News City

Rome to reduce wait for ID cards

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

26 Feb, 2019

Rome deploys extra staff in bid to speed up carta d'identità process.

Rome has increased the number of employees issuing electronic identity cards, or carte d'identità, in an effort to reduce the significant delays in rolling out the system which was introduced more than two years ago.

The six-month pilot project follows an agreement between the city and the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS), Italy's national mint and polygraphic institute, located in Rome.

IPZS staff will be deployed to various city offices across Rome while municipal employees will reportedly spend an additional two afternoons a week on issuing the cards.

The move is part of a concerted attempt to reduce the amount of time between requesting an appointment and receiving a new card, which in some parts of the city can take several months.

The current average wait is 83 days, down from an average of 114 days last July.

The credit card-sized electronic card, which is gradually being phased in to replace the old paper format, is fitted with microchips linked to a centralised digital public identification system.

The cards, which cost €22.21, are issued for a ten-year period for adults; five years for minors aged between three and 18; and three years for children under three years of age.

Existing paper carte d'identità remain valid until their expiry date. For full details of how to request the electronic card see city website.