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I'm travelling to Italy next month for a wedding. I am lucky enough to have two passports. My Italian passport has expired and although I've been trying to get an appointment to renew my passport for months and months now, I still haven't been able to get one, and I definitely won't be able to have it renewed before my trip.

Will I still be able to enter Italy using my other passport?

EDIT: I know I am supposed to enter Italy on my Italian passport. My question is will they let me enter on my other passport, despite being an Italian citizen? I will also have my expired Italian passport with me when travelling.

seza_g
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    Does this answer your question? I have two passports/nationalities. How do I use them when I travel? – phoog Mar 14 '24 at 23:57
  • When did the passport expire? With Italy I would not use a different passport: low change to be caught, but very bad consequences if you were caught (short term consequences, but you may not be able to move so to get to the wedding). OTOH you can enter in Italy with an expired passport (5 or 10 years is permitted for selected countries, without questions). – Giacomo Catenazzi Mar 15 '24 at 10:43
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    Where are you coming from? If you need to take a flight then you might have trouble getting on with an expired passport. You could consider going initially to a nearby Schengen country with your other passport. You probably won't be checked when crossing to Italy and, even if you are, you are unlikely to be rejected. – badjohn Mar 15 '24 at 14:42
  • I am flying from London, direct to Italy. My passport expired in September 2022. I hadn't heard about Italy accepting a recently expired passport - that might work!! – seza_g Mar 15 '24 at 15:46
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    Do you have an Italian ID card? If so that will get you into any Schengen country – Willeke Mar 15 '24 at 16:01
  • Is your other unnamed passport from a country whose citizens can enter Italy without a visa? – DavidRecallsMonica Mar 15 '24 at 16:47
  • Yes, my other passport doesn't require a visa - I have an Australian passport. – seza_g Mar 15 '24 at 17:19
  • My bet would be for you to check in for flight with Australian one and hand over both passport to immigration officer. Not sure it is a good idea though. – vasin1987 Mar 15 '24 at 17:30
  • If you have an Italian passport, odds are good you're an Italian citizen, too, right? If so, you should have unconditional rights to return home, even if your passport has expired. – FreeMan Mar 15 '24 at 18:24
  • Yes I am an Italian citizen (but don't live there). I just know Australia is really strict about Australian citizens only entering the country on their Australian passport, and I just don't know if Italy is the same.... at the end of the day, I don't think they can deny me entry, but they might not be happy about it... – seza_g Mar 15 '24 at 20:54
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    @GiacomoCatenazzi what bad consequences would there be if someone were "caught" in these circumstances? Seza_g, "I know I am supposed to enter Italy on my Italian passport": what makes you think this? It seems that most EU countries don't have a rule about this. The only EU country that I know to have a specific rule about it is Poland. – phoog Mar 16 '24 at 14:29
  • @phoog: blocked until someone can get confirmation about your identity. Now probably it is better, but in past young men can be blocked for days (military service: so until some consular confirmation you reside in a foreign country, and minor consular offices were not know to work fast (or every day)). – Giacomo Catenazzi Mar 18 '24 at 08:38
  • @phoog: I'm not sure about the second part. I think it is implicit (but probably it is a question for legal SE): one should not hide to authorities the fact it is citizen of the country one is in. (for hotels and airlines, nobody should care) – Giacomo Catenazzi Mar 18 '24 at 08:43

2 Answers2

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There is nothing in Legge 5/92 that would require an Italian document to enter Italy as an Italian citizen.

Until ETIAS gets rolled out, you are free to enter the Schengen Area with your other passport, you can't overstay even if you enter on your Australian Passport.

Nicolas Formichella
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That's fine.

I've entered Schengen (including Germany) both on my German and US passport with no problems.

Hilmar
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