Emergency Travel Documents (ETD)
If you are abroad and find yourself in an emergency situation — for example, if your passport is lost or stolen while travelling as a tourist or in transit — and you do not have enough time or the possibility to apply for a new passport, the Consular Office of the Embassy may issue an Emergency Travel Document (ETD).
Since 9 December 2025, the new EU Emergency Travel Document (EU ETD) has been in force, pursuant to Directive (EU) 2019/997 and the Decree of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of 26 July 2024.
Who can be issued an EU ETD?
An EU ETD is an emergency travel document issued for one single journey. It may be issued to:
- Italian citizens;
- citizens of EU Member States that are not represented in the country where the applicant is located.
The document is normally valid for travel to:
- the EU Member State of which the applicant is a citizen;
- the applicant’s country of permanent residence;
- exceptionally, another destination.
The issuance of an EU ETD to a citizen of another EU Member State is subject to prior authorisation by the Member State of which the applicant is a national.
Documents required
The application must be submitted using the EU ETD application form and must be accompanied by the following documents:
a) a declaration of the theft or loss of the passport or other travel document, made before the Consular Office pursuant to Articles 46 and 47 of Presidential Decree No. 445 of 28 December 2000, with the declarations being subject to the provisions of Article 76 of the same Decree;
b) a police report confirming the theft, loss or destruction of the passport or other travel document, issued by the local police authorities;
c) where it is not possible to take a photograph of the applicant at the time of the application, a digital or scanned photograph meeting the standards set out in ICAO Document 9303 for machine-readable travel documents;
d) the travel ticket, where available.
Validity of the EU ETD
The EU ETD is valid only for the journey for which it has been issued and for a maximum of 15 days.
Once the holder has reached the destination, the EU ETD must be surrendered to the border police or another police authority, regardless of whether it is still valid.
If an EU ETD issued by an Italian Consular Office is used to travel to a country other than Italy, the document must be returned to the Italian Consular Office with territorial jurisdiction over the destination.
Fees
No fee will be charged for the issuance of an EU ETD in 2026.
Applicants will, however, be responsible for any postal or courier costs incurred for sending the required documentation and/or the issued ETD.
Loss or theft of a passport containing a Sri Lankan or Maldivian visa
Please note that the police report concerning the theft or loss of your passport may also be useful when crossing the border, particularly if the lost passport contained the visa or other entry authorisation for Sri Lanka or the Maldives.
Applicants are therefore advised to keep a copy of the police report and present it to the relevant border authorities when necessary.
Do I need to come to the Embassy?
No. Physical presence at the Embassy is not required to apply for an EU ETD.
However, collecting the ETD in person at the Embassy is the fastest and safest option.
If you are unable to collect the document in person, you will need to send the required documentation and any applicable postage costs to the Embassy by post. Once issued, the ETD will then be sent to the address provided by the applicant.
Please be aware that, in this case, the Embassy cannot guarantee the delivery time, as it depends on the postal or courier service.