The Registry Office is responsible for managing the registry of Italians residing abroad (AIRE).
Law No. 470 of 1988 requires all Italian citizens who move their residence abroad to declare their new residence to the competent consular office within 90 days of arrival in the destination country.
Registration with AIRE is essential for obtaining all documents and certificates issued by the consular office. Furthermore, once registered in the consular computer system, administrative procedures can be completed significantly faster.
Italian citizens must be registered with the civil registry of an Italian municipality. This registration enables citizens to exercise all their rights and duties according to their personal circumstances. Italian citizens also have the obligation to notify both their local municipality and the consular office of any changes in their civil status (e.g., marital status, citizenship, address, family composition, and residence).
Italian citizens can be resident either in Italy or abroad: in the first case (residence in Italy), they will be registered with the **Anagrafe della Popolazione Residente** (APR) of their Italian municipality, and must contact the municipality directly for all civil registry matters; in the second case (residents abroad), their names will appear on the **AIRE** lists of the Italian municipality of origin or last residence before moving abroad. These individuals can contact the Italian consular office in their country of residence for civil registry matters, with the consulate acting as an intermediary between citizens abroad and the municipality in Italy where they are registered.
AIRE REGISTRATION
Registration with AIRE is FREE.
Modulistica – Ambasciata d’Italia Manila
To register, the applicant must submit a completed request form (available in the “Forms” section on this website) along with documents proving their actual residence in the consular district (e.g., residency certificate issued by the local authorities, residence permit, foreign identity card, utility bills, employment contract, etc.). If the request is not submitted in person, a copy of the applicant’s identification document must also be attached.
If the family unit includes minor children, the registration must be signed by both parents, with copies of their identification documents attached.
Registration can also take place ex officio, based on information the consular office receives.
Required Documentation:
- Completed AIRE registration request form (please include your email address) – see the “Forms” section;
- Copy of passport and pages showing the entry/exit stamps from the Philippines. For Italian citizens born abroad, it is essential that the birth certificate issued by the country of birth is registered with the relevant Italian municipality;
- Proof of habitual residence in the Philippines, such as: residence certificate issued by local authorities, barangay civil registry certificate, lease contract, bank statement, utility bills (telephone, water, or other domestic services), work visa or employment contract/letter (only the pages with personal details and address of the company in the Philippines), etc.
A tourist visa alone is not considered proof of residence
- Copy of the passport and visa of each family member to be registered. For dual nationals (Italian and Philippine), it is advised to provide copies of both passports, and if born in the Philippines, a copy of the birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
How to Submit Documentation:
- Through the FAST IT As of December 2018, you can authenticate via SPID (Public Digital Identity System);
- Directly at the Consular Office in Manila, by appointment, during public office hours (weekdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, excluding Thursdays);
- By email or PEC (Certified Email): Please scan and submit the documents in PDF format, separating the files by document type (multi-page documents are allowed), with a total file size not exceeding 5 MB;
- By post or courier: Send the original documents with delivery receipt to the consular office address.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS (within the Philippines)
Required Documentation:
- Completed change of address form (please include your email address) – see the “Forms” section;
- Proof of new address (e.g., utility bills, lease agreement, etc.);
- Copy of passport
How to Submit Documentation: In the same ways outlined above.
NOTE: Requests will only be processed if complete. The registration process, involving multiple steps and entities, may take several months to complete. Timely communication of any changes in civil status to the Embassy -beyond being a legal obligation- ensures that Italian authorities can keep information about citizens residing abroad up to date, facilitating service delivery both in Italy and abroad, and improving communication between the Embassy and Italian citizens residing in the consular district.
RETURN TO ITALY OF AIRE-REGISTERED CITIZENS
According to current regulations, the consular office is only responsible for transmitting declarations regarding the expatriation and residence abroad of Italian citizens to the relevant Italian municipality, but not for the repatriation process. Therefore:
- Italian citizens registered with AIRE who return permanently to Italy must report their new residence address to the municipality where they have decided to settle.
- On the same date, the municipality will cancel the AIRE registration and register the citizen with the Anagrafe della Popolazione Residente (APR).
- The municipality will then notify the consular office of the repatriation, which will update the consular records accordingly.