• Who can renew by mail from Italy
• Your document checklist
• The photo mistake that gets you rejected
• How to submit (it’s mail-in only)
• Processing times and planning ahead
• Frequently asked questions

Need to renew a US passport in Italy? Most adults can do it by mail without ever visiting a U.S. Embassy or Consulate — but one small mistake, usually the photo, sends applications straight back. Here is exactly how to do it right the first time.

Mail-in renewal uses Form DS-82. You qualify if your most recent passport meets all of these conditions:

If any of these do not apply — for example, your passport was lost, stolen, or issued when you were a child — you will need an in-person appointment instead. Use the : it asks a few questions and routes you to the right process for your nearest Embassy or Consulate.

Assemble everything on this list before you mail anything to renew a US passport in Italy. Applications missing a single item are returned:

U.S. passport photos are 2×2 inches (5×5 cm) with a plain white background, taken within the last six months, with a neutral expression and no eyeglasses. Standard Italian photo booths cut to 3.5×4.5 cm — that size will be rejected. Many Italian photographers are also unfamiliar with U.S. specifications, so print the official requirements from the State Department website and take them with you to the photographer.

The easiest fallback: photo machines located inside the consular sections — available in Rome and Naples for €6 and in Milan for €5. The machines accept credit cards and 5/10-euro notes.

Routine adult renewals by DS-82 are handled by mail. In-person appointment slots at U.S. Embassy Rome and the Consulates General in Milan, Florence, and Naples are reserved for first-time applicants, minors, and emergency travel. Each post has its own mailing address and packaging instructions, so follow the mail-in directions for your specific consulate on the Embassy website — and use a trackable courier service both ways.

Except in emergencies, U.S. passports are now produced at facilities in the United States. When you renew a US passport in Italy, expect it to be ready approximately five weeks after submission. If you have upcoming travel, start the renewal at least two months before your departure date. Note that your old passport must be mailed in with the application — so if you need to travel while the renewal is in process, plan around not having a passport in hand during that window. Renewing your permesso di soggiorno at the same time? See our guide to the so both run in parallel.

No. Routine adult renewals on Form DS-82 must be sent by mail. In-person appointments are reserved for first-time applicants, minors, and emergencies.

2×2 inches (5×5 cm) with a white background, taken within the last six months, without eyeglasses. The standard Italian booth size of 3.5×4.5 cm is not accepted.

The adult renewal fee is paid online via Pay.gov and is currently $130. Confirm the exact amount on Pay.gov when you pay, as fees can change. You will also pay for courier shipping to the consulate and a pre-paid return label.

Approximately five weeks from submission, because passports are produced in the United States and then couriered back to Italy. Allow extra time for the return mailing.

That requires an in-person appointment, not DS-82. A limited-validity emergency passport can often be issued the same day if your application is received before 12:00 PM; otherwise it is processed on the next business day.