Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) will this afternoon, 15 January 2026, present a completely revised ‘Guide to International Adoptions’ aimed at speeding procedures for Italian families adopting abroad. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Family-Affairs Minister Eugenia Roccella will introduce the handbook at the ministry’s Aldo Moro Hall, alongside the leadership of the Commission for International Adoptions.
The new guide translates a 2025 legislative mandate to digitalise and simplify cross-border adoption processes. Key features include a standardised document checklist, secure e-filing via Italy’s diplomatic missions, and clearer timelines for consular authentication of foreign court orders.
Families who need help gathering the requisite legalisations—such as police clearances, apostilles and child entry visas—can streamline the paperwork through VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), which offers real-time tracking, expert support and digital filing tools that mesh neatly with MAECI’s own push for faster, paper-light adoption procedures.
![Farnesina to unveil streamlined Guide to International Adoptions]()
According to MAECI, average processing times for completing an inter-country adoption exceeded 24 months in 2023; the goal is to cut that to 14 months by late 2026. The handbook also clarifies post-adoption residency rights: children adopted abroad automatically qualify for Italian citizenship and obtain an EU passport within 10 days of entry—a point often misunderstood by relocating parents.
Corporate relocation programmes increasingly cover adoption support for internationally mobile staff. The streamlined Italian procedure could make the country more attractive to expatriate employees who wish to grow their families while on assignment.
Journalists must pre-register by 14 January, and the event will be live-streamed on MAECI channels, making the content immediately available to HR and mobility professionals.
The new guide translates a 2025 legislative mandate to digitalise and simplify cross-border adoption processes. Key features include a standardised document checklist, secure e-filing via Italy’s diplomatic missions, and clearer timelines for consular authentication of foreign court orders.
Families who need help gathering the requisite legalisations—such as police clearances, apostilles and child entry visas—can streamline the paperwork through VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), which offers real-time tracking, expert support and digital filing tools that mesh neatly with MAECI’s own push for faster, paper-light adoption procedures.
According to MAECI, average processing times for completing an inter-country adoption exceeded 24 months in 2023; the goal is to cut that to 14 months by late 2026. The handbook also clarifies post-adoption residency rights: children adopted abroad automatically qualify for Italian citizenship and obtain an EU passport within 10 days of entry—a point often misunderstood by relocating parents.
Corporate relocation programmes increasingly cover adoption support for internationally mobile staff. The streamlined Italian procedure could make the country more attractive to expatriate employees who wish to grow their families while on assignment.
Journalists must pre-register by 14 January, and the event will be live-streamed on MAECI channels, making the content immediately available to HR and mobility professionals.
