Practical guide
How to Calculate the Italian Court Filing Fee (with Calculator)
3 min read · Updated September 2026 · Editorial oversight: Avv. Federico Papa
The contributo unificato is the fee due for docketing judicial proceedings, and getting it wrong produces payment demands, surcharges and wasted time at the registry. The amount depends on three variables: the value of the claim declared under Art. 14, the bracket set by Art. 13 of Decree 115/2002, and the instance, which increases the amount on appeal and before the Supreme Court. This guide walks through the computation for civil proceedings, with a calculator aligned to the brackets in force.
Calculator: court filing fee (contributo unificato)
Art. 13 Presidential Decree 115/2002 · civil proceedings
Ordinary civil proceedings. Special procedures, administrative and tax courts, and exemptions (e.g. low-value labour cases, family matters) follow their own rules: always check Art. 13 of Decree 115/2002 and the 27-euro stamp under Art. 30.
In brief
The civil-court fee is set by value brackets under Art. 13 of Decree 115/2002: from 43 euros for claims up to 1,100 euros to 1,686 euros above 520,000. On appeal the amount rises by half, before the Supreme Court it doubles (paragraph 1-bis). Claims of undeterminable value pay the 26,000-52,000 bracket, hence 518 euros at first instance. A 27-euro flat advance under Art. 30 is added.
The steps
- 1.
Determine and declare the value of the claim
The value is determined under the rules of the Code of Civil Procedure (Arts. 10 ff.) and must be declared in the conclusions of the initial pleading (Art. 14 of Decree 115/2002). Absent a declaration, the claim is presumed to be of the highest value and the top bracket applies: an expensive omission avoided with one line.
- 2.
Find the bracket
The Art. 13 brackets for first-instance civil cases: up to 1,100 euros, 43; up to 5,200, 98; up to 26,000, 237; up to 52,000, 518; up to 260,000, 759; up to 520,000, 1,214; above, 1,686. Claims of undeterminable value fall in the 26,000-52,000 bracket (518 euros), save for the special cases provided by the rule.
- 3.
Apply the instance increases
On appeal the fee increases by half; before the Supreme Court it doubles (Art. 13(1-bis)). The calculator's example: a 15,000-euro claim, 5,200-26,000 bracket, 237 euros at first instance, 355.50 on appeal, 474 in Cassation. Remember also the doubling due when an appeal is entirely rejected or ruled inadmissible (paragraph 1-quater).
- 4.
Add the flat advance and check exemptions
At docketing, a 27-euro flat advance under Art. 30 is added (excluding exempt proceedings and justice-of-the-peace cases up to 1,033 euros). Exempt from the fee remain, among others, the family and personal-status proceedings listed in Art. 10 and labour disputes below the income threshold of Art. 9(1-bis).
- 5.
Pay through the correct electronic channels
The fee is paid through the pagoPA platform integrated in the courts' online services portal, or by F23 form or stamp in the residual admitted cases. In electronic civil proceedings the receipt is attached to the docketing note; a wrong bracket is among the most frequent reasons for supplementary payment demands from the registry.
Legal basis: Art. 13 D.P.R. 115/2002Art. 14 D.P.R. 115/2002Art. 30 D.P.R. 115/2002Art. 10 c.p.c.
Mistakes to avoid
- Omitting the value declaration in the conclusions: the top bracket applies
- Forgetting the 50% increase on appeal or the doubling in Cassation
- Ignoring the Art. 13(1-quater) doubling when an appeal is entirely rejected
- Overlooking the 27-euro flat advance under Art. 30
- Applying the civil brackets to administrative or tax proceedings, which have their own tables
Frequently asked questions
What does a claim of undeterminable value pay?
It falls in the 26,000-52,000 bracket: 518 euros at first instance, 777 on appeal, 1,036 in Cassation, save for the special cases in Art. 13.
What happens if I pay an insufficient fee?
The registry demands the supplement and, failing payment, the amount is enrolled for collection with a surcharge. The case proceeds anyway: the fee is a tax, not a condition of admissibility.
Is the fee due in labour cases?
Only above the income threshold of Art. 9(1-bis) of Decree 115/2002 (three times the legal-aid limit): below it the worker is exempt.
What edit.legal automates
- —While drafting, the assistant determines the bracket from the value declared in the pleading and writes it where you ask
- —On request, it applies instance increases and flags exemptions relevant to the case
- —The in-editor reference check verifies cited provisions against the updated legislative database
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