Unjustified rescue at sea or in the mountains: helicopter – 4,000 euros per hour; snowmobile – 1.5 euros per kilometre
The latest Budget Act has introduced a levy on anyone who causes an intervention through wilful misconduct
One hour’s flight time on a medium-sized twin-engine helicopter operated by the Guardia di Finanza will cost more than 4,000 euros. One hour’s flight time on a mini quadcopter drone, on the other hand, will cost less than one hundred. These are just two examples from the new fee schedule that the Ministry of the Economy has introduced to implement the provision of the 2026 Budget Law, which requires those who trigger an intervention through wilful misconduct or gross negligence — or request unjustified assistance — to bear the cost of the Finance Police’s operation.
Staff, from 30 to 70 euros per hour
The decree first and foremost recognises the value of the work carried out by the men and women of the Corps who are deployed in the field.
The logic is that of a hierarchy: it starts at just over 30 euros an hour for constables and finance officers in the ordinary ranks and rises, rank by rank, to 60 euros for senior officers.
Those working in the air and naval departments earn a little more — the maximum is 70 euros in the air sector, and slightly less in the naval sector — in recognition of the specialisation required for those roles.
One rule applies to everyone: anyone who carries out a service for less than an hour is still paid for a full hour, whilst for periods exceeding 60 minutes, fractions of an hour only count if they exceed half an hour.
