Getting an Italian passport in Italy is becoming quicker and more accessible, as Poste Italiane continues to roll out its passport application and renewal service nationwide. As of January 2026, the service is available in 4,574 post offices, including 4,157 in towns with fewer than 15,000 residents and 417 in larger urban centres.
The expansion is part of the “Polis” project, a national plan to turn post offices into local one-stop service hubs. The aim is to activate the service in almost 7,000 small towns and remote areas by spring 2026.
Since the service was launched on a trial basis on 14 March 2024, demand has risen steadily. Poste Italiane has processed about 145,000 passport applications to date. In January 2025 there were just over 18,000 applications; by September that figure had already passed 100,000.
More than 106,000 requests have come from small towns involved in the Polis project, while around 38,000 were submitted in larger cities. The highest numbers have been recorded in the provinces of Verona, Vicenza, Monza and Bergamo.
Citizens can apply for a new passport or a renewal at a participating post office in the municipality where they live or are domiciled. Applicants must present a valid identity document, their tax code, two recent passport photos, a €73.50 tax stamp and proof of payment of the €42.70 passport fee.
Post office staff collect biometric data, including fingerprints and a digital photograph, and forward the application to the relevant police office. For renewals, the old passport or a report of loss or theft must also be provided.
One of the main goals of the project is to reduce the disadvantage faced by people in remote and rural areas. In towns like Terranova di Pollino in Basilicata, with fewer than 1,000 residents, people once had to travel up to 150 kilometres to apply for a passport. Now they can complete the process locally.
The service has also reached mountain communities and islands such as Elba, Capraia, Favignana and Pantelleria. In large cities, including Rome, Milan, Bologna and Naples, the service is available by appointment through the Poste Italiane website. With applications continuing to rise, the expansion of passport services through post offices is fast becoming a key part of Italy’s push to modernise public services.
