Debt recovery in Italy

Italy's Decreto Ingiuntivo provides a fast-track injunction for documented debts — enforceable if the debtor fails to oppose within 40 days.

ITALY. Every excuse delivered as an aria. Encore. Still no payment. A certified PEC from an Italian-speaking collector. The aria ends here. Paid. Standing ovation.

Italy has a reputation in international business circles for slow legal processes. This reputation is, to put it diplomatically, not entirely undeserved when it comes to full civil litigation. But it's also significantly misleading when it comes to commercial debt recovery, because Italy has a mechanism that bypasses the slow parts entirely. The Decreto Ingiuntivo is a fast-track injunction that turns documented debts into enforceable court orders without a hearing, without witness testimony, and without the procedural complexity that makes Italian litigation famous.

The process is straightforward. The creditor presents documentary evidence of the debt to the competent court. A judge reviews the documents and, if satisfied, issues the Decreto Ingiuntivo. The debtor receives the order and has 40 days to file an opposition. If they don't oppose, the order becomes final and enforceable.