Please click here for general information about the Register of Italians living abroad (A.I.R.E.).
HOW TO REGISTER IN A.I.R.E. (Register of Italian Citizens Resident Abroad)
Who Must Register
The following persons are required to register with the AIRE (Registry of Italians Resident Abroad):
- Italian citizens who transfer their residence abroad and intend to reside outside Italy for a period exceeding 12 months;
- persons born abroad who acquired Italian citizenship by birth;
- persons who acquired Italian citizenship while residing abroad.
Persons Not Required to Register with the AIRE
The following categories are not required to register with the AIRE:
- citizens residing abroad for seasonal employment;
- personnel assigned abroad by public administrations, together with cohabiting family members, duly notified to the local authorities in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations of 18 April 1961 and 24 April 1963 respectively, ratified and implemented pursuant to Law No. 804 of 9 August 1967, or pursuant to international provisions governing permanent representations to the European Union or international organisations;
- school principals, teachers and administrative school staff seconded abroad within the framework of educational activities conducted outside the national territory;
- employees of regions and autonomous provinces assigned to serve in liaison offices established pursuant to Article 58 of Law No. 52 of 6 February 1996;
- civilian and military personnel receiving the long-term foreign service allowance provided for under Article 1808 of the Military Code established by Legislative Decree No. 66 of 15 March 2010;
- civilian and military personnel serving in offices and structures of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO);
- persons cohabiting with the individuals referred to in points (c), (d), (e) and (f) above, who accompany them abroad.
In addition, registration with the registries referred to in this article is optional for citizens who maintain or establish their tax domicile in Italy and who work abroad for the European Union, for international organisations of which Italy is a member, or for the entities referred to in Article 26 of Law No. 125 of 11 August 2014.
AIRE REGISTRATION
Italian nationals residing within the jurisdictions under the competence of the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong (Hong Kong and Macao) who wish to apply for registration with the AIRE (Registry of Italians Resident Abroad) must access the FAST IT institutional portal at the following link:FAST IT PortalApplicants are required to:
- complete the online AIRE registration application form;
- sign the form either digitally or by hand (in the latter case, uploading a scanned copy to the portal);
- attach the following documentation:
- copy of the passport (pages 2 to 5);
- copy of the visa for entry into Hong Kong or Macao (holders of permanent resident status, for whom no visa is affixed to the passport, must instead provide a copy of the Hong Kong or Macao identity card);
- copy of one of the following documents as proof of residence, showing both the applicant’s name as holder and the address exactly as indicated in the registration application:
- tenancy agreement bearing registration with the Inland Revenue Department – Stamp Office;
- electricity bill issued within the previous three months (financial amounts may be redacted);
- domestic gas bill issued within the previous three months (financial amounts may be redacted).
Please note: in the case of family registration, copies of the passports and visas of all cohabiting family members must also be attached. Documents may be uploaded in a single PDF file. Minor children must be indicated in the relevant section of the form completed by the parents. Adult children (18 years of age or older) must access the FAST IT portal separately and complete an individual registration application.Important: Italian citizens relocating abroad together with a foreign spouse previously resident in Italy are required to notify directly the competent Italian municipality (Registry Office) of the spouse’s transfer abroad, enclosing a copy of the spouse’s passport. The Consulate is not competent to process this type of notification.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS WITHIN HONG KONG AND MACAO
Every change of address within Hong Kong and Macao must be promptly communicated to the Consulate using the FAST IT portal. Please add proof of your new residence (utility bill or lease contract).Please note that Italian citizens relocating overseas with a foreign spouse who was resident in Italy have the obligation to directly inform the competent Italian Municipality (“Ufficio Anagrafe”) about the change of residence of their foreign spouse. A copy of their passport must be attached to the communication.The Consulate General of Italy is not competent for this service.
RELOCATION TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY OR REPATRIATION TO ITALY
Italian citizens who relocate to a different Country/different consular district must update their records (change of consular district) by using the website FAST.IT.Italian citizens registered in AIRE (Registry of Italians Residing Abroad) who return to Italy must declare their new residential address to the competent Municipality as soon as possible after repatriation.If you are about to return to Italy, please fill in and send the repatriation form by e-mail to consolare.hongkong@esteri.it so that the Consulate can update its departure records in the database.For your information, please note that, in compliance with current legislation, Consular Offices are only competent for updating the residential status of citizens arriving from a different consular district or from Italy, but not for repatriation.Italian Municipalities are the only authorities competent for updating the residential address of Italians returning to Italy from overseas (AIRE cancellation and registration in the lists of the population resident in that Municipality). The new residential address will also be communicated by the Municipality to the Consular Office of origin, which will formally update its database.
- If you have resided overseas for a minimum of 12 months (AIRE registration is a must), you can ship your household/personal goods in exemption of VAT and customs duty by applying for an exemption letter from the Consulate.
To do so, please book your appointment at the Consulate on the website Prenota online, come in person with the appropriate form and three copies of the packing list (in plain paper, please specify brand and value of the most expensive goods) of all personal items.Italian citizens who fail to update their new residential address with the competent Italian Municipality will incur possible cancellation from the lists of the locally registered population with inevitable fiscal and administrative complications, including the issue of documents.
- If you are a EU or non-EU citizen who has resided outside Italy for at least 12 months, you need to refer to the provisions set forth by the Italian Revenue Department with Circular Letter n. 22/D of 2004.
In order to move your personal belongings to Italy in exemption of VAT and import duty, the following documents must be provided directly to the Italian Customs Agency:
-
- residence certificate issued by the Italian Municipality where you are relocating;
- any other document deemed valid by the Import Customs Authority such as:
- certificate issued by the Company where you have been employed before moving to Italy;
- any other documents proving ownership of personal belongings before moving to Italy;
No declarations or certifications will be issued by this Consulate General of Italy.