Disclaimer: This guide provides general informational content, not legal advice. Italian bureaucratic

procedures, fees, and required documents change frequently and can vary by comune (municipality),

consulate, or region. Always confirm current requirements with the official Italian government on how How to Acquire a Passport and Other Legal Documents in Italy source

relevant to your situation (your local Comune, Questura, Prefettura, A

genzia delle Entrate, or an Italian Consulate/Embassy if abroad) before applying.

Table of Contents

Who This Guide Is For

The Italian Passport (Passaporto)

Italian Identity Card (Carta d’Identità)

Tax Code (Codice Fiscale)

Residency Registration (Residenza / Anagrafe)

Residence Permit for Non-EU Citizens (Permesso di Soggiorno)

Italian Citizenship

Driving License (Patente di Guida)

Health Card (Tessera Sanitaria)

General Tips for Navigating Italian Bureaucracy

Key Offices and Portals at a Glance

Who This Guide Is For : National NEEDED

Nationals Getting Passport

An Italian citizen living in Italy who needs a first-time or renewed passport or ID card.

An Italian citizen living abroad (registered with AIRE, the Registry of Italians Residing

broad).

foreign national moving to Italy who needs a tax code, residency, or a residence permit.

Because requirements differ significantly by category, each section below is organized by document type

and includes How to Acquire a Passport and Other Legal Documents in Italy ,who it applies to.

A1. The Italian Passport (Passaporto)

An Italian passport is available only to Italian citizens. If

you are not yet a citizen, see Section 6 first.

If You Live in Italy

Apply at your local Questura (state police headquarters) in the province where you reside.

Book an appointment through the Passaporto Online / Agenda Passaporti portal or the Polizia di Stato’s

booking system.

Bring: a valid photo ID, two passport-format photos (or photos taken on-site in many offices), your codice

fiscale, and the payment receipt for the passport fee and the state revenue stamp (marca da bollo).

Biometric data (fingerprints) is collected in person; children under 12 are generally exempt from

fingerprinting but must still attend.

If You Live Abroad

You must first be registered with AIRE at your current foreign address — the consulate will not process a

passport application otherwise.

The application must be completed in person; there is no fully online option, again due to biometric

collection.

Processing times vary widely by consulate — some have significant backlogs, so apply well ahead of

planned travel in other to verify How to Acquire a Passport and Other Legal Documents in Italy

Renewals

The renewal process mirrors a first-time application: book an appointment, bring

your expiring/expired passport, updated photos, and proof of continued citizenship/AIRE standing (if abroad).

Name discrepancies (for example, a woman’s married name versus birth name) are handled according to

Italian law, which records the birth/maiden name on official documents.

Emergency Travel Document

If you’re abroad without a valid passport and need to return to Italy or your EU country of residence, a

consulate can issue an Emergency Travel Document, typically valid for a short period (around five days)

and requiring an in-person appointment.

Recent Legal Context

A 2025 law (Law 74/2025, in force from 24 May 2025) significantly changed the rules for citizenship transmission by descent, including new requirements for declaring intent to transmit citizenship to minor children. If your citizenship was already formally recognized before that date, your passport renewal process is generally unaffected. If you’re unsure how this reform affects your eligibility, consult a citizenship specialist or the relevant consulate before applyingon How to Acquire a Passport and Other Legal Documents in Italy

Italian Identity Card (Carta d’Identità

Getting Id Certified

The carta d’identità is Italy’s national ID card, usable for travel within the EU/Schengen Area (for citizens)

and as general proof of identity domestically.

For Italian Citizens

Apply at your Comune (municipal registry office/anagrafe) of residence.

Most comuni now issue the electronic ID card (CIE – Carta d’Identità Elettronica), which requires an in-

person appointment for photo and fingerprint capture.

Paper ID cards are being phased out, though existing paper cards typically remain valid until their printed

expiry date.

For Foreign Residents (Non-EU)

Non-EU citizens can request an Italian ID card only if

legally resident and registered with the anagrafe of their comune.

Required documents typically include: a valid passport, a valid residence permit (permesso di soggiorno)

or its renewal receipt, codice fiscale/health card, and a passport photo.

For non-EU residents, the card is usually issued not valid for expatriation (i.e., it functions as a domestic

ID, not a travel document).

3 Tax Code (Codice Fiscale)

The codice fiscale is a 16-character alphanumeric code used to identify individuals for tax, healthcare,banking, employment, and virtually all official transactions in Italy. It is often the very first document you’ll need.

4 Residency Registration (Residenza / Anagrafe)

Registering your residenza with your local comune is a foundational step that unlocks access to

healthcare, ID cards, and many other services.

Steps

Choose your comune of residence and locate its Ufficio Anagrafe (registry office).

Submit a residency declaration – many comuni allow this online, by mail, or at a service desk (sportello).

Provide proof of address (a lease, deed, or a hosting declaration from a property owner) and valid ID.

Non-EU citizens must generally already hold, or have applied for, a valid permesso di soggiorno.

Local police typically conduct a verification visit How to Acquire a Passport and Other Legal Documents in Italy and to confirm you live at the declared address.

Once approved, you receive a Certificato di Residenza (Certificate of Residence), which serves as proof

of your legal residence.

For EU citizens, this registration process (sometimes paired with an “attestazione di iscrizione anagrafica”

or right-to-reside declaration) is generally simpler than for non-EU nationals, since EU citizens do not need a permesso di soggiorno.

5 Residence Permit for Non-EU Citizens (Permesso di Soggiorno)

This document is required for non-EU/EE A citizens who intend to stay in Italy longer than 90 days.

Timing

You must apply within 8 working days of entering Italy on a long-stay visa.

How to Apply

Obtain the application kit from an authorized post office (Ufficio Postale offering the “Sportello A

mico”service).

Complete the kit with your personal details, visa information, and reason for stay (work, study, family

reunification, etc.).

Submit it at the post office, which will

give you a receipt and schedule an appointment at the Questura for

fingerprinting and document verification.

Track your application status via the Polizia di Stato’s online tracking portal, using the code from your

postal receipt. Status messages appear in Italian (for example, “documento in trattazione” means it’s still

being processed, while “pronto per la consegna” means it’s ready for pickup).

Collect the permit card at the Questura when ready

What It Enables

Once issued, the permesso di soggiorno (together with your codice fiscale) lets you:

Register with Italy’s National Health Service (SSN)

Open a bank account

Sign a lease

Enroll in school

Work, if your specific permit type allows it (work and family permits generally allow employment; some

categories, like elective residency permits, prohibit it)

Renewal

Apply for renewal before expiry — the process is similar to the initial application, submitted again through

the post office kit system.

6 Italian Citizenship

You cannot obtain an Italian passport without first holding Italian citizenship. There are four main paths:

A. By Descent (Jure Sanguinis)

Based on having an Italian-citizen parent or grandparent.

Important: Law 74/2025 (in force since 24 May 2025) tightened these rules substantially. In most cases,

eligibility is now generally limited to descendants of a parent or grandparent who was born in Italy and

held exclusive Italian citizenship at the time of the applicant’s birth.

Applications filed, or with appointments booked, before 27 March 2025 are generally evaluated under the

prior, more permissive rules.

If you have minor children and your citizenship recognition occurred around the 24 May 2025 cutoff, there may be a 31 May 2026 deadline to file a declaration of intent to transmit citizenship to them — check your

specific case with a specialist or your consulate.

Required documents typically include full birth, marriage, and death certificates for the relevant ancestral

chain, naturalization records (or proof of non-naturalization), all properly apostilled/legalized and

translated into Italian.

B. By Marriage

Marrying an Italian citizen does not grant automatic citizenship, but it does create an accelerated path.

Typically requires 2 years of continuous legal residence in Italy after the marriage (or after the Italian

spouse’s naturalization), or 3 years if residing abroad — these periods are generally halved if the couple

has minor or adopted children.

Requires proof of Italian language proficiency (typically B1 level under the CEFR framework).

C. By Naturalization (Residency)

Generally requires 10 years of continuous legal residence in Italy (shorter periods apply to some

categories, such as EU citizens or those with Italian ancestry within recent generations).Applicants must demonstrate sufficient income (a commonly cited minimum threshold is roughly €8,263

per year for a single applicant, though thresholds can be adjusted and vary by household size), a clean

criminal record, and B1-level Italian.

Applications for citizenship by residence are submitted through the Ministry of Interior’s online portal.

D. By Birth (Jus Soli/Sanguinis at Birth)

Children born in Italy to at least one Italian citizen parent are Italian citizens at birth.

Italy does not generally grant citizenship purely by birth on Italian soil to children of foreign parents

(unlike jus soli countries); specific narrow exceptions exist (e.g., stateless children).

Typical Supporting Documents for Citizenship Applications

Valid passport or ID card

Valid permesso di soggiorno (or EU permanent residence attestation)

Codice fiscale

Full birth certificate (showing both parents), translated and legalized/apostilled

Criminal record certificate from your country of origin and any country of residence in the last 10 years

(legalized, translated, and typically valid only for 6 months)

Updated historical residency certificate

Current family status certificate (stato di famiglia)

Driving License (Patente di Guida)

EU licenses are valid in Italy and can eventually be exchanged for an Italian license after establishing

residency, depending on bilateral agreements.

Non-EU licenses generally require passing Italian theory and practical driving exams to convert or obtain

a new license, unless your country has a specific reciprocity agreement with Italy.

Applications are handled through the Motorizzazione Civile (Civil Motorization office) or authorized

driving schools (autoscuole), which can guide you through paperwork, medical certification, and exam

booking.

Health Card (Tessera Sanitaria)

Issued automatically to those registered with the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN), Italy’s national

health service.

For residents, registration typically happens at your local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) office once you

have your codice fiscale and residency/permesso di soggiorno in place.

The card also functions as your codice fiscale card in most cases.

EU citizens visiting Italy can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/TE

AM) issued by their home country instead of registering with the SSN

General Tips for Navigating Italian Bureaucracy

Book appointments early. Wait times at Questure, consulates, and comuni can run from weeks to many

months, especially for passports and permessi di soggiorno.

Bring extra photocopies. Italian offices frequently ask for copies of documents you’ve already submitted.

Get documents apostilled and translated in advance if they originate outside Italy — an uncertified

translation is often rejected outright.

Track deadlines carefully, especially the 8-working-day window to apply for a permesso di soggiorno

after entry, and any citizenship-related deadlines tied to recent legal reforms.

Keep your AIRE registration current if you live abroad — an outdated AIRE record can delay or block

passport renewals and other consular services.

Consider a specialist for citizenship by descent cases, particularly post-2025, since eligibility now

depends heavily on the exact generational chain and dates involved.

Marca da bollo (revenue stamp): Many applications require purchasing one from a tabaccheria (tobacco

shop) — don’t forget this small but essential step.

Final Note

Italian administrative processes are document-heavy and appointment-driven, but they follow a fairly

predictable logic: residency and codice fiscale unlock almost everything else, and citizenship unlocks

the passport. Start with whichever of those two you’re missing, and build outward from there. Given how

frequently rules change — as seen with the 2025 citizenship reform — always double-check current

requirements with the relevant office before submitting an application.