The Registry of Italians Resident Abroad (AIRE) contains the data of Italian citizens who reside abroad for a period longer than twelve months.
AIRE is maintained by Italian municipalities based on information received from Consular Offices. Since the Italian municipality is the sole authority responsible for civil registry functions, the request for AIRE registration is forwarded to the competent municipality, which updates the individual’s residence status and electoral rolls.
Registration to AIRE entails removal from the population register of the territory of the Italian Republic. Once completed, AIRE registration takes effect from the date on which the citizen submitted the application to the Consular Office (Decree Law of 25 March 2019, no. 22, art. 16, paragraph 3).
Italian citizens residing outside Italy are therefore required to inform the Italian Consulate of their place of residence, through the FAST-IT Portal, of any changes to their residential address and to the composition of their household.
Timely communication to the Consular Office of changes concerning civil status—besides being a duty of the citizen—allows the Consular Office to keep information on residents within its jurisdiction up to date and facilitates the provision of services to them.
Consular registries do NOT have civil registry value; therefore, Consular Offices cannot issue certificates of residence or family status. The Consulate may only issue certificates of registration in its records, indicating that the person resides at the address recorded therein and the composition of the household as recorded.
Registration to AIRE is FREE OF CHARGE.
- Who must register to AIRE
The following are mandatorily required to register with AIRE:
- Italian citizens who transfer their residence abroad for periods longer than 12 months; the declaration must be submitted within 90 days of definitive expatriation;
- Italian citizens who already reside abroad, either because they were born abroad or because they subsequently acquired Italian citizenship for any reason.
Anyone who, being subject to civil registry obligations, fails to comply to AIRE registration requirements under Law no. 1228 of 24 December 1954, Law no. 470 of 27 October 1988, and their implementing regulations, is subject to administrative monetary penalties pursuant to Law no. 213 of 30 December 2023. The authority responsible for assessing and imposing the penalty is the municipality in whose registry the offender is recorded.
Who is not required to register to AIRE
The following are not required to register:
- citizens who go abroad for seasonal work;
- personnel sent abroad by public administrations and their cohabiting family members, duly notified to local authorities in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular relations (18 April 1961 and 24 April 1963), ratified by Law no. 804 of 9 August 1967, or other international provisions governing permanent representations to the European Union or international organizations;
- school principals, teachers, and administrative school staff assigned abroad as part of educational activities outside the national territory;
- employees of regions and autonomous provinces assigned to liaison offices established under Article 58 of Law no. 52 of 6 February 1996;
- civilian and military personnel receiving the long-service allowance abroad under Article 1808 of Legislative Decree no. 66 of 15 March 2010;
- civilian and military personnel serving in offices and structures of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO);
- persons cohabiting with the above-mentioned individuals who move abroad to accompany them.
Registration to AIRE is optional for citizens who maintain or establish tax residence in Italy and work abroad for the European Union, international organizations of which Italy is a member, or entities referred to in Article 26 of Law no. 125 of 11 August 2014.
- How to apply for AIRE registration/change
Since 03.02.2020, AIRE registration or updates must be carried out through the FAST-IT portal (Farnesina Servizi Telematici per Italiani all’estero).
After registering on the portal, the citizen can apply for AIRE registration by completing the online form and attaching an identity document and proof of residence (Ifedet sakan issued by the Moukhtar, translated and legalized) for all family members (see detailed instructions).
Requests for consular services CANNOT be submitted at the same time as an AIRE registration request (passport applications, certificates, etc.).
Such services may only be requested and provided after receiving formal notice that the AIRE registration/change procedure has been initiated with the competent municipality, which will be sent to the citizen’s personal email address.
- AIRE registration of minors living with one parent
The registration of a minor in AIRE always requires the consent of both parents, as both share parental responsibility and jointly determine the child’s habitual residence.
Applications for AIRE registration/changes concerning a minor not living with both parents must be signed by both holders of parental responsibility and accompanied by copies of both signatories’ identity documents.
Consent must be current, meaning expressed recently or explicitly referring to the residence change request.
If the applying parent declares that the other parent’s consent is not required or does not exist (e.g. due to death or other reasons), documentary evidence must always be provided (e.g. death certificate or court decision excluding parental responsibility).
If the applying parent declares that it is impossible to obtain the other parent’s consent (e.g. because they are untraceable), they must provide the Consular Office with the most up-to-date contact details available to help locate them.
- Changes of residence abroad (change of address, move to another country)
After registration with AIRE at the competent municipality, citizens must keep their civil registry data up to date by promptly notifying the competent Consular Office via FAST-IT of any changes to their residence abroad, including within the same consular jurisdiction.
In case of transfer to another foreign country, the citizen must apply for registration with the new Consular Office within a maximum of 180 days. Failure to do so may result in removal due to untraceability under Law no. 104/2002. It is strongly recommended not to delay this registration unnecessarily.
- Removal from AIRE (return to Italy, untraceability, loss of citizenship, death)
Return to Italy
The only authority that can remove a person from AIRE is the Italian municipality.
Consular Offices only record the return in their internal records, which have no civil registry value. Upon arrival in Italy, the citizen must promptly contact the chosen municipality and request registration in the Resident Population Register. If this is not confirmed at the municipality, AIRE and electoral records will remain unchanged.
Change of residence is not automatic: only registration in the ANPR (National Resident Population Register) of the chosen municipality restores official residence in Italy and inclusion in electoral lists.
Other reasons for removal from AIRE include:
- presumed untraceability, particularly when the address abroad is no longer valid (it is essential to promptly report address changes);
- loss of Italian citizenship;
- death (including legally declared presumed death).
- Transfer between AIRE registers (change of municipality)
Citizens already registered in AIRE of one municipality may request transfer to another municipality’s AIRE in the following cases:
- transfer to a municipality whose ANPR includes members of their household;
- transfer to a municipality whose AIRE already includes members of their household.
In other cases, the transfer is subject to evaluation by the two municipalities involved. If approved, electoral registration is also transferred to the new municipality.
To transfer minor children together with the applicant, a declaration of consent signed by both parents must be attached.
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