What are the requirements to obtain the Italian passport?

Feb 08, 2024

A passport is both a travel and an identification document issued:

•  in Italy by the Police Headquarters;
• abroad by diplomatic-consular Representations.

The passport is valid for countries recognized by the Italian government, and upon request, it can also be valid for countries not recognized by indicating the places of destination (Law 1185/67, Article 2).

While recalling that having a passport is therefore an essential requirement for entry into most non-European countries, before embarking on a journey, we recommend you to carefully consult the website www.viaggiaresicuri.it, where it will be possible to consult – for each individual State of destination – updated information on the travel document(s) required for entry into the country and on any restrictions and/or specific requirements.

Process to obtain Italian passport

Where to apply for an Italian passport? Italian citizens generally need to submit their passport application to the competent office based on their place of residence, either in Italy or abroad. In certain cases, with prior authorization from the respective Questura (local police headquarters) or Consulate, the passport can be issued by an office other than the one in the applicant’s place of residence. This authorization must be explicit. It is important to note that if the application is submitted to a consular district where the applicant is not a resident, the processing and issuance time may be longer due to the required authorization from the competent Questura/Consulate.

What is the Italian passport? Ordinary Italian passport is the electronic passport that – as of October 26, 2006 – has replaced previous passport models. It uses modern technologies, such as anti-counterfeiting printing and a microprocessor containing the data of the holder and the issuing authority, which provides high security standards.

The validity of the passport varies depending on the holder’s age:
• 3 years for minors under 3 years of age;
• 5 years for minors between 3 and 18 years of age
• 10 years for adults.

Documents required for an ordinary passport application

To apply for an ordinary passport, the following documents are needed:

• passport application form, duly completed and signed by the person concerned;
• an identity document in accordance with Presidential Decree 445/2000;
• 2 recent photographs (identical, frontal, in colour, format 35 x 40 mm);
• receipt of payment of the cost of the passport booklet and administrative fee;
• in case the applicant has children under the age of 18, an affidavit of consent to the issuance of the document by the other parent, regardless of the applicant’s marital status (single, married, separated or divorced) – atto di assenso;
• if the applicant is a minor under the age of 18, an affidavit from both parents – atto di assenso;
• if the applicant is a child under the age of 18 born abroad, he/she shall submit to the competent Consulate – that, if not already done so, shall transmit it to Italy for subsequent registration – the birth certificate, translated and legalised (or with an apostille) or, where applicable, the certificate on a multilingual standard form.

Individual passport for minors:

Since June 26, 2012, all Italian minors traveling internationally must carry individual travel documents. Minors under different age ranges have varying validity periods for their passports:

• 3 years for minors aged between 0 and 3;
• 5 years for minors aged between 3 and 18.

How to become an Italian Citizen

The most common pathways to obtain Italian Citizenship are by descent, marriage/civil union, and residency/naturalization.

Italian citizenship by descent is based upon the principle of “jure sanguinis” (blood right, according to ancient Latin):

This means that a child born to an Italian mother or father has also the right to claim Italian citizenship, regardless of where the child was born.

For more information, read our article: FAQS Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis).

Italian citizenship by Marriage/Civil Union with two different scenarios

The spouse or partner in a civil union of an Italian citizen who has registered residency for at least 2 years and holding a valid permit of stay, can apply for Italian citizenship after 2 years from the date of marriage or civil union, which is reduced to 1 year if the couple has children, also adopted, according to Italian law.

The spouse of an Italian citizen who resides abroad can apply for Italian citizenship after 3 years from the date of marriage or civil union, reduced to 18 months if the couple has children according to Italian law.

For more information, read our article: Italian citizenship by Marriage or Civil Union.

Italian Citizenship through Naturalization by Residency

If you have been legally resident in Italy, and you are still resident, you may be eligible for citizenship through residency and apply for Italian citizenship through naturalization. Requirements are based on the number of years of residency, absence of criminal records, payment of tax in Italy, and knowledge of the Italian language. Non-EU applicants can apply after 10 years of residency and in the case of EU citizens, they can apply after 4 years of residency. Reduced periods of just 3 years of residency are allowed if the applicant has a parent or grandfather who is born Italian.

For more information, read our article: FAQs about Applying for Italian citizenship by Residency (Naturalization).

Reacquisition of Italian Citizenship

Any person who has been Italian for a certain period of his life can request the reacquisition of Italian citizenship.

For more information, read our article: Reacquisition of Italian Citizenship.

This article was written by: Giuditta De Ricco e Timea Lelli

Web Content Manager

This article is posted by Mazzeschi Web Content Manager. Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@mazzeschi.it. Follow us on social media @StudioMazzeschi to receive the latest updates.

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