How to Get Your Italian Passport
in the United States

Before you apply: three things that must be in place

1. Your citizenship is recognized and registered in Italy. After a consulate case, the consulate sends your records to the comune (municipality) to be registered. After a court case, the judgment has to become final and be registered by the comune. A passport can only be issued once Italy's records show you as a citizen.
2. You are registered in AIRE at your current address. AIRE is the register of Italians living abroad. The New York consulate, for example, requires AIRE registration with an up-to-date address in its district, and Detroit asks you to be registered before you book. See our AIRE guide.
3. You know which consulate covers you. You apply at the consulate for the state (and in a few states, the county) where you live. Use our consulate finder.

Step 1: Book an appointment on Prenot@mi

Passport appointments are booked on Prenot@mi, the Foreign Ministry's booking system, under "Passports". You need a Prenot@mi account. Some consulates ask you to confirm the booking shortly before the date: New York asks you to confirm it between ten and four days before your appointment. Availability varies by consulate, so check back regularly if no slots are open.

Step 2: Prepare your documents

Each consulate publishes its own checklist, and it is the one that counts. Expect to bring:

• The passport application form, filled in and signed
• Two identical, recent passport photos on a white background (check your consulate's rules on size and format)
• Your previous Italian passport, if you have one; otherwise another valid photo ID
• As a dual citizen, a copy of your U.S. passport, plus your naturalization certificate if you became a U.S. citizen after birth
• The fee, usually as a money order: New York and Detroit do not accept cards or personal checks
• A prepaid, self-addressed envelope if your consulate mails passports back. New York asks for USPS Priority Mail with tracking; Detroit asks for an express mail envelope and not UPS

Step 3: Attend your appointment

Applicants aged 12 and over must attend in person so the consulate can take digital fingerprints. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting. Detroit handles applications for children under 12 by mail; New York does not process applications sent by mail, so check your consulate's rules.

The passport is not issued on the day of the appointment. It is mailed to you, or at some consulates you or someone you authorize in writing can collect it on an agreed date.

What it costs and how long it lasts

Passports for children

A child needs to be an Italian citizen with their birth registered in Italy before they can get a passport. Since 2025 some children born abroad have to be declared by set deadlines; see registering children by 2029.

• Both parents must consent. Each parent signs a consent form (atto di assenso) with a copy of their ID; Detroit asks a parent who is not Italian to sign in front of a notary
• Children under 12 do not give fingerprints
• Children under 14 who travel abroad without a parent need a declaration from the parents naming who will accompany them; your consulate has the form

Renewing an Italian passport

Italian passports cannot be renewed. When yours expires, you apply for a new one with the same procedure and the same fee. Detroit asks you to apply no earlier than six months before the expiry date, unless you can show a travel or visa need. If you run out of pages before it expires, you can ask for a new booklet.

Traveling with two passports

The U.S. State Department says U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to leave and enter the United States. Use your Italian passport in Italy and the rest of the EU, where it lets you use EU lanes and stay without the 90-day limit that applies to Americans.

Carry both passports on every trip. Our dual citizenship guide covers the rest of the rules.

Common causes of delay

• Your AIRE address is out of date. Report a move within 90 days
• Your name is written differently in U.S. and Italian records. Italian records often treat a middle name as part of the first name, so use your names exactly as they appear in your Italian records
• A parent's consent form is missing for a child's passport
• The fee is paid the wrong way, for example by card where only money orders are accepted

Sources

• Italian Foreign Ministry: passports for citizens abroad (Italian)
• Consulate General of Italy in New York: how to apply for a passport
• Consulate of Italy in Detroit: passports and ID cards
• Prenot@mi, the Foreign Ministry booking portal
• U.S. Department of State: dual nationality

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and consulate practice change; check the official sources or ask us before acting.