-EUROPE (Australians). Their "permesso" does not allow them to work. I am going to keep on checking, because it is a discriminatory rule against EU citizens....I shall keep everyone informed with follow ups on this same thread....

In my opinon it is not all that confusing.  As simply as possible:1.  BUYING a car and REGISTERING a car are two different things.   My experience is that anyone can buy a car in Italy. 2.  Except for sporadic exceptions noted in the past, likely due to the fact that the rules were inconsistently applied, in general to register a car you need to be a resident of Italy.   I am an Italian citizen, living in Germany for the time being, and am a enrolled in AIRE.  The "R" in this word stands for residency.   I have one car registered in Italy with Italian tags (and another legally registered here in Germany with German tags because I am a a resident here also).   If you are a resident of Italy you can register a car, get an ID card, buy a house at prima casa tax rates, join the health system, and so on.   The downside of residency is that if are a resident of Italy, and also live there (which would exclude you from AIRE) then you can bet that someone is going to come looking for you such that you pay income taxes on your earnings, property taxes whereever it might be located, and so on.   Hope this is clear.... 

As an Italian residing overseas and registered with AIRE, you have no problems to buy or register a car in Italy; however, look under Nr 7 of these answers from the government and it should be possible to buy or register a car providing the person is registered with the local Anagrafe. Then, of course, it is up to the Comune to ask for all relevant documents, such as permesso.di soggiorno , etc. also, it is up to the particular Comune to issue the identity card... In any case, have a look http://www.mit.gov.it/mit/site.php?p=cm&o=vd&id=308#7

An American I knew, brought over his huge Volvo with American tags: therefore he was able to drive for many years this way, but tenchically, say if you buy a car, or bring one in, it can have foreign plates (must be insured in both places) and driven I think for one year, before it has to be "normalized"  Keep in mind however, that IF you do have an italian car registered in Italy, you must also have an Italian driving license!!! THAT is a entire other ridiculous process, long and expensive and the test is outmoded and exremely difficult to pass.  Long and tedious, filled with tenchical questions and many friends I know have failed it many times. Oiy.

An American I knew, brought over his huge Volvo with American tags: therefore he was able to drive for many years this way, but technically, say if you buy a car, or bring one in, it can have foreign plates (must be insured in both places) and driven I think for one year, before it has to be "normalized"  Keep in mind however, that IF you do have an italian car registered in Italy, you must also have an Italian driving license!!! THAT is a entire other ridiculous process, long and expensive , the test is outmoded and exremely difficult to pass.  Long and tedious, filled with crazy questions and many friends I know have failed it many times. Oiy.  

If you are registered in AIRE then requirement to have Italian driver's license does not apply as to driving your Italian-registered vehicle. .

Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all'Estero (Registry of Italian Citizens Living Abroad)