(Updated on: 25/09/2025)
The application for a first passport may be submitted to the Passport Office only after the Registry Office has transmitted the birth certificate to the competent Municipality in Italy. The certified email sent by the Registry Office to the Municipality and copied to the parents, shall serve as proof. Birth registration and passport applications submitted simultaneously will be returned to the sender. The Consulate declines all responsibility in the event that the Postal Order attached to the passport application expires.
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Please note that the request for registration in Italy of a birth certificate may be submitted either directly to the Municipality or to this Consulate (Circolare del Ministero degli Interni No. 9 of 2019). |
- Acquire it iure sanguinis (by descent) from one of the parents;
Acquire it iure soli (by birthright), for example, minors born in the United Kingdom to parent(s) holding settled status;
Acquire it through a mere declaration without the possibility of refusal by the competent foreign authority (e.g., “citizenship by option” for children born abroad).
EXAMPLES for the United Kingdom:
- Both parents are exclusively Italian and have not met the residency requirements to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain or Settled Status;
- One parent is exclusively Italian and has not met the residency requirements to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain or Settled Status: the other parent holds a third-country citizenship that does not allow transmission of citizenship iure sanguinis to a child born in a third country.
Required documentation for Case 1)
IMPORTANT: If Case 1 does not apply, the application may be submitted based on one of the two cases outlined below.
CASE 2)
The parent who is an Italian citizen by birth resided in Italy for at least 2 consecutive years prior to the child’s date of birth,
Or
The parent acquired Italian citizenship (through naturalization, etc.) and resided in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the child’s date of birth.
Residence in Italy prior to acquiring Italian citizenship can not be considered, nor can be considered the residence in Italy of the foreign parent.
(IMPORTANT: If Case 2 applies, it is not necessary to follow the instructions related to Case 3, which require additional documentation.)
Required documentation for Case 2
CASE 3)
At the time of the child’s birth, a parent or grandparent held (or held at the time of death) exclusively Italian citizenship.
(IMPORTANT: Before referring to Case 3, which requires additional documentation compared to the previous cases, verify that the requirements for Case 2 do not apply).
Required documentation for Case 3
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It is strongly recommended to submit the request for registration of the birth certificate only if in possession of all the necessary documentation to verify the right to Italian citizenship. Please note that the request to register the minor’s birth certificate in Italy also constitutes a request for recognition of Italian citizenship.
This Consulate reserves the right to request additional documentation. In such cases, applications deemed incomplete will be rejected with a formal notice of denial pursuant to Article 10-bis of Law 241/1990, after which the applicant will have 10 days to submit any observations or supplementary documentation.
IMPORTANT: If you do not fall under one of the categories listed above, please consult the relevant “CITIZENSHIP” page on our website and verify whether you meet the requirements to apply for citizenship by “benefit of law.”
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REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION
To request the registration of a birth, ALL of the following requirements must be met:
- Residence within the jurisdiction of this Consulate: At least one parent must reside in one of the following areas: Southern England, Wales, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar, the Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Residents in the jurisdictions of Manchester and Edinburgh must contact the relevant Consular Offices for their territory (LINK: Check your relevant Consulate – The Consular Network).
- Updated residential address: The residential address declared in the application MUST MATCH the last address communicated to the Consulate. To verify your address in the consular database, log into your profile on Fast.it (LINK: The portal for consular services). To update your residential address, follow the procedure indicated in the A.I.R.E. section (LINK: AIRE – 2. Address update).
- Italian citizenship and A.I.R.E. registration: At least one parent must be an Italian citizen registered with the Registry of Italians Residing Abroad (A.I.R.E) (LINK: How to register with AIRE).
- Previous marriages/divorces: If the minor was born after the parents’ marriage, ensure that the marriage has been registered in Italy. For more information, visit the following LINK: How to register a marriage; How to register a divorce decree. If the marriage has never been registered in Italy before, the related registration request may be submitted in a single envelope together with the birth certificate registration request. All marriages and any divorces must be registered in Italy.
HOW TO REQUEST REGISTRATION VIA THE CONSULATE
Send the following via Royal Mail Special Delivery to:
Consulate General of Italy in London
Civil Status Office – Births Section
“Harp House” – 83/86 Farringdon Street
EC4A 4BL London
- The request for registration;
- The required documents listed above;
- A second “Special Delivery” envelope, pre-paid with an undated stamp, with your address, for the possible return of applications that are not admissible.
PROCESSING TIMES AND APPLICATION STATUS
Requests are processed by the Consulate in the order they are received by the Civil Registry Office. The estimated processing time is currently around ten weeks from the receipt of the documentation, concluding with the transmission of the documents to the competent A.I.R.E. Municipality. Please note that the duration of the procedure also depends on the response times of the Municipalities.
To monitor the progress of the application, applicants may:
- Verify the receipt of documents by the Consulate using the Special Delivery tracking service on the Royal Mail website.
- Wait for the notification of transmission to the Municipality, which will be sent by this Consulate to the email address provided. It is important to check your spam folder too.
Please do not contact the Consulate to inquire about the status of the application.
OUTCOME AND CONFIRMATION OF REGISTRATION
The Municipality will register the certificate in its civil registry according to its internal processing times. In case of rejection, the Municipality will communicate the reasons to the Consulate via certified email (PEC), and the applicant will be informed of the negative outcome.
Once you have received a copy of the notification from the Consulate confirming the transmission of the certificate to the Municipality, the Consulate’s obligations will be completed.
For updates regarding the actual registration at the “Comune”, you may:
- Contact the relevant AIRE Municipality directly; email and phone contacts are available on the Municipality’s homepage;
- Check your personal registry record on the ANPR portal for updates (LINK: ANPR). The portal is accessible using the Public Digital Identity System (SPID) or Electronic Identity Card (CIE). For further information on how to obtain SPID or request a CIE, please visit the following links: What is SPID and how to obtain it; How to request the Electronic Identity Card.
Frequently asked questions regarding the application requirements.
- How can I verify if the Consulate in London is my consular jurisdiction?
You can check your relevant Consulate by consulting our website at the following page: La Rete diplomatico-consolare.
- I would like to register my child’s birth, but I am not registered with A.I.R.E. How can I register?
You can register with the Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all’Estero (A.I.R.E.) by following the instructions provided on the page Come iscriversi all’AIRE.
- How can I verify which municipality I am registered with for A.I.R.E.?
Every Italian citizen residing abroad maintains a reference municipality in Italy. Generally, this corresponds to the municipality of the last recorded residence before moving abroad, or to the municipality of the parents’ residence if born abroad
- I would like to register a birth, but I have never registered my marriage, civil union, or divorce. What should I do?
Follow the specific instructions related to Come registrare un matrimonio – Come registrare un’unione civile tra persone dello stesso sesso – Come registrare una sentenza di divorzio.
- My minor child was born abroad: how can they obtain recognition of Italian citizenship?
Italian citizenship is automatically passed from the Italian parent to the minor child through the registration or transcription of the birth certificate. Follow the procedure indicated on this page to submit the transcription request to the Consulate in London.
- My minor child was born in Italy: do I need to register their birth certificate?
No, for minors born in Italy to one or both Italian parents, the registration is automatically done at birth.
- I am not sure if I registered my child’s birth certificate. How can I verify it?
You can verify the update of the personal data record on the Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente (ANPR), portal, accessible via SPID or Electronic Identity Card (Come richiedere la Carta di identità elettronica; Cos’è lo SPID e come si ottiene). Alternatively, you can contact the relevant A.I.R.E. municipality in Italy for verification.
- My child is of legal age, and I never requested the transcription of their birth certificate. What should I do?
Adults residing in this jurisdiction who have never had their birth certificate transcribed in Italy must contact the Citizenship Office of this Consulate (Cittadinanza).
- How do I register my child with A.I.R.E.?
A minor’s A.I.R.E. registration is automatically done with the birth registration.
Frequently asked questions regarding the registration procedure.
- How can I book an appointment to register a birth?
The birth registration procedure is conducted entirely by mail, so there is no need to book an appointment.
- Can I send the documentation for birth registration via email?
No, the documentation must be sent in the original via mail using the Royal Mail Special Delivery service.
- I sent the requested documentation; how can I know if it was received?
You can verify the receipt of the documents by the Consulate by entering the tracking number of the shipment on the Royal Mail website: Track your item.
- What is an Apostille, and why is it necessary?
The Apostille is a certification that authenticates the origin of a public document, making it valid for international use. This certification is required for the transcription in Italy of official documents drafted abroad, as required by law.
- Is it possible to use an electronic Apostille instead of a paper one?
No, unfortunately, many municipalities currently do not have the tools to read electronic Apostilles. For this reason, the Apostille must be in paper format.
- Will the original documents I sent be returned to me?
The Consulate cannot return the original documents as it is required to keep the original records in its archive. You can request additional copies of the documents from the issuing authority.
- How can I verify if the birth has been transcribed?
You can verify the status of the transcription by directly contacting the A.I.R.E. municipality or by checking your personal data record on the Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente (ANPR) portal, accessible via SPID or Electronic Identity Card (Come richiedere la Carta di identità elettronica; Cos’è lo SPID e come si ottiene).
- Will I receive the birth certificate in Italian after the registration?
Consulates are not authorized to issue birth, marriage, or death certificates. After the transcription, the Italian birth certificate can be requested directly from the municipality or downloaded from the Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente portal (ANPR).
- Once the act has been transmitted, can I request the issuance of an identity card and/or a tax code?
Yes, but only after the act has been transcribed by the municipality in Italy. You can request the identity card at the Identity Card Office and the tax code at the Notarial Office of this Consulate.