At its meeting of 29 January, the Italian Council of Ministers approved a wide-ranging ‘Simplification Decree’ that contains several provisions of direct interest to mobile employees, expatriates and their HR teams. Most headlines focused on domestic bureaucracy cuts, but buried in Article 23 is a mandate for full interoperability between the AIRE population register and all consular databases. Once implemented, Italian citizens resident overseas will no longer have to submit paper proofs of registration when renewing passports or requesting visas for non-EU family members.
The government has also instructed consulates to issue digital delegations, allowing family members to submit applications on an applicant’s behalf, and to provide free downloadable registry certificates. A pilot phase will launch in London, New York and São Paulo this spring, with global roll-out slated for the end of 2026. Officials say average passport-renewal times abroad should drop from the current 60 days to “well under three weeks.”
![New ‘Simplification Decree’ speeds up consular services and digital identity for Italians abroad]()
Companies and private applicants looking to take advantage of these faster, paper-light procedures can turn to VisaHQ for guidance. The firm’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) centralises the latest consular requirements and lets users submit passport or visa requests online, track progress in real time and receive dedicated support—an efficient bridge while the new government systems are phased in.
Beyond consular matters, the decree introduces an identity card of unlimited validity for citizens aged over 70 and authorises electronic voter cards accessible through the national population register (ANPR). These measures further align Italy with EU digital-identity targets and could reduce the number of in-person visits expatriates must make to local authorities on return trips.
For corporate mobility teams the practical takeaway is clear: once the new back-end systems are live, obtaining and renewing Italian travel documents—and dependent visas for non-EU spouses—should become faster and cheaper. Companies sending assignees should, however, budget for a transitional learning curve as consulates adapt their workflows and staff receive new training.
The government has also instructed consulates to issue digital delegations, allowing family members to submit applications on an applicant’s behalf, and to provide free downloadable registry certificates. A pilot phase will launch in London, New York and São Paulo this spring, with global roll-out slated for the end of 2026. Officials say average passport-renewal times abroad should drop from the current 60 days to “well under three weeks.”
Companies and private applicants looking to take advantage of these faster, paper-light procedures can turn to VisaHQ for guidance. The firm’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) centralises the latest consular requirements and lets users submit passport or visa requests online, track progress in real time and receive dedicated support—an efficient bridge while the new government systems are phased in.
Beyond consular matters, the decree introduces an identity card of unlimited validity for citizens aged over 70 and authorises electronic voter cards accessible through the national population register (ANPR). These measures further align Italy with EU digital-identity targets and could reduce the number of in-person visits expatriates must make to local authorities on return trips.
For corporate mobility teams the practical takeaway is clear: once the new back-end systems are live, obtaining and renewing Italian travel documents—and dependent visas for non-EU spouses—should become faster and cheaper. Companies sending assignees should, however, budget for a transitional learning curve as consulates adapt their workflows and staff receive new training.
