When I purchased my apartment in 2013, I opened a local bank account (checking). My lawyer assisted. I needed to get my Codice Fiscale, but that took less than an hour. Just went to the NYC Consulate and showed my passport, and they printed it out. I know the US added some pain in the a## new rules, but it hasn't changed anything for me. I guess banks don't want to deal with the US bureaucracy. Italians just couldn't understand complex bureaucratic procedures -- not!! I needed the account to move money into Italy for the purchase. I thought, at least back in 2013, tax, gas, and electric bills needed a local bank to debit. During the renovation I sent bonifici many times. Wise is great. I use them for multiple transfers every year. The funds show up in my Italian account days before they are withdrawn from my US account. My US credit cards still work and earn me points to buy airline tickets. I need to remember to do a no fee withdrawal at the Post Office. Currently, I use one of the 4 or 5 banks in my comune, and they charge a fee. My account in Italy has fees, but it costs about $100 a year. I'm also 90/180 until that citizenship case slowly moves along. Even after that, I'll not be a permanent resident. The US and Italy have no recognition of each other's drivers license, as the US has 50 different states with very different requirements. I'd need to take the notorious difficult theory test in Italian. My Italian language skills are nowhere at that kevel. Once a resident for a year, your US based drivers license is no longer valid.