Italian protests (protesti): what a UK supplier should check before extending credit
Updated to
In short: an Italian protest (protesto) is an official record that a bill of exchange, promissory note or cheque was not accepted or not paid. The Chambers of Commerce publish protests in an electronic register open to the public, each kept for five years or until cancelled. It shows the debtor, the instrument, the amount and the reason, but nothing about the creditor. A clean search does not prove the customer is sound. Veryfy's Negative records and insolvency proceedings report costs €5.90.
Part of the guide Checking an Italian company: a guide for UK businesses after Brexit. All guides: Guides.
What is a protest?
According to Registro Imprese, the protest is the act by which an authorised public official, called an ufficiale levatore (a notary, a bailiff or a municipal secretary), records the non-acceptance of a bill of exchange or the non-payment of a bill of exchange, a promissory note, or a bank or postal cheque. At the end of each month these officials send the list of protests they recorded to the competent Chamber of Commerce (Registro Imprese: protests).
It is therefore a record about a payment instrument that was not honoured. It is not a court judgment, not a finding that the debtor owes you money under your contract, and not an insolvency proceeding. A UK supplier meets it when an Italian customer pays by cheque or bill of exchange, or when other creditors of the customer have been paid that way.
How does the register work?
- Publication. The Chambers of Commerce publish protests within 10 days of receiving the list, in the Registro Protesti, which the page says was set up by Law 480 of 15 November 1995 and is exclusively electronic and open to public consultation, at the Chamber or online.
- What each entry shows. For the protest: the register number, date and place. For the instrument: its type, due date, the sum due and the reason for non-payment. For the debtor: for an individual, name, tax code or date of birth and domicile; for a business, name, tax code or VAT number and registered office.
- What it does not show. The legislator did not provide for any data on the creditor, so you cannot trace who the creditor is from the register.
- How long it stays. Each protest is kept for five years from publication, or until cancelled following an application, for example because the debt was paid or the protest was unlawful or wrongly made. The application goes to the President of the Chamber, and once cancelled the protest is treated as never having occurred.
- How it is searched. The online search is by the name of the person or company, with optional region, province or date of birth. A positive search lists the occurrences; a full list of instruments (visura protesti) can then be requested, and a negative search can be certified by a visura protesti di non esistenza.
How to read the result
| Result | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Recent protests on an Italian customer | Instruments were not honoured, and that is public for five years unless cancelled | That the customer will not pay you, or that the protest is for the full amount owed to others |
| Several protests in a short period | A pattern worth explaining before you extend open credit | A judgement on the reason, which the entry gives only briefly |
| No protests | None is currently published for that name | That the customer is solvent: it can be late on invoices, or in difficulty, without any instrument being protested |
Because the entry names the debtor but not the creditor, you cannot see who is owed. Confirm that you are searching the right entity: a protest is tied to a name and a tax code, so a homonym or a sole trader's personal name can give a false match or a false clear. Read the date and the amount, then ask the customer for an explanation if something appears.
What protests do not cover
A protest concerns bills of exchange, promissory notes and cheques. A customer who pays by bank transfer generates no such instrument, so it can have a bad payment record with no protests at all. Look at insolvency proceedings and at ownership and links as well: the register's company file has a block for dissolution, insolvency proceedings and cancellations (Registro Imprese: the company file), and the ordinary extract (visura) is informative only, with no value as a certification (Registro Imprese: visura and certificate). Our guide on Italian insolvency for UK creditors covers what happens if proceedings are opened, and late payment interest covers a customer that pays late.
What Veryfy checks, and what it costs
| Product | Price | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Negative records and insolvency proceedings | €5.90 | You mainly want to know whether protests or proceedings exist, with source and date |
| Essential | €14.90 | You also want to know who really controls the company: negative records and beneficial owner together |
| Verification | €19 | You are about to give credit: full company check, protests and insolvency signals, estimated operating credit line |
| Decision | €49 | The exposure is large: adds properties registered to the company, links with other companies and restated financial statements |
Each company product includes a free anti-scam check on the VAT number, email, website and IBAN. If the customer is a sole trader, protests against the business and against the person are two separate searches; see Italian sole trader. The reports are in Italian, and every item carries its source and date. How the cost compares with ordering documents one by one is in Italian company report cost.
A simple routine for a new Italian customer
- Identify the exact legal entity and tax number from the order form.
- Run the protest and insolvency check before you set the credit limit, not after the first invoice is overdue.
- Repeat the check before raising the limit or renewing the contract.
- If a protest appears, ask for the explanation and, if you proceed, shorten the payment terms or ask for payment in advance for the next orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Italian protest?
It is an official record by a public official that a bill of exchange, promissory note or cheque was not accepted or not paid. The Chambers of Commerce publish it in the Registro Protesti.
How long does a protest stay in the register?
Five years from publication, or until it is cancelled on application, for instance after payment or because it was unlawful or wrongly made. Once cancelled it is treated as never having occurred.
Does a protest show who the creditor is?
No. The register records the debtor, the instrument, the amount and the reason, but the legislator did not provide for any data on the creditor.
Does a clean protest search mean an Italian customer is safe to give credit?
No. A protest concerns bills and cheques, so a customer who pays by bank transfer generates none, and can still pay late or be in difficulty. Check insolvency proceedings, ownership and links as well.
Sources
Official sources opened and read on 2026-10-26.
- Registro Imprese: protests (what they are, register, retention, search)
- Registro Imprese: visura and certificate
- Registro Imprese: the company file
General information, not legal advice. Sources verified on 2026-10-26.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Italian protest?
It is an official record by a public official that a bill of exchange, promissory note or cheque was not accepted or not paid. The Chambers of Commerce publish it in the Registro Protesti.
How long does a protest stay in the register?
Five years from publication, or until it is cancelled on application, for instance after payment or because it was unlawful or wrongly made. Once cancelled it is treated as never having occurred.
Does a protest show who the creditor is?
No. The register records the debtor, the instrument, the amount and the reason, but the legislator did not provide for any data on the creditor.
Does a clean protest search mean an Italian customer is safe to give credit?
No. A protest concerns bills and cheques, so a customer who pays by bank transfer generates none, and can still pay late or be in difficulty. Check insolvency proceedings, ownership and links as well.
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