While traveling in Italy is generally pretty safe, there is the chance of being pick-pocketed in big cities, especially near crowded tourist sites. Tourists paying more attention to the sights than their own belongings are easy targets for petty thieves and purse snatchers. So the first thing to do is avoid having your passport and other valuables stolen while you’re on vacation.
Never carry your passport or anything valuable in your backpack where you can’t see it or in your purse. Don’t carry your wallet in your back pocket. When I’m in a big city or crowded tourist area I carry my passport, extra cash, and debit and credit cards in a pouch underneath my clothing. It’s worth taking extra precautions so you don’t have to deal with a lost or stolen passport but if it does happen, keep reading to see what you should do.
What to Do if Your Passport is Lost or Stolen in Italy
If your passport is lost or stolen while you’re in Italy, contact the closest US Embassy or Consulate. If you’re planning to leave Italy soon, be sure to tell them the date you are scheduled to leave. It’s also advisable to file a report with the police if it’s stolen.
You should always bring a photocopy of your passport when traveling, kept separately from your original passport, so you have all the information readily available, it will make replacing it easier. Or you can carry an expired passport with you, separate from your current passport.
To replace your passport, you will need to get a new passport photo and fill out a passport application and statement. The representative at the embassy or consulate must be able to verify who you are so it’s a good idea to keep your driver’s license or other identification separate from your passport when traveling so they don’t both get stolen. They also have to verify that you are a US citizen. Having the photocopy of your passport will help also. A fee will be charged for the new passport to be issued.
US Embassies in Italy:
US Embassies can provide emergency assistance to US citizens while they are in Italy. If your passport is stolen or lost, you can report it and apply for a new one through one of the embassies. They can assist in cases of arrest, illness, or death of a US citizen as well.
These 4 offices are open mornings for emergencies without appointments or for non-emergencies by appointment (see contact information below)
- Florence, Lungarno Vespucci, 38
- Milan, Via Principe Amedeo 2/10
- Naples, Piazza della Repubblica
- Rome, via Vittorio Veneto 121
Details for US Embassies in Italy
Embassies with limited consular services available by appointment only are in Genoa, Palermo, and Venice.
More about Passports: Find out if you need a visa to go to Italy and see important information about your passport in Visas and Passports for Italy
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