# When to apply for passport and citizenship



## Temal (Oct 1, 2015)

Hi All,
I just need a quick clarification on how soon can my spouse apply for italian passport after taking the oath, as we have been given date for the oath in london, but we do not know how soon we need to apply for the passport after she become a citizen. Although I am aware that she will be a citizen on the midnight after taken the oath.
My question is can she apply immediately or wait till the following day and how long will it take to get the passport. 
Thanks
Temal


----------



## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

It's up to the consulate, but, as you suggested, Italian law bars her from _receiving_ an Italian passport until 12:00.01 a.m. the day after she takes her oath of citizenship. Her citizenship is not legally effective until 12:00 a.m. (24:00) that night.

Some consulates will accept a passport application and mail the passport out the next day if you leave a suitable envelope with pre-paid postage. Or the consulate will let her come back the next day they're open. Others wait until her commune in Italy acknowledges her registration. There doesn't seem to be a uniform standard across consulates. If for some reason she's in a rush, with good cause, she can apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD): a limited duration passport good for one-way travel to Italy.

If this is an Italian consulate in Europe she can also ask about applying for a _carta d'identità_ (ID card) which costs less anyway (about 110 euro less!) and serves perfectly well for regional travel, even a bit outside the European Union/EEA (e.g. Egypt), and for U.K./EU/EEA immigration purposes. There is no _requirement_ to apply for an Italian passport. Millions of Italian citizens don't have Italian passports, quite rightly so.


----------



## Temal (Oct 1, 2015)

Thanks for your reply and also the information, we are applying at london consulate, and dont really know there policy, all we will do is prepare in hand to what there policy is. Although it would have been good if they have this information on their website as to when to apply for the passport after the oath.I have also done thorough search online as to have a guide when to apply but cannot find any source.


----------



## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

You'll simply have to ask that particular consulate. They have an online "Contatta L'Ufficio Passaporti" option (as this page offers), so you could try that.

Please do take note of the comments I made about the much lower cost _carta d'identità_ option.


----------

