REGISTRY OF ITALIANS RESIDENT ABROAD (AIRE)
The Italian citizens residing abroad must register with the Registry of Italians Residing Abroad (AIRE). Registration with AIRE, which is absolutely free and does not require the presence of interested parties at the Consulate counters, allows access to various Consular Services – Consolato d’Italia a Manchester (esteri.it). It should be noted that, with the entry into force of Law 213/2023, a sanctioning regime has been introduced for those who do not comply with the registry obligations: it is therefore further important to update address details.
More details about AIRE can be found on the Farnesina website.
On this page you can find information about:
- Who must register
- What AIRE registration involves
- How to register with AIRE
- How to register using FAST IT
- How to register in AIRE or update your home address by post?
- How do I register an Italian minor born in the United Kingdom?
- How do I change my address for an Italian minor living with only one parent?
- Updating your AIRE position
- AIRE cancellation occurs:
- Returning to Italy
Italian citizens who must register with AIRE are:
- those already resident abroad (born abroad, or in possession of Italian citizenship by acquisition); or
- citizens who move their residence abroad for periods longer than 12 months.
Who does NOT have to register with AIRE:
- workers with seasonal contracts; or
- citizens going abroad for a period not exceeding one year; or
- permanent State employees serving abroad (under the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations of 1961 and 1963); or
- Italian military personnel serving in detached NATO offices and facilities.
AIRE registration is mandatory even if holding more than one nationality (for example, an Italian-British citizen is still required to register with AIRE).
What AIRE registration involves
Registering with AIRE involves the cancellation from the Anagrafe della Popolazione Residente (APR) and it allows to take advantage of a number of consular services, as well as to exercise important rights such as:
- voting by post in the country of residence for Italy’s political elections and national referendums and for the election of Italian representatives at the European Parliament in the polling stations established in EU countries by the diplomatic-consular network;
- access to services offered by this Consulate.
The AIRE registry is managed by the Italian municipalities on the basis of the data and information received from the Consular Offices abroad. Each municipality has its own AIRE registry. There is also a national AIRE registry, established at the Ministry of Interior Affairs, which contains the data transmitted by all municipal registry offices. In addition to the registry data, the AIRE records the citizen’s registration to the electoral rolls of their municipality.
In order to register with AIRE, the involved party must declare their interest to the relevant Consular Office (for Northern England, the Consulate of Italy in Manchester), no later than 90 days after moving abroad.
It is through the FAST IT portal that one can apply for AIRE registration. Once the Consular Office has successfully completed all the checks, the request is forwarded to the relevant municipality. On FAST IT, the user may monitor the workflow. Once the status of the file on the portal shows as “Transmitted to the Municipality,” the work of this Consulate is finished. AIRE registration only takes place after confirmation from the Municipality to the fellow national.
The only alternative to register with AIRE via FASTR IT is via post (see below). Applications received by e-mail cannot be accepted.
Before proceeding with the registration via FAST IT, please make sure you have at least one of the following:
- copy of an ITALIAN identity document (passport or ID card), including the page with the photo and the signature and the one with the stamp of the authority that issued the document;
- copies of the identity documents of all resident family members who are minors and/or foreigners (for foreign family members / non-EU citizens, it is necessary to send a copy of their national passport including the page with the stamp of the entry in the UK, and the copy of a valid “UK Residence Permit”);
- proof of residence bearing the name and address of the person(s), which may be:
- utility bill (electricity, gas, etc.) not older than three months, or
- council tax not older than one year, or
- bank statement not older than three months, or
- registration from NHS doctor not older than three months, or
- NIN confirmation letter not older than three months, or
- official letter from a British institution (Job Centre, HMRC, etc.) not older than three months, or
- letter of confirmation of university attendance not older than three months.
If you do not have at least one of the above documents, you cannot apply for AIRE registration. Proof of pre/settled status (EUSS) is not valid in order to register with AIRE, as no residential address is indicated.
We recommend having a printer and a scanner available. If the application is incomplete, additional elements will be requested, usually by e-mail, so please make sure to indicate your e-mail address correctly.
How do you register with AIRE or update your home address by post
You can request or update your AIRE registration by posting the documentation listed above, along with the relevant form and a copy of your PhotoID to:
Consulate of Italy – Anagrafe
58 Spring Gardens
Manchester M2 1EW
How can I register an Italian minor born in the United Kingdom?
At the time of the birth of a new-born child, Italian citizens residing abroad must request the transcription of the birth certificate at the Consular Office (Link to: Registry Office): the AIRE registration will be carried out by the Consulate at the same time as this procedure.
In case of relocation to the UK, the AIRE registration of a child living with both parents is done via FAST IT. It is still necessary to have the identity documents of the entire household, proofs of residence of the entire household, and a single application form for the entire family with the signatures of both parents.
How do you change address for an Italian minor living with only one parent?
In case of a minor living with only one parent, the address must be updated by posting the relevant form to:
Consulate of Italy – Anagrafe
58 Spring Gardens
Manchester M2 1EW
As both parents hold parental responsibility and by mutual agreement establish the child’s habitual residence, the application must be signed by both parents and be accompanied by a copy of their photoIDs.
If the expression of will of both parents is missing, the application must be supplemented with:
- the missing consent, by presenting the appropriate form completed and signed no more than 6 months after the request was made by the other parent, with attached a copy of a valid ID (Note: the signature of a non-EU citizen parent must be notarized according to the law. More information is available here); or
- supporting evidence in case the applicant declares the non-existence of the consent of the other parent (e.g., death of the other parent; a Court order disqualifying their parental status; the child has been recognized by only one parent); or
- if it is impossible to obtain the consent of the other parent (due to unavailability or mere disinterest), the Form “AIRE Enrolment or Transfer of Child without Consent of Other Parent”, completed and signed – accompanied by a copy of a valid identity document of the declarant attached and stating the last known address and contact details of the other parent.
AIRE registration of a minor has the sole purpose of certifying the actual residence (i.e., habitual residence) of the citizen abroad and is therefore independent of any disputes arising from Italian or local court orders.
Once registered, it is necessary to keep one’s position up-to-date by notifying the Consular Office of any changes in residence abroad (e.g., change of address or repatriation), in order to avoid inefficiencies (e.g., non-delivery of electoral kits or Court notifications).
In case of a change of address within the same consular district, it is possible to notify the new address using FAST IT by attaching a copy of a valid PhotoID (Italian, if applicable), the completed application form generated by the portal and a proof of residence on behalf of all AIRE members involved in the same change of address. The proof of residence must have an issue date not older than three months prior to the day the request is being made.
In case of transfer to another consular district, it is necessary to register as specified by the relevant Consular Office.
- After being registered in the Resident Population Registry (A.P.R.) of an Italian municipality as a result of moving back to Italy;
- death of the citizen, including judicially declared presumed death;
- for being uneachable, unless proved otherwise;
- one hundred years after birth; after two successive detections have been made;
- when the previously advised address is no longer valid and a new one is unavailable;
- as a result of Italian citizenship lost.
If a citizen returns/moves to Italy, they will have to register at the relevant Italian Municipality. Said Municipality will be responsible to inform this Consulate of the change in address, so that the citizen’s name may be cancelled from the AIRE database and entered in the Municipality’s register.