CAnyone who lives in a small town knows this well: obtaining a document can turn into a logistical marathon. Kilometers to travel, days to take away from work… Bureaucracy, in these cases, is not just a question of forms: it is a question of access. And of time. In this void, however, the Post Office was added in 2024 which have started offering the new passport service in post offices. And today the network is growing even thicker.
Passport at the Post Office: openings in other municipalities
From large centers to smaller islands, Poste Italiane has expanded the network of offices authorized to issue electronic passportsbringing the total to 3,215 offices. But the most interesting data is not the quantity: it is the geography. The new 375 branches activated are located in municipalities with less than 15,000 inhabitantsscattered between the provinces of Brescia, Livorno, Trapani, Novara and Vercelli. Places where, if until yesterday, get a passport it often meant facing journeys of tens, if not hundreds, of kilometresToday, however, they can access the service without leaving their valley or town.
The Polis project
The project is part of the broader “Polis” planwhich aims to transform post offices into digital citizenship centers. And if large cities such as Rome, Bologna, Verona and Cagliari were the first to experiment with the service, today many others have also entered the network.
Who can do it and how: requirements and reservations
The service is available for all Italian citizens of age and for parents who need to request a passport for their children. But there is a fundamental condition: you must reside or be domiciled in a municipality where there is at least one post office authorized to issue the document. In small towns, however, you can access directly, in large cities, however, such as Rome, Milan or Naples, it is often necessary to book. In this case, however, technology comes into play. Reservation can be made in two ways: through the official Poste Italiane app, or using the SPID.
But be careful: not all offices are yet technically ready to accept bookings via SPID. Therefore, if the SPID system is not already active, the only way will be to go through the Post Office app. A distinction that may seem technical, but which in practice avoids a failed attempt.
Required documents: between precision and common sense, how much it costs
The list of necessary documents is not shortbut not insurmountable either. It will serve:
- two identical color photographsrecent (maximum six months), frontal, with an uncovered face and on a white background, compliant with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards;
- an electronic voucher of 73.50 euroswhich can be purchased at tobacconists;
- the payment receipt of 42.50 euros on current account no. 67422808 made payable to the Ministry of Economy and Finance – Department of the Treasury, with reference “Amount for issuing the Electronic Passport”;
- valid identity document and photocopy;
- the old passport (in case of renewal) o the report of loss/theft;
- the domicile certification formif you are domiciled but not resident in the Municipality in which you are requesting.
For minors, the documentation is even longer: you also need the parents’ documents, any consent documents or certifications of parental responsibility, and in the case of same-parent families, an extract from the birth certificate with the names of the parents.
Costs and shipping: how much convenience is worth it
In addition to the administrative costs already mentioned, the request at post offices involves an additional contribution of 14.20 euros. To this you can add, upon request, home delivery of the passport via insured mail, at a cost of 9.88 euros. A sum that is not low but which many consider well spent: according to data released by Poste, 79% of users in small towns have chosen home delivery. Moreover, if you live in places where the nearest passport office is 150 kilometers away, the cost of petrol becomes much more.
The passport at the post office to reduce social distance
Behind the apparent technicality of a postal service, lies a broader issue: territorial equity. The ability to obtain an essential document without having to go through exhausting travel it is, after all, a form of everyday justice. It’s not just about simplifying a procedure, but about not driving those who live far from large centers crazy. And, in a country where distance can still determine access to rights, every additional branch is one meter less of inequality. Not only that: the passport at the Post Office is proof that even the administrative machinery can and must adapt to people’s real needs. Because it’s not enough to digitize: we also need to bring it closer.