Before leaving for a foreign country it is important to check on security conditions and laws there. For all the necessary information see: https://www.esteri.it/en/sportello_info/domandefrequenti/viaggiare/
If you’re looking for detailed information on a country, you can also check the website of the diplomatic mission there:
List of Italian embassies and consulates
It is certainly advisable. For all the necessary information see: https://www.esteri.it/en/sportello_info/domandefrequenti/viaggiare/
Before travelling to a country considered at risk, we advise registering your trip at the website Dove siamo nel mondo so as to make it possible for the Foreign Ministry Crisis Unit to intervene as rapidly and accurately as possible on your behalf in any eventual emergency.
You may register on the web, by text message or by telephone, but no more than 30 days before your scheduled departure. All registered data will automatically be cancelled from the Crisis Unit database two days after the return date indicated.
However, eventual reimbursement associated with cancellation of a trip for reasons of security must be considered a decision that falls within the context of a private contract, and is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
First report the theft to the local police (remember that every EU country has the dedicated phone number 112 for this purpose).
Next, you may ask the local Italian consulate for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) valid solely for your return trip to Italy, within the foreign country where you reside or, in exceptional cases, for a different destination.
Further information see:
Loss or Theft of Documents
Financial Assistance Abroad
To find out what a diplomatic mission can do to help you if you are arrested in a foreign country, see: Assistance to detainees
If you are in a country where there is no Italian embassy or consulate, you may request consular protection from the diplomatic mission of any European Union Member State.
For more information see: Consular Services.
IThe Visa Waiver Program is a United States government programme allowing entry without a visa, which requires Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before boarding any means of transportation, air or sea, to the United States.
For all pertinent information see: US Embassy in Italy
When especially serious and unexpected situations restrict Italian citizens’ right to expatriate or their security (for example: when visiting or living in mutually hostile foreign countries) a second passport, with the same expiry date as the first, may be issued.
The “Notes” page of both passports must carry the phrase “duplicate of passport number…”, with the number of the other passport. The second one can only be issued upon specifically justifiable request and only when such justification is recognised as valid by the office issuing the passport (Police or diplomatic mission).
As having an Israeli stamp on a passport could potentially create problems for entry into some countries, we would advise consulting the website Viaggiare sicuri(Safe Travelling) or that of the Italian diplomatic mission of the country you intend to visit. In any case, you can request that the Israeli border authorities not stamp your passport upon entry or exit from that country.
Some countries do not recognise the extension of identity card validity by means of a date stamp on the paper document or certification of electronic identity card.
Since it is not possible to compile an accurate list of those countries, the Interior Ministry authorises anyone with an expired but extendable or already extended card to request its replacement by the authorities of the city of residence. We advise that you consult the Focus section of Automobiles and licenses
and/or request information at the diplomatic mission in Italy of the country you intend to visit.
Check the information regarding the country in question on the Viaggiare sicuri website under “travel”. For more general information see Automobiles and licenses.
Minors under 14 years of age may travel abroad unaccompanied if they carry a statement of accompaniment containing the name of the person or organisation to which the minor is entrusted, signed by the child’s legal guardian and stamped by the passport issuing agent.
It is also a good idea to consult the authorities of the country of destination for information on the laws regarding the entry of unaccompanied minors, as well as to verify procedures with the carrier company.
In general, before booking a trip or buying a ticket, always check the regulations regarding the documents accepted by the country of destination. See www.viaggiaresicuri.it and on www.poliziadistato.it
For detailed information consult the website of the State Police: Polizia di Stato and the Passport page.
As of 14 June 2023, it is no longer necessary to provide the other parent’s consent for the purposes of issuing your identity document (passport and electronic identity card), in accordance with Law Decree No. 69/2023.
More specifically, Article 3-bis of Law No. 1185/1967 lays down that, when there is a concrete and current risk that, due to the issuance of the document, the requesting parent may evade the fulfilment of his or her obligations to the children, it will be possible for the other parent to apply for an injunction or request a passport-inhibiting order.
The application may be filed with the competent judge at the ordinary court of the place where the child has his or her habitual residence or, if the child is resident abroad, at the court in whose district his or her municipality of A.I.R.E. registration is located.
For the purposes of issuing documents for minors, instead, the obligation remains to have the consent signed by both parents or by those exercising parental responsibility.
For further information see the Passports page.
The Customs Agency has drawn up a traveller’s customs card which contains the information needed to clear the goods most frequently carried by travellers, which can be consulted on the Agency’s website.
Further information can be found on the Passport page.
It is an easy-to-use guide to the main customs provisions regulating luggage, personal belongings and animals accompanying travellers. It is a helpful tool for those arriving in or departing from Italy, in view of preparing in advance any documents required at customs. It also provides useful information for those purchasing products via the Internet.
For further information see the Passports page.