VIES Guarantee
Following the 2025 updates issued by the Italian Revenue Agency, non-resident and non-EU companies operating in Italy must provide a €50,000 VIES guarantee to obtain or maintain access to the EU VAT Information Exchange System (VIES).
We provide a fully compliant insurance-based VIES guarantee — an operational alternative to traditional bank guarantees.
The solution allows international sellers to activate or restore their VIES status without blocking liquidity, within a regulated framework that combines fiscal representation, AML certification, and insurance coverage.
Why It Is Required
To access or maintain VIES registration when operating through a fiscal representative, the Italian Revenue Agency may request a preventive guarantee. Only after positive verification of the guarantee can the position be included or confirmed in VIES.
Who Must Submit It
- Non-residents outside the EU/EEA with a fiscal representative in Italy
- New VAT numbers requesting VIES inclusion
- Entities already holding a VAT position requesting VIES inclusion
- Positions already in VIES at the date of entry into force of the new procedures
Why an Insurance-Based VIES Guarantee
- No bank deposit or EU bank account required
- Faster issuance than bank guarantees
- Designed for non-EU and cross-border e-commerce sellers
- Regulated, professional model accepted by the Italian tax authorities
- Renewable and scalable
What the Guarantee Covers
The guarantee is issued in favor of the acting Director of the competent Provincial Directorate and covers, up to the maximum limit, amounts due following administrative acts notified during the validity of the guarantee. Standard clauses include waiver of prior enforcement, substitution of the intermediary after payment, enforcement and communication procedures.
Costs, Review, and Timing
The premium depends on the risk profile and chosen form. Additional documentation may be requested (KYC/AML, financial statements, contracts with platforms, tax history). Issuance and verification times vary by intermediary and office.
Documents and Information Required
- Data of the non-resident principal
- Data of the fiscal representative and tax domicile
- Beneficiary Provincial Directorate
- Amount, duration, and scope of the guarantee
- Mandatory clauses
- PEC/email addresses and competent court indication
- Power of attorney for signing/delivery, where applicable
Scope of Use
- VIES activation or reactivation
- VAT fiscal representation
- Insurance VIES guarantee
- Ongoing compliance and renewals
FAQ
Who must sign the guarantee? Normally, the non-resident principal. If signed by the fiscal representative, a specific power of attorney is required.
When does the minimum 36-month duration start? From delivery of the guarantee to the competent Provincial Directorate.
Can a foreign policy be used? It must be enforceable in Italy and comply with the required clauses.
What happens if the guarantee is not presented within the deadlines? Possible denial or exclusion from VIES.
Can the amount or duration be increased? Yes, if requested by the intermediary or the Provincial Directorate.
Does the guarantee cover acts notified after expiry? Only those notified during the validity of the guarantee.
Operational Support
We manage the full process: issuance, documentation, delivery to the Provincial Directorate, and follow-up until VIES inclusion.
Insurance Coordination
The €50,000 guarantee is sourced through italy4VAT’s insurance intermediation activity, registered with IVASS in the Registro Unico degli Intermediari Assicurativi e Riassicurativi (RUI). This regulated framework lets non-resident companies meet the VIES collateral requirement via insurance rather than a traditional bank guarantee — faster to set up, and integrated with fiscal representation and AML certification under a single point of accountability.
Premiums and client funds are held in a dedicated bank account legally separated from our operating funds, as required by the Codice delle Assicurazioni Private (Legislative Decree 209/2005). The account is periodically audited by IVASS and fully traceable end-to-end — client money is never commingled with our operating accounts.
Operating as a regulated intermediary means the insurance arrangement, the fiscal representation, and the AML/KYC checks are coordinated by the same team, in line with the supervisory framework that applies to insurance distribution in Italy.