This article will discuss how to apply for an Italian passport via an Italian consulate in the U.S. While there may be slight variations in how each consulate delivers its passport service (it is always advised that you refer to the relevant consulate website for information), generally speaking, the passport application process for Italian consulates in the U.S. will be the same.
Benefits of the Italian passport
The passportindex.org rankings for 2024 evaluated the “power of a passport”, and listed the Italian passport joint second in the world. The Italian passport grants visa-free travel to 134 countries. Comparatively speaking, the United States passport is ranked in 7th place, but only allows visa-free travel to 123 nations. This gives some perspective as to the scope and strength of the Italian passport, and the benefits of having one.
Being an Italian citizen means being able to live, study, work, access education and receive medical treatment in Italy. Having an Italian passport also serves as proof of your Italian citizenship status, irrespective of where in the world you are.
It also means EU citizenship, and with an Italian passport you can live, study, and work in any of the other 27 European Union member states, without the need of a visa or special permission. In addition to this, EU citizens are often prioritized over non-EU citizens for many professional and educational opportunities. Another advantage of being a citizen of the European Union is that you have access to medical care, if necessary, when living in Europe or traveling around the European Union with an Italian health card.
Traveling within Europe with an Italian passport gives Fast Track access through immigration lines reserved for EU nationals. And citizens with Italian passports can use biometric scanners, which is a faster way to get through immigration/passport control checks and EU/ EEC lines.
Furthermore, if outside of the EU, and require consular protection, you have the option of going to any other of the European member states’ embassies or consulates if there are no Italian representatives. European Union member states are there for the citizens of other EU nations if needed.
Applying for an Italian passport
Firstly, you can only apply for your Italian passport once you have Italian citizenship status.
Secondly, if you are an Italian citizen living in the United States, you must apply for your Italian passport at the Italian consulate that covers jurisdiction where you reside (for a comprehensive list of Italian consulates in the U.S. please see here). Before you can make your passport application to the relevant Italian consulate, you must be registered with the A.I.R.E. (Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all’Estero – Register of Italian citizens living abroad). The registration should be processed through the Fast It online portal, which is a dedicated service for Italian citizens living abroad. In addition to this, the service also allows you to submit a new request for registration, as well as updating and amending current registration details, such as change of address.
Making an appointment
In order to make an appointment for your passport application you must access the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s (Ministero degli Affari Esteri) Prenot@mi website. This is the online booking system and used by the majority of consulates. The applicant will need to create an account in order to access the online booking system and make an appointment. As a general rule, the majority of consulates do not allow adults within the same families to attend appointments together, and each applicant must attend an individual, separate appointment. However, in respect of minor children (those under the age of 18), they can go along with a parent or guardian and attend an appointment together. However, there may be exceptions to this, and so it is always advices to check the specific guidelines of the consulate you are applying through. In respect of honorary consulates, they sometimes ask that appointments are made via e-mail, and not through the Prenot@mi website. Again, with this considered it is important to refer to the guidelines of the relevant consulate that can be found on the consulate website in the “passports” section.
Required documents
The documents that will need to be presented to the passport office clerk on the day of the appointment are:
- A signed application form (please note this is not requested by all consulates);
- Your U.S. passport (or other form of valid identification);
- 2 passport photographs. There requirements for the photos. They must be recent, identical, size 3.5 x 4.0 cm (in U.S. format 1.5″x1.5″), with white background, facing front and center, and with a neutral expression;
- A money order made payable to the ‘Consulate General of Italy’ (specifying which one), in order to pay the passport fee.
Please note that the fee usually changes every three months, and so it is advised that you check the consulate website. Also, if more than one applicant attend appointment together, a different money order will be necessary for each individual. Some consulates will require further documentation, such as a proof of Italian citizenship (which can be the letter of recognition from the consulate, or, if a 1948 case, the sentence issued by the court, a copy of an Italian birth certificate or, of course, the expired Italian passport). It is also necessary to include a prepaid self-addressed envelope, which is used to mail the passport to your home address.
Day of the appointment
On the day of the appointment the applicant’s biometrical data will be registered, and some consulates will require the applicant to sign an authorization form. Regarding a minor’s application for an Italian passport, both parents will need to sign the application form in order for a passport to be issued.
In respect of waiting periods, in some cases the passport may be issued on the same day as the appointment. Alternatively, it is mailed directly to the applicant’s address within a few weeks, or between one to six weeks after the appointment. The consulate website will have all the details regarding required documents, fees, and timeframes for the issuance of passports.
The Italian passport itself
Italian passports have certain security features to better protect a person’s identity. For example, they are embedded with a biometric chip that makes it virtually impossible to replicate, and each page of an Italian passport has imprinted in it a unique passport number. As well as giving enhanced security, such features also make it feasible to move through immigration control, and passport scanners faster.
On the first page of the Italian passport, you will find the words for the European Union, Italian Republic, and the word ‘passport’ in all of the languages of the EU, as well as the unique individual European passport identifying number at the bottom of the page.
The second and third pages of an Italian passport contain the individual’s personal information. There are 3 sections that list the residency details of the citizen. For example, if resident of Florence, it will state Florence, but if, say, resident in Washington, but reside within New York and registered with the Italian consulate in New York; then the passport will state New York.
On the bottom of page 2, or the page on the left if the spine of the booklet is facing vertical, will be your personal data, such as you name, height in centimeters, eye color, citizenship status, first name, surname, sex, date of birth, place of birth, date of issue and expiration date. On the same page will be your passport photo and signature.
In respect of married women, it is useful to note that in accordance with Italian law women do not acquire the surname of her husband once married, and therefore it will be a woman’s maiden name that is stated on the passport. The surname of the husband can be listed on page 4 of the passport, if the designated area on the application form was by completed.
This segment has been written to outline how an Italian passport is applied for via an Italian consulate in the U.S., as well as highlighting other useful information regarding the passport itself.
If you would like to know more about applying for Italian citizenship, or making a passport application you can visit our homepage, or contact us directly, and one of our friendly experts will be in touch to answer your questions.
