Poste Italiane reaches 100 thousand passports issued. The service, now extended to large cities, simplifies the issuing and renewal of the document
A white and yellow counter, an orderly queue, a few minutes of waiting. Then the photo, the digital signature and the promise – in black and white – that the new passport will arrive home in a few days. This is how, in just over a year, Poste Italiane has exceeded 100 thousand passports issuedcrossing the symbolic finish line with the document issued by the “Pescara 6” office, in Abruzzo.
A result that tells of a small administrative revolution. Launched in March last year thanks to an agreement between Poste Italiane, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Business and Made in Italythe service was created for bring citizens closer to public servicesbringing one of the most requested documents – and often most difficult to obtain – into the widespread network of post offices.
From internal areas to large cities
The project started from Municipalities with less than 15 thousand inhabitantswhere the passport still meant kilometers of road and hours of waiting at the police station. Today it is also active in large centres: Rome, Milan, Naples, Bologna, Verona, Venice, Cagliari, Monza, Perugia, Vicenza, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara and Pescara.
The stated objective is reach every citizen, wherever they liveand reduce the gap between urban territories and more isolated areas. How to Newfoundland of Pollinoa small town in the province of Potenza, where once obtaining a passport meant traveling 150 kilometres. Now all it takes is a visit to the town post office.
How to apply for a passport at the Post Office
The new system was designed to be intuitive and close to people. You need to go to the authorized post office with:
- a valid identity document and a copy thereof;
- two identical and recent color photos (no later than six months), frontal, with an uncovered face and on a white background;
- there receipt of payment of 42.50 euros via postal order no. 67422808 made payable to the Ministry of Economy and Finance – Department of the Treasury, with reference “Amount for issuing the Electronic Passport”;
- a electronic cash on delivery of 73.50 euroswhich can be purchased at tobacconists or authorized points.
In case of renewal, it is necessary to bring the old passport or the report of loss.
In larger cities it is in demand online booking on the Poste Italiane website, while in small towns access is direct. And once the request is approved, the document can be delivered directly to your home — preferred choice in 79% of cases.
Passport for minors: what is needed
For minors, the procedure requires a few more documents: the copy of the parents’ identity documentstheact of assent of the possibly absent parent, and in specific cases theextract from the birth certificate with indication of the parents, especially in homo-parental families. You can also attach the certification of parental responsibilitywhen there is no judicial proceeding in progress.
Who is excluded from the service
However, not everyone can apply for a passport at the post office. The service, for now, is not available for dual passport holdersfor those who need to obtain a temporary passportfor the registered with AIREfor those who have a document issued by embassy or consulateor for i minors in exclusive custody ordered by a judge.
The future of the service
Today they are already 2,305 Polis offices And 415 urban ones authorized throughout Italy. But the number is destined to grow.
The goal is clear: make the Post Office a single point for public servicesshortening the distances between citizens and administration.
Because a passport is not just a document, but the symbol of a country that wants to simplify the lives of those who travel, work and live while looking at the world.
