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What is AIRE?

For those of you who are lost in translation (!), AIRE may sound a little complicated; it is not. It stands for “Anagrafe Italiani Residenti all’Estero” or Registry of Italian Citizens residing Abroad.

Who needs to register with AIRE? 

1. All Italian citizens who are relocating abroad for more than 12 months.

2. Italian citizens who already reside abroad, either because they were born abroad, or because they have acquired Italian citizenship for multiple reasons, e.g., by right of blood, by marriage, etc.

Italian citizens who moved abroad are required to register with the AIRE of the Italian Consulate that has jurisdiction over the foreign state/country where they reside, within 90 days from the day of their arrival (Law no. 470/1988). Their file will be held by both the Italian Consulate AND the “comune” where they last resided in Italy. NOTE: While notifying the comune in Italy is optional, the submission of the AIRE registration request to the Italian Consulate abroad is mandatory.

Italian citizens who do NOT need to register with AIRE are:

  • Citizens residing outside of Italy for less than 12 months.
  • Seasonal workers residing abroad.
  • Employees of the Italian government stationed abroad.
  • Members of the Italian Armed Services stationed at NATO posts abroad.

For those who are in the process of gaining Italian Dual Citizenship by right of blood (jure sanguinis), you will be required to register with the AIRE of your local Italian Consulate once the application process has been successfully completed and your Italian citizenship has been granted. Your file will be held jointly by the Italian Consulate and the Italian “comune” where your Ancestor was originally from. 

 

Why do I need to register with AIRE?

Registration with AIRE is necessary to have access to all Italian Consular services, including the request or renewal of your Italian passport. 

It is the responsibility of all Italian citizens to report births, marriages, deaths, and divorces to the Italian government by presenting to your Italian Consulate vital records issued in the long form, certified, legalized with the Apostille and translated to Italian. For this reason, your personal details with AIRE should always be up to date, including changes of residency within your Italian Consular jurisdiction. 

Another added benefit is the ability to vote in the Italian administrative and political elections.

How to do I register with AIRE?

Registration is now done almost exclusively online with FAST.it, the Consular services platform created to simplify AIRE registration (now also available in ENGLISH): 

Select the category "Consular and AIRE Registry,"  and then access the service " Request AIRE registration."

To complete the online procedure, you will need: 

  • A scanned copy of your Italian passport, and any cohabiting family member’s passport.
     
  • Scanned copies of valid proofs of residence; if you reside here in the U.S., a valid American passport, or the copy of your Naturalization Certificate, residency permit, work authorization card, or permanent residency card, AND copies of utility bills, bank statements listing your name and address proving that you reside in that specific Consular jurisdiction. 

At the end of the online procedure, the AIRE pre-filled registration form in PDF format needs to be signed in one of the following ways:

  • You can sign the PDF file containing the pre-filled AIRE form with a digital signature or a qualified electronic signature and send it to the Italian Consulate through the Italian Consular Services portal.
     
  • Alternatively, you can print the AIRE Form and sign it with a “wet ink signature," scan it and upload it to the Italian Consular Services portal.

Once the online application is submitted, it will be forwarded to the Italian Consulate: an officer will review the AIRE application and, if no additional information is needed, he or she will forward it to the “comune” where you last resided or to the “comune” of origin in Italy.

Pending a response from the “comune," you are automatically registered in the Italian Consular file of your Italian Consulate. However, the status of "registered with AIRE" is finalized only when the Italian Consulate receives confirmation from the “comune” that the AIRE registration has been successfully completed.

NOTE: The AIRE application is not automatically accepted at the time of submission. You will be receiving updates on the status of your file and be notified when completed. 

Recent Changes TO AIRE

You may already know that a new law was recently passed in Italy (Law No. 213 Art. 1 paragraph 242 December 23, 2023) regarding all Italian citizens "residing abroad": failure to register with the A.I.R.E. (Registry of Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) will result in a fine of up to Euro 1,000 for each year for a maximum of five (5) years.

NEXT STEPS

New to the Process? We are offering a FREE 15-minute Telephone Consultation for applicants who have questions regarding QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, required documentation, ESTIMATED COST, timelines, and tips on how to make an appointment with the Italian Consulate here in the U.S. (among other questions). We will also perform some free preliminary research to establish if you have a path to Italian Citizenship! Simply call us at 1-844-745-1114 (Option 1) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

Alternatively, you can book your FREE Consultation at your convenience HERE

You can also take our Italian Citizenship Quiz and learn if you qualify in less than two minutes!