From 1 January 2026, access to public administration digital services via Poste Italiane’s SPID is no longer free for everyone. For the first time, an annual fee of 6 euros is introduced, which concerns a portion of users. The decision marks a change of direction for the most used provider in Italy: according to the most recent data, over 82% of Italian adults have a digital identity and around 70% have chosen PosteID.
Who has to pay and who is excluded from the fee
The contribution is not universal. Minors, those over 75, residents abroad and those who use the SPID for professional purposes remain exempt from payment. For everyone else, free access is guaranteed only for the first year after activation. The fee then starts from the second year, once the current year has ended. Poste justified the choice with the increase in the costs of managing the technological infrastructure, aggravated by the blocking of public funding between 2023 and 2025, a period in which the providers covered the costs independently.
When the payment request arrives
Not everyone will have to pay right away. Those who have activated the SPID for less than a year will not see any immediate requests. Users with an older digital identity, however, will receive the notice at the end of the current year. The expiry can be easily checked from the PosteID app, in the Profile section. Poste will also send a reminder email at least 30 days in advance, with all the necessary instructions.
How to pay and what happens if you don’t renew
The renewal can be done online, via payment card, or at any post office, communicating your tax code. If the fee is not paid, the SPID is not cancelled, but suspended: the digital identity remains inactive for up to 24 months, a period during which it is possible to reactivate it by paying the amount due. Anyone who does not intend to accept the new conditions can withdraw within 30 days without costs.
The alternatives: other providers and Cie
Those who do not want to bear the cost can choose other SPID operators, some of which already apply similar rates, or opt for the Cie, the Electronic Identity Card. The state digital identity is completely free, managed by the State and can be activated in a few minutes via a dedicated app.
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