CIE in Rome: What Documents You Need to Get Your Electronic ID Card

In a nutshell

The CIE (Carta d'Identità Elettronica — Italy's electronic ID card) is a credit-card-sized document with a built-in chip that replaces the old paper identity card. It works as a travel document within Europe and lets you log into public-sector online services as an alternative to SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services). In Rome it's issued by the Municipi (Rome's 15 district offices), by appointment only.

At a glance

Cost	€22.21 (new issue or renewal)
Timeline	6 working days — delivered to your door by post
Where in Rome	Any Municipio (I–XV) or the Anagrafe Centrale, Via Petroselli 50
Documents	1 passport photo, health card, old ID card, €22.21

What to bring to the Municipio

For a standard new issue or renewal you need four things:

• One passport-size photo (35×45 mm), taken within the last 6 months, white background, face uncovered, no sunglasses or hats. Exact requirements are published on the Ministry of the Interior's website. A non-compliant photo will stop the appointment on the spot.
• Tessera Sanitaria or Codice Fiscale: the Tessera Sanitaria (Italian health-insurance card) carries your Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything). The clerk reads the number digitally at the counter.
• Your old identity card, even if expired. If it was lost or stolen, bring the police report filed with the Carabinieri or Polizia di Stato.
• €22.21: debit card, credit card (not American Express), or PagoPA. Some Municipi accept cash — worth checking beforehand.

Extra documents for foreigners and minors

If you are a non-EU citizen, in addition to the standard documents you'll need your valid permesso di soggiorno (residence permit for non-EU citizens) and your passport. There is one important prerequisite: to get the CIE you must already have an active residency registration (iscrizione anagrafica) with the Comune (city hall / municipality) of Rome. Without registered residency the application will not be accepted.

If you are an EU citizen who has lived in Rome for more than three months, also bring the attestato di soggiorno (EU residency certificate) issued by the Comune.

For minors the rules differ. Both parents normally need to be present at the appointment. If one parent cannot attend, the other brings a written consent form plus a copy of the absent parent's ID. Bring the child's Codice Fiscale and a passport-size photo of the child. If the CIE is for a child under 14 and you want it to be valid for travel abroad, both parents must be present to sign the consent for travel.

Lost or stolen card

If your card was lost, stolen, or damaged the procedure changes slightly. You must add the police report (from the Polizia di Stato or Carabinieri) to your standard documents. The fee is higher in this case: €27.63 instead of €22.21, because you are paying for a duplicate.

What you actually get: the CIE and what it does

The CIE is far more than an ID card. With the chip you can:

• Access public-administration services online through the CieID app — a free alternative to SPID, always valid.
• Sign documents digitally with an advanced electronic signature.
• Use the IO app with NFC authentication and a PIN.
• Travel in Europe without a passport: the CIE is accepted in EU countries, EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), Switzerland, and in some non-EU countries such as Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Tunisia, and Egypt. For everywhere else you need your passport.

If you are a non-EU foreigner, the CIE identifies you in Italy but for international travel you will still need your national passport.

How long it stays valid

Validity depends on your age at the time of issue:

• 0–3 years: 3 years
• 3–18 years: 5 years
• Adults (18+): 10 years

The expiry date falls on the birthday following the technical expiry. You can apply for renewal up to 180 days before it expires.

What about the old paper card?

If you still have a CIC (the old green paper identity card), it remains valid until its expiry date. After that, renewal is only possible with the CIE. The CIC has not been issued since 2016, except in very rare emergency cases.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Non-compliant photo. If the photo doesn't meet the requirements (coloured background, hat, sunglasses, poor quality), the appointment is wasted. Check the official requirements before you go.
2. Showing up without active residency registration (non-EU citizens). The CIE requires a valid Anagrafe (civil-registry office at the Comune, handles residency) registration in Rome. If you are not yet registered, that step has to come first.
3. Not bringing the police report when the card is lost or stolen. Without the report, the counter cannot process a duplicate.

Special cases

Are you an Italian citizen registered abroad (AIRE)? You must apply through the Italian Consulate in your country of residence, not at a Municipio. The Consulate forwards the application to the Ministry and timelines are longer: 4–6 weeks.

Do you need a document quickly? The CIE always arrives by post in around 6 working days and there is no fast-track option. If you have an immediate need (imminent departure, lost document), you can request an urgent passport at the Questura (police headquarters — also issues residence permits; the Ufficio Passaporti can deliver in as little as 1–3 days), or ask the Anagrafe Centrale at Via Petroselli whether they can issue an emergency paper CIC — this is rare and at the manager's discretion.

Official sources

• Ministry of the Interior — Electronic Identity Card
• Roma Capitale — CIE service page
• Roma Capitale — ID card for adults
• CIE appointment booking
• Passport photo requirements for the CIE

Legal references: DL 78/2015 art. 10, DM Ministero Interno 23/12/2015, Circolare Min. Interno n. 8/2017, Regolamento UE 2019/1157.