Passports
The Italian passport allows the holder to travel to all countries recognized by the Italian government. The currently used model is unique and biometric, featuring 48 pages and containing a microchip with the holder’s personal information, photo, and fingerprints. Children under 12 and applicants with a medical condition or other serious impediment are exempt from providing fingerprints, upon presentation of the certifications required by law.
Further information is available on this page
- Who can apply for a passport at this Consulate?
- How to obtain a passport
- Passport for children under 12 (only by mail)
- Passport for individuals aged 12 and above at the Consulate
- Passport for individuals aged 12 and above at the honorary consular office
- Passport with an urgent procedure
- What to do in case of passport theft or loss
- Consent for passports for minors
- Consent for passports for parents of minors
- Signature authentication for British citizens or citizens of other non-EU states
- Decree of the Guardian Judge
- Dual passport
Who can apply for a passport at this Consulate?
Only Italian citizens who are 1) residents in the Manchester jurisdiction and 2) regularly registered in the AIRE (see HERE). To return to Italy or to their country of residence, citizens who are not registered in the AIRE can instead request an ETD (Emergency Travel Document).
Except in cases of documented urgency, the passport can be requested within the 6 months before its expiration. It is the exclusive responsibility of the holder to ensure that their passport is still valid and obtain a new one in time. Since the processing of applications takes a variable amount of time, we recommend against booking flights or trips without having received the new valid document.
For those born abroad or who have acquired Italian citizenship abroad, even if they already have an Italian passport, it is important to verify the successful transcription of their birth certificate at the Registry Office of their AIRE Municipality or to ensure that such a procedure has been initiated. Therefore, fellow citizens who have not yet submitted a request for the transcription of their birth certificate must provide the necessary documentation when applying for a passport. (link to: Civil Status).
How to obtain a passport
While the passport issued has the same characteristics for everyone, the procedures for requesting and obtaining it depend on the age of the passport holder at the time of issuance.
For children under 12 years of age, the request must be submitted by post, along with the documents listed below.
For individuals aged 12 to 70, an appointment must be scheduled through the Prenot@Mi system or by contacting one of our honorary consular offices within the La Rete Consolare – Consolato d’Italia a Manchester (esteri.it), as biometric data acquisition is necessary for this age group.
For individuals aged 70 and above, you can visit the Consulate (58 Spring Gardens, M2 1EW Manchester) every Thursday afternoon from 02:00 PM to 03:00 PM, with the required documents as listed below.
Passport for Children Under 12 Years (Postal Application Only)
No presence at the Consulate is required. The application is submitted by mail, and you should include:
1) The appropriate form, duly completed.
2) A photocopy of the identity document for each parent, which must not be expired.
3) A consent form for passport issuance from both parents (see below).
4) Two identical recent passport photos, not older than 6 months, and compliant with ICAO standards. One of these should be authenticated using the provided form by a British or EU citizen who has known the parents for at least two years and is not a relative. This person should either be well-known in their community or have a recognized profession in the UK (https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications/accepted-occupations-for-countersignatories). If you cannot find such a professional, you can contact an honorary consular agent (consular network).
5) Proof of address for the parents, dated no more than 3 months ago (link to: Anagrafe).
6) A postal order (updated amounts are available by clicking here). You should add £0.85 for banking fees to the postal order amount.
7) A prepaid “Special Delivery” envelope for up to 500g with a return address for passport delivery.
8) An expired or damaged passport, or in the case of a first-time passport application, a simple copy of another Italian identity document or foreign passport.
9) In case of a lost or stolen passport, a specific form and the report to the police.
All documentation must be sent to:
Consolato d’Italia – Ufficio Passaporti
The Chancery, 2nd floor
58 Spring Gardens
Manchester M2 1EW
Once the passport is issued, the Consulate will send it to the provided address.
Incomplete or incorrect applications cannot be processed and will be returned to the sender.
Passport for Individuals Aged 12 and Above at the Consulate
For applicants aged 12 to 70, the request can only be made by appointment, which can be scheduled via Prenot@Mi. Applicants aged 70 and above can visit the Consulate every Thursday afternoon (except on holidays) from 02:00 PM to 03:30 PM. All applicants should provide the following documents:
1) The passport issuance form for individuals aged 12 and above, duly completed.
2) An unexpired identity document if available.
3) Two identical recent passport photos, not older than 6 months, and compliant with ICAO standards.
4) Proof of address, dated no more than 3 months ago for the passport applicant or, in the case of a minor, for the parents (link to: Anagrafe).
5) In the case of a passport for a minor, a consent form from both parents (see below).
6) If the passport is for a parent with minor children, a self-declaration of no impediments to passport issuance (the appropriate form is available on the Forms page) (see “Consent for Passport for Parents of Minors” section).
7) Cash or debit card payment for passport issuance (updated amounts are available by clicking here).
8) An expired or damaged passport, if applicable.
9) In case of a lost or stolen passport, a specific form and the report to the police.
If the request is complete and accurate (including AIRE registration through this Consulate, up-to-date demographic and civil status information, etc.), the passport is usually issued on the day of the appointment. In cases of insufficient documentation, the applicant will have to collect the passport at a later date or receive it at home, provided a prepaid envelope is provided.
Passport for individuals aged 12 and above at honorary consular offices
Passports can also be requested at one of the honorary consular offices, following the procedures they indicate. Here are the documents to be submitted:
1) The appropriate form, duly completed.
2) An unexpired identity document if available.
3) Two identical recent passport photos (one of which is authenticated with the provided form), not older than 6 months, and compliant with ICAO standards.
4) Proof of address, dated no more than 3 months ago for the parents (link to: Anagrafe).
5) For minors, consent from both parents (see below).
6) If the passport is for a parent with minor children, a self-declaration of no impediments to passport issuance (the appropriate form is available on the Forms page) (see “Consent for Passport for Parents of Minors” section).
7) An expired or damaged passport if applicable.
8) In case of a lost or stolen passport, a specific form and report.
9) Postal order or cash payment (updated amounts are available by clicking here). You should add £0.85 for collection fees to the postal order amount.
10) A prepaid “Special Delivery” envelope for up to 500g.
11) An expired, or soon-to-expire, or damaged passport if applicable.
The honorary consular office will forward the application to this Consulate, which will then verify its suitability and send the passport to the applicant’s residential address.
The urgent procedure cannot be requested for passport applications at honorary consular offices.
Passport with urgent procedure
In the case of proven urgency, a citizen registered in the AIRE through this Consulate can request a passport with an urgent procedure. The evaluation of the circumstances justifying the urgent procedure is at the discretion of the Consulate, taking into consideration:
- Severe health or family reasons for the applicant, parents, or minor children, certified by Italian or English-speaking public or private authorities (if in another language, it must be translated into English or Italian).
- Unavoidable work requirements, supported by a motivated request signed by high-ranking personnel (including name, position, and phone number of the signatory) on company letterhead.
In any case, the applicant must present flight reservations or another form of travel booking at the office counter. The benefits of the urgent procedure CANNOT be extended to family members or companions of the passport holder. In addition to the regular passport cost, the applicant for the urgent procedure must also pay urgent processing fees (updated amounts are available here).
The urgent procedure also has processing times related to the required legal checks, so immediate passport issuance cannot be guaranteed.
To access the service, you must send an email to manchester.passaporti@esteri.it with the subject in the following format: “SURNAME, name, date of birth of the applicant,” followed by “URGENT PASSPORT,” and describe in the text why the passport is needed urgently. Please attach copies of the following:
1) The applicant’s identity document.
2) Proof of address, dated no more than 3 months old, of the parents (link to: Registry Office);
3) Flight reservation or other travel document.
4) Supporting documentation as indicated in points 1) or 2).
Once the urgency is confirmed, the Consulate will schedule an appointment for the fellow countryman to submit the request.
What to do in case of passport theft or loss?
In case of passport theft or loss, it is necessary to report it immediately to the British police and then send us the following by mail:
1) The appropriate form.
2) A copy of the report made to the police.
3) A copy of an unexpired identification document.
4) Proof of address, dated no more than 3 months old (link to: Registry Office).
4) If available, a copy of the lost or stolen document.
All of this should then be sent to us by email at manchester.passaporti@esteri.it, making sure to fill in the subject line as follows: SURNAME, first name, and date of birth of the applicant, followed by “LOST/STOLEN PASSPORT.”
Please note that not all British police forces accept reports related to foreign documents. In such cases, you can report the theft or loss through the “Report My Loss“ website and then send the receipt issued by the site to the form.
Parental consent for minor’s passport
The issuance of a passport is subject to the explicit approval of both parents, given by their handwritten signature on a special form (consent form). This document is required even in the case of unmarried, separated, or divorced couples, even when the minors in question already hold a passport. This consent can be expressed by either signing in the designated field on the minor’s passport application form or separately, using a specific Consent Form, provided it is filled out correctly. In both cases, it is necessary to present a parent’s identification document with a photo and signature (e.g., passport or identity card), which must match the one on the form.
If it is not possible to obtain the consent of the other parent, it is necessary to obtain a “Decreto del Giudice Tutelare” (Consular Decree), the Italian Consul in Manchester acting as a Judge. For minors residing in Italy, the Minor’s Court is competent (see “Decree from the Giudice Tutelare” paragraph).
If the other parent has passed away, you must present the original death certificate. If the death occurred in a country other than the United Kingdom or Italy, the certificate must be presented with an authenticated translation in Italian or in a multilingual format (see references here).
ATTENTION: If one of the parents is a British citizen only, or a citizen of a non-EU state, refer to the “Authentication of Signature for British Citizens or Citizens of Other Non-EU States” section.
Consent for passport for parents of minors
If the applicant for a passport is a parent of minor children, the issuance of the document is subject to the absence of impediments. This circumstance can be self-certified by the applicant using a specific form available in our forms section.
Authentication of signature for British citizens or citizens of other non-EU States
A parent who is solely a British citizen or a citizen of another non-European Union state must go to the Consulate and sign the consent at the counter when submitting the passport application. If unable to appear in person, the consent must be expressed using the aforementioned form, to be signed at:
- An honorary consular office;
- Any British notary, whose statement must then be apostilled and translated;
- A Public Officer in Italy (e.g., at the Municipality);
- The Consulate of Italy in Manchester, from Monday to Friday from 09:30 AM to 11:00 AM (after this time, entry is not allowed, even if waiting outside), in person with an identification document and the application form for the child’s passport (for children under 12 years of age, all documentation must be sent by mail as described above);
- An official at any Italian Embassy or Consulate (if the non-EU citizen parent is not in Italy nor in the United Kingdom).
Decree from the “Giudice Tutelare” (Consular Decree)
When it is not possible to obtain the consent of the other parent, the applicant can request the issuance of a Decree from the “Giudice Tutelare”, which can exceptionally authorize the issuance of the passport. The decree can be requested from the competent authority according to the minor’s domicile, which is the place of residence of the family or legal guardian, as it is where the minor is generally raised and educated. If the minor resides in the jurisdiction of this Consulate, the “Giudice Tutelare” is the Italian Consul in Manchester. The application must be sent by post, along with:
1) The appropriate form, duly completed
2) Supporting documents for the application (as indicated in the form).
The documentation should be sent to:
Consulate of Italy – Social Assistance
58 Spring Gardens – 2nd Floor
Manchester M2 1EW
Applications received by email or other means cannot be accepted. It is important to specify the need for which the travel document is requested, the reasons for the lack of consent, and the grounds on which the refusal is considered unjustified, as well as the last address and contact information of the non-consenting parent so that the Consulate can attempt to contact them directly. As proof of the statements received, the Consulate reserves the right to request additional documentation.
During the processing of the application, the user will receive instructions at the email address provided in the form for making the necessary consular fees payment (article 31 + article 31B, see consular fees) via bank transfer. Without the payment of the consular fees, the application will not be processed.
Double Passport
Italian citizens who are regularly registered with AIRE and residing in this consular district can request a second Italian passport, while retaining the one they already possess, only if one of the following cases applies:
1) In cases of specific and proven political-international, war, or religious contingencies where the use of two passports for entry or stay in certain countries is deemed necessary.
2) In cases of motivated and urgent professional needs, where acquiring a visa or fulfilling other procedures for entry authorization in some countries involves waiting times incompatible with travel schedules.
This provision is of an exceptional nature, and the validity of the second passport may be territorially limited to certain countries and temporally restricted to the strictly necessary period. At the time of travel, one of the two passports (obviously the one not in use) must be deposited in custody with this Consulate. In exceptional cases of proven necessity and urgency, the applicant may be authorized by the issuing office to possess both passports simultaneously. To facilitate approval, the following must be sent to this office:
- A letter addressed to the Consul of Italy in Manchester in which the applicant, in addition to formally requesting a second passport, must provide a detailed report on their profession and duties within the company.
- A letter from the company addressed to the Consul, signed by someone in a senior management position, confirming the applicant’s role and responsibilities, the need for a second passport, and the related reasons.
- Copies of the pages of the currently used passport, including entry stamps for the countries visited by the applicant in the last 3 years.
The aforementioned documentation should be sent to:
Consulate of Italy – Passport Office
58 Spring Gardens – 2nd Floor
M2 1EW Manchester
If the request is approved, the Consulate will schedule an appointment for the applicant to present all the required documents to obtain the second passport.