At approximately 7,500 post offices, it is possible to apply for the issuance and renewal of passports. All 6,932 post offices involved in the Polis project – an initiative by Poste Italiane aimed at supporting economic, social, and territorial cohesion and bridging the digital divide in municipalities with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants – have been enabled. These are complemented by 431 post offices in major cities such as Rome, Milan, Naples, Florence, Bologna, Verona, Venice, and Cagliari.
206,000 passports issued
The passport issuance and renewal service, launched in March 2024 with a pilot phase in the province of Bologna, has been completed on schedule and now covers the entire national territory. Post offices have issued approximately 206,000 passports, of which 156,000 in Polis municipalities. Thanks to the project, citizens have been able to obtain passports without the need to visit the Police Headquarters (Questura), with the option of home delivery (chosen by 8 out of 10 residents in smaller municipalities). The initiative confirms the role of Poste Italiane as a key point of reference for citizens and was made possible through an agreement between the Company, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. Overall, Polis post offices have provided more than 222,000 Public Administration services, including passports, pension certificates, and civil registry documents.
The impact of Polis
The economic impact generated by Polis project is significant: over €1 billion contributed to GDP; more than 18,500 jobs created; and €484 million generated in labour income. Launched in January 2023, the Polis project enables citizens residing in municipalities with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants to access Public Administration services directly at post offices. Polis aims to promote digital inclusion and social cohesion across the country, counteracting the risk of service desertification in inland areas. The total investment amounts to €1.2 billion, of which €800 million comes from complementary resources to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), and €400 million is a direct investment by Poste Italiane.
