The issuance of passports at post offices is proving to be a crucial service nationwide, particularly in municipalities with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants and in sparsely populated areas. Since its launch in spring 2023, 90,000 passports have already been issued. This data was reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, which analysed the impact of the service introduced by Poste Italiane as part of the Polis Project, in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior.
Soon to Expand to More Cities
According to Il Sole, the service has been extended to 13 urban centres, including Rome and Milan. As of 22 September, five more cities—Brescia, Livorno, Trapani, Vercelli, and Novara—along with their surrounding areas, will be added. The Group, led by CEO Matteo Del Fante, aims to enable passport issuance in all municipalities included in the Polis Project (those with fewer than 15,000 residents) by March 2026. As of now, passport requests can be submitted at around 2,300 municipalities; this number will reach 6,900 by March.
Record Numbers in Verona
Of the approximately 90,000 passports issued, 68% were delivered directly to recipients’ homes. A total of 63,200 applications came from Polis Project offices, while 26,800 were submitted in offices located in larger urban centres. The service has involved 40 police headquarters to date. Interestingly, demand has been highest not in major cities but in smaller towns. Among the top-performing locations: Verona (12,000 documents), Bologna (10,300), Vicenza (8,400), and Monza (6,400). The numbers are also significant in Rome, with 4,850 documents issued (the service started here in September 2024), and Milan with 1,330, but here the service only started last March.
In Small Municipalities
Il Sole 24 Ore highlights the initiative’s popularity in smaller municipalities included in the Polis Project. For example, Colà di Lazise (province of Verona, population 7,000) recorded 422 requests; Trissino (also in Verona, population 7,000) 319 requests; Fiumefreddo Bruzio (Cosenza, 4,000 residents) 374 requests. Even smaller towns like Albareto (Parma, 2,000 residents), Rovito (Cosenza, 3,000 residents), and Villa Minozzo (Reggio Emilia, 3,500 residents) received 70, 30, and 70 requests respectively.
