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 The front cover of a contemporary Italianbiometric passport | |
 The biodata page of an Italianbiometric passport | |
| Type | Passport |
| Issued by |  Questore (on behalf of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs) |
| First issued | 1946 (First Republic) 1 January 1985 (first EU format)[1] 26 October 2006 (biometric passport) 27 September 2023 (current version) |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility | Italian citizenship |
| Expiration | 10 years after issuance (for adults); 5 years (for minors aged 3–17); 3 years (for children aged 0–3)[2] |
| Cost | €116 |
AnItalian passport (Italian:passaporto italiano) is issued upon request to anItalian citizen for the purpose of international travel. It is valid for 10, 5 or 3 years, depending on the applicant's age. Itsbiometric version has been available since 2006.
Every Italian citizen is also acitizen of the European Union. The passport, along with thenational identity card, allows forfree movement and residence in anyEU member state, in theEuropean Economic Area and inSwitzerland.
According to theHenley Passport Index, by 2024, with 194 countries with "Visa-free" access (including "Visa on arrival" and "Electronic Travel Authorization" - eTA) it is the strongest passport in the world tied with France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Spain.[3]
Italian passports share the common design ofEU Passports: they are burgundy-coloured, with theEmblem of Italy emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The word "Passaporto", meaningpassport, is inscribed below the emblem and "Unione Europea" (English:European Union), "Repubblica Italiana" (English:Italian Republic) above. The biometry symbol appears right below "Passaporto" in the centre.The current version of the passport contains 48 pages.[4]
The biodata are on page 2 of the passport, and include the following:
The information page ends with the Machine Readable Zone.
The data page is printed in Italian (Mandatory), English and French.Further translation is provided on page 6, in all 23 officiallanguages of the European Union.
Visa requirements forItalian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens ofItaly. As of January 2024, Italian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 194 countries and territories, ranking the Italian passport 1st in terms of travel freedom (tied with France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Spain) according to theHenley Passport Index.[5]
The Italian passport is issued by theMinister of Foreign Affairs, through
Italian citizens can only apply online on the officialPolice website. Since the introduction of biometric passports in 2006, applicants should appear in person at the Police offices to have fingerprints collected; children under 12 are exempt, but should appear in person nonetheless.
The current fee for a standard 10-yearbiometric passport is €116. The requirement to attach an annualrevenue stamp inside the passport was canceled in 2014.[7]
Italians are allowed to have two valid passports, but are not allowed to possess them simultaneously. One passport will have to be stored in aQuestura (provincial headquarters of the State Police) or consulate.[8]
The issuing agent will only issue two passports if Italian nationals have a valid reason, one example being that some countries in the Arab Leaguedo not allow entry to passport holders of any nationality with Israeli visas or passport stamps, requiring a second passport.
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