Italian Passport Requirements

Once you have established Italian citizenship, you can easily start the process of obtaining an Italian passport. Italy’s passport requirements are similar to those of other countries.

Do I Qualify for an Italian Passport?

Italian citizens in good standing are eligible to apply for an Italian passport. It does not matter which route you take to become an Italian citizen, and even if you do not live in Italy, you are still able to receive a passport.

Due to changes enacted by Law 74/2025, those applying for Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) must now meet stricter generational requirements. In most cases, eligibility is now limited to descendants of a parent or grandparent born in Italy who held exclusive Italian citizenship at the time of the applicant’s birth.

If your application for Italian dual citizenship was submitted by March 27, 2025, your case is still evaluated under the previous law. If your citizenship is recognized under those rules, you can proceed with your passport application as usual.

If your application was submitted after March 27, 2025, you must confirm that you still qualify under the revised law before applying for a passport. ITAMCAP can help assess your situation and guide you through alternate paths, such as judicial petitions or residency-based claims, if necessary.

Most people who apply for a passport will have Italian citizenship by marriage, permanent residence, or descent. It is also possible to obtain Italian citizenship by investment, although that is a costly process that may require working with immigration lawyers in Italy.

Where Do I Apply for an Italian Passport?

If you are an Italian citizen who resides in Italy, you will apply for your passport at the questura, or state police provincial office. Italian citizens who reside abroad must register with AIRE and will obtain an Italian passport from the consulate or embassy where they reside.

How to Apply for an Italian Passport

If you live in the United States, the process will follow the specific rules of the Italian consulate for your region regarding format of the application and whether it is submitted in paper form or electronically.

Before applying, confirm that your citizenship has been fully recognized under current law. Recognition under the old rules only applies if your case was filed or your appointment was booked by March 27, 2025. Those who have obtained Italian citizenship by residency must ensure their local comune or consulate has finalized their registration before proceeding.

The timeline to receive your passport is 1-6 weeks.

Italian passport requirements include:

• Your application for Italian citizenship must have been approved and the relevant consulate must have been officially notified of your change in status.
• Your designated consulate will notify you once your Italian dual citizenship has been registered. This grants you the right to apply for an Italian passport.
• You will arrange an appointment with the consulate through an online reservation system in most cases.
• You will request, complete, and submit the passport application form along with the proper supporting documents. These may include a naturalization certificate if your Italian ancestor became a foreign citizen.
• The Italian government now requires fingerprinting for electronic passports, so you will need to visit your Italian consulate or questura in person at some point in the process.
• Your completed Italian passport application must be accompanied by two USPS money orders, one for administrative tax and the other for the actual passport fee.
• Submit a passport photo with your application. Italian passport photo requirements include a white background and a size of 4.5 cm x 2.5 cm. Like visa photos, passport photographs should have a neutral expression and not extend past the shoulders.
• Provide photo identification cards, which might include your state driver’s license, U.S. visa or green card, and/or current passport.
• You will also need two copies of a consent agreement and ID cards for each person if you have children also applying for passports.

Note: If you are a woman who changed her name at marriage, your Italian passport will display your birth (or maiden) name, based on Italian law.

Special Note for Parents of Minor Children

If your children were minors on May 24, 2025, you have until May 31, 2026, to file formal declarations of intent to transmit citizenship. Once registered, they may apply for passports as Italian citizens.

How to Renew an Italian Passport

Even for renewals, applicants must remain in good standing with their AIRE registration and maintain their Italian citizenship status under current law. If you acquired citizenship under older rules, renewals are generally unaffected—provided no loss of citizenship has occurred.

As an Italian citizen living abroad, the process to renew your Italian passport is similar, if less complex. The Italian consulate passport renewal process includes:

• Scheduling an appointment with your Italian consulate or embassy.
• Bringing your driver’s license or national ID card, your current Italian passport (even if it has expired), and one passport photo taken in the last 6 months to the appointment.
• Providing parental awareness forms if children in your family are renewing passports.
• Waiting 1-6 weeks for your new Italian passport to be ready for pickup or secure delivery.

At times, a consulate may have a long waiting list for appointments, so it is best not to let your Italian passport booklet expire before you begin the process of renewal.

Do I Meet the Italian Passport Requirements?

An Italian passport offers you all the rights and benefits of an EU citizen, including additional protection from human rights violations when you travel, and access to any EU member state embassy if an Italian embassy is not available. By applying for Italian citizenship, you and your family members will have access to EU countries without the need for any additional entry, educational, or work visas.

However, passport eligibility now depends on recognition of citizenship under current law. Not all descent-based claims are valid unless they meet the new criteria under Law 74/2025.

If you are wondering how to get an Italian passport for yourself and your children, we can help. The Italian American Citizenship Assistance Program can guide you through the process and assist with vital record searches (e.g., naturalization records) and essential translations of required documents.

With our guidance, you can also take the first steps in establishing your Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) under the updated eligibility rules of Law 74/2025. If one of your ancestors had an Italian spouse or if you marry an Italian citizen, you may also be eligible for dual citizenship. Call or contact us today for more information on how to exercise your right to travel under an Italian passport.