Registry of Italians Residing Abroad (AIRE)
REGISTRATION OF RESIDENCE OVERSEAS
Law No. 470 of 1988 establishes that all Italian citizens who transfer their residence abroad for a period of at least 12 months must, within 90 days from the date of arrival in the destination country, submit a declaration to the competent consular office. This obligation also applies to those who emigrated before the law came into force.
Registration with AIRE is necessary in order to obtain all documents and certificates issued by the consular office. Furthermore, once registered in the Consulate’s computerized system, all procedures can be handled significantly faster (including passport issuance).
This way, even while abroad, citizens may exercise the rights and duties associated with residency in Italy, according to their circumstances. Among these duties, first and foremost, is the obligation to notify the consular office — which will in turn inform the competent Italian municipality — of any changes to personal registry data (marital status, citizenship, address, family composition, residence).
Italian citizens registered with AIRE (Registry of Italians Residing Abroad) in their municipality of origin or last Italian residence before emigrating may contact the competent Italian consular office for civil registry and vital records procedures.
Registration with AIRE is carried out following a declaration made by the interested party to the competent consular office within 90 days of transferring residence abroad and results in simultaneous removal from the Resident Population Registry (APR) of the municipality of origin.
Anyone who, while subject to registry obligations, violates the provisions of Law No. 1228 of December 24, 1954, Law No. 470 of October 27, 1988, and their implementing regulations, is subject to administrative monetary penalties as provided by Law No. 213 of December 30, 2023.
The authority responsible for determining and imposing the penalty is the municipality in whose registry the offender is registered.
The investigation and sanctioning procedure carried out by municipalities is governed by Law No. 689 of November 24, 1981, Article 1 of which states:
“No one may be subjected to administrative sanctions except pursuant to a law that entered into force before the violation was committed.”
Those who must register with AIRE:
- Italian citizens who transfer their residence abroad and intend to remain abroad for more than 12 months;
- Persons born abroad who acquired Italian citizenship by birth;
- Persons who acquired Italian citizenship abroad.
Those who must NOT register with AIRE:
- Citizens going abroad for seasonal work;
- Personnel sent abroad by public administrations and their cohabiting family members, notified to local authorities in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations (1961 and 1963);
- School principals, teachers, and administrative school staff assigned abroad for educational activities outside Italy;
- Employees of regions and autonomous provinces assigned to liaison offices abroad;
- Civilian and military personnel receiving long-term foreign service allowances under military regulations;
- Civilian and military personnel serving in NATO offices and structures;
- Family members living with the persons referred to above who accompany them abroad.
In addition, registration is optional for citizens who maintain or establish tax domicile in Italy while working abroad for the European Union, international organizations of which Italy is a member, or organizations referred to in Article 26 of Law No. 125 of August 11, 2014.
How to Register with AIRE
Registration with AIRE must be requested by the interested person (for themselves and their Italian-citizen family members) at the Italian consular office of residence abroad, which will then forward the request to the municipality of last residence in Italy.
The Italian consular office may also request AIRE registration on behalf of a citizen if, during any administrative procedure (for example, passport issuance), it verifies the citizen’s actual and permanent residence within its consular district.
To proceed with AIRE registration, Italian citizens residing in the Chinese provinces under the jurisdiction of the Italian Consulate General in Guangzhou (that includes the Provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) may log into the FAST IT Portal and upload the following documentation:
- AIRE registration request form;
- AIRE registration form for minor children;
- Copy of the applicant’s passport and those of any accompanying family members, including foreign nationals;
- Copies of Chinese visas and/or residence permits;
- Copy of the residence registration document called “Accommodation Registration Form for Persons from Abroad” (外国人员临时住宿登记表);
- Full address in both Latin characters and Chinese characters (to be included directly in the body of the email).
Alternatively, documentation may be sent by email to canton.consolare@esteri.it, by post, or delivered in person.
What Happens if You Do Not Register with AIRE
Registration with AIRE must be declared to the competent consular office within 90 days of transferring residence abroad and results in cancellation from the APR registry of the municipality of origin.
Anyone failing to comply with registry obligations under the relevant laws is subject to administrative monetary penalties as established by Law No. 213 of December 30, 2023.
The municipality in whose registry the offender appears is responsible for imposing sanctions.
The sanctioning procedure is regulated by Law No. 689 of November 24, 1981.
Changes to AIRE Registration Data
Italian citizens are required to inform their municipality of all changes to personal registry information (marital status, citizenship, address, family composition, residence).
Prompt communication to the Consulate regarding changes in personal circumstances — besides being a citizen’s duty — allows Italian offices to keep records updated, facilitating the provision of services in Italy and abroad and communication between the Consulate and Italian citizens residing in the consular district.
Requests to update a residential address may be submitted using the same procedures as for AIRE registration. If submitted by email, the address change request form should be used.
AIRE Registrants Returning Permanently to Italy
- Citizens registered with AIRE who return permanently to Italy must go to the municipality where they intend to settle and declare their new address.
- On the same date, the municipality will remove them from AIRE and simultaneously register them in the APR (Resident Population Registry).
- The municipality is responsible for officially notifying the Consulate of the repatriation date so that the Consulate can update its records.
Law 470/88 and Presidential Decree 223/1989 assign municipal registry officials responsibility for handling declarations related to transfers from abroad, cancellations from AIRE, and communication with consular offices.
Repatriation of Household Goods
Italian citizens registered with AIRE for at least 12 consecutive months may, upon returning to Italy, transport their household goods duty-free by submitting in person or sending the repatriation form together with a simple inventory list specifying the brand and value of the more expensive items (at least two copies are needed for the transporter).
If goods are transported by airplane together with the traveler, a separate inventory list must be prepared.
Personal belongings must be intended for the same use at the new residence in Italy.
Citizens who fail to update their repatriation with the municipality may face administrative complications, including issues concerning document issuance and tax matters as they would be excluded from the Municipality’s database.