Do I have to Carry my Passport in Italy?

Did you know… Italian law requires you to carry photo ID with you at all times? For non-residents like us tourists, that means a Passport. Yep… it’s law in Italy to carry your original passport! 

We recently took a family trip to Italy. Our little family of four (2 adults and 2 kids both aged 10) flew into Genoa (known as Genova locally) where we stayed for 3 nights. We used the local public bus service twice whilst in Genoa, before taking a train to Pisa (just under 2 hours) where we stayed for an additional 3 nights. Pisa is wonderful by the way... everyone needs to visit Pisa! (more about that coming soon...!)

During our visit to Pisa we decided to explore the nearby town of Livorno and took another train from Pisa to Livorno (20 minutes). Whilst in Livorno, we caught a local bus back to the train station. Then we trained it back to Pisa and the following day boarded the train back to Genoa.

So all in all, I wouldn't say we 'travelled' around the country, but we didn't stay put in one hotel either, preferring to do a little exploring using the local transportation. All in, we took 4 trains and 3 local bus journeys... so very little really exploring, yet we still got caught out!! We found out about the Italian Passport Law and the need to carry your passport on you whilst travelling in Italy after being pulled up by the bus inspectors in Livorno. We didn’t know 😬 simply had no clue that it was a legal requirement to carry your passport on you at all times. Luckily we had photos of our passports saved on our mobile phones when we were asked to provide our photo ID which seemed to do the trick and saved the day. But had it been the local Polizia (Police) asking for the passports rather than a bus inspector, I'm not so sure the photo would have been sufficient as legally you need to provide your physical passport since your passport includes your ‘date of arrival’ into the country. 

Italian law states:

“The alien that, upon the request of officials and police agents, does not comply, without justified reason, with the order to exhibit passport or other identification document and residence permit or other valid travel document certifying the legal presence on the State’s territory is punished with arrest up to one year and with a fine up to Euros 2,000.”

Arrest up to one year and with a fine up to €2,000 !! 😳😳

So, in answer to 'Do I have to carry my passport in Italy'? - the answer is Yes! Yes, you do have to carry your passport whilst visiting and travelling in Italy.

Will a photo copy of my Passport be sufficient?

I would imagine most people would be concerned about having their passport stolen whilst carrying it around at all times in Italy - we certainly were! And it's a very valid concern as pickpocketing is quite common in Italy. If you read comments on other websites (Trip Advisor included!) they will tell you it’s ok to carry a copy of your passport in Italy or a photo of your passport on your phone.

Although there is a good chance that a photo copy of your passport will be sufficient (as ours was), I honestly wouldn't chance it - not with fines up to €2,000! 😳

Keep in mind that regulations and enforcement may vary across the different regions of Italy. Livorno (Tuscany) seemed to be much stricter than Genoa (Liguria). Local laws may also change so it’s a good idea to check the current requirements specific to your situation before you head off on your travels.

Happy Travelling in Italy - but don't forget your Passport!

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