Renewing your American passport while in Italy has a slightly different – and at times more challenging – process than doing so in the United States.

Before starting, you should keep in mind that the process on average takes around five weeks, so be sure to begin well in advance of any international travel.

Here are the steps you should take, and the things to be aware of when doing so:

Determine whether you should renew by mail or make an appointment

Unfortunately, you can’t complete this process online – it involves either an in-person visit or sending documents by mail (the US embassy in Italy introduced an online payment option in 2022, allowing US citizens to apply via postal courier for the first time).

To book an in-person appointment in Rome, Florence, Naples, Milan, Venice or Genoa, use the links provided on the US embassy website’s passport renewal page.

To pay online and submit your application by courier agency, you’ll need to meet certain eligibility criteria.

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Applicants who want to use this option must have been at least 16 years old when their most recent passport was issued. The passport should have been issued no more than 15 years ago, and should have a 10-year validity period.

The applicant must have a valid Italian mailing address and be able to send their undamaged passport to the US embassy or one of the general consulates.

Parents can not use the service when applying for new passports for their minor children under the age of 16, but must apply in person.

Whether you’re applying in person or by mail, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Fill out and print the renewal form

As long as your most recent passport was issued in the last 15 years and you were over the age of 16 at the time, then you should complete a DS-82 form (found HERE). If this is not the case for you, then you will likely need to complete the DS-11 form – in which case you must appear in person.

You fill out all the details of the form online, and then click save, at which point it will save your form into a Pdf, that you then print out. When it comes to filling out the emergency contact section, you must list someone living in the US, as the form cannot accept non-US addresses. 

Once printed out, you then need to sign and date the form – failure to do so can mean that your paperwork will not be counted and will be sent back to you. 

Take your identification photo

The next step involves taking a passport identification photo that you will provide with the DS-82 (or DS-11) paperwork.

This photo should have been taken in the six months before your application, and you should not be wearing glasses. The picture must be in colour with a white background, and it must be 2 inches by 2 inches, or about 5cm x 5cm.

If you make your application in person, you should be able to use the photo booths at the Rome and Naples consular sections for six euros, or the one in Milan for five euros.

If making your application by postal courier, you will likely find yourself needing to book an appointment with an independent photographer or studio who will print the photograph with the correct dimensions.

If you are struggling to find a photo studio, then you can email the embassy’s Passport Unit and ask for a recommendation near you.

Gather your other documents

In addition to the items mentioned above, you’ll also need your most recent US passport and one photocopy.

If this passport is expired, you’ll also need one other valid form of photo ID (such as a foreign passport or driver’s license) and a photocopy.

Finally, if you’re 16 or 17, you’ll need evidence of parental awareness.

At this point, if you have an in-person appointment, you have what you need to file your application at the embassy or consulate.

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You can pay the the $130 (for adults) or $135 (for children under 16) renewal fee in cash, in US dollars or the euro equivalent, or US Postal Service money orders payable to the relevant consular office. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Diners credit cards are also accepted.

If you’re making your application by postal courier, here’s what you need to do:

Pay the fee and print the confirmation

Pay the passport application fee via the US government’s secure payment site. You will need to print the electronic confirmation, which you will receive by email after paying the fee. This should be included in the documents sent to the embassy in your passport renewal file. 

Complete a DHL Two-Way Shipping order form

Anyone who wants to submit their US passport renewal application via mail in Italy must use DHL’s courier services and complete a DHL Two-Way Shipping order form.

The US embassy has links to the relevant DHL form you should fill out depending on the consulate to which you are sending your documents. The shipping payment is made online via card.

Applicants who have made an in-person appointment can choose to receive their new passport via mail, in which case they should fill out a One-Way Shipping form (links provided here). You should print out the shipping label and bring it with you on the day of the interview.

Shipping costs $18 each way; those who are submitting multiple passport renewal applications from the same address only need to pay a single fee and post the applications together.

The embassy says that passports lost in transit will be replaced at no extra cost, so there’s no need to purchase additional insurance.

Wait for your new passport to be sent back to you

Your new passport will be sent to you by mail, and the embassy indicates on their website that processing time is typically five weeks. 

You may be able to check the status of your passport while it is being processed online HERE.