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Electronic Identity Card (CIE)

General information

The Italian Consulate in Houston is taking appointments for issuance of the carta d’identità elettronica (CIE).
As per UE regulation 1157/2019 all the carte d’identità cartacee (CIC) will expire on August 3rd, 2026.

The CIE is a multipurpose document:

  • it is a personal ID valid for identification and to travel in the European Union, in some Schengen states (Ex. Island, Norway and Switzerland) and in few other states (check viaggiarsicuri.it for a complete list of participating states)
  • It is the only digital identity certified by the Italian Government. The digital identity (CIE digital identity, SPID, CNS) allows to access to some Italian Government services (Revenue Tax Agency, Retirement Agency, National Italian Registry, Medical Registry, etc.) and other private agencies services
  • shows the Italian Fiscal Code

The CIE validity is:

  • 3 years, for minors under 3 years old
  • 5 years, for minors 3-18 years old
  • 10 years, for adults over 18 years old

The CIE is a plastic card showing biographical data, citizenship, fiscal code, picture, signature (for over 12), birth registration numbers, and the complete residential address. Please note that on the CIE does not show the civil status or the last name of the spouse.
For detailed information about CIE, please visit the Internal Affairs Agency website at www.cartaidentita.interno.it.
At the Italian Consulate in Houston the competent office for CIE issuance is passaporti.houston@esteri.it.

Who can request the CIE

CIE can be issued to the Italian citizen who possesses all four of the following requirements:

  1. Italian citizens resident in this consular district (TX, LA, OK, AR), and
  2. who are registered in AIRE with this Consulate in Houston, and
  3. whose birth certificate has been registered in the Vital Records registry of the Comune of reference, and
  4. whom biographical data are present in the AIRE-ANPR database of the Internal Affairs Division

To issue the CIE is also necessary:

  1. to have a valid Italian passport
  2. for holders of a valid CIE, the CIE must have an expiration date within 6 months of the appointment date (for example if the appointment is on January 1st, 2026, the previous CIE cannot have an expiration date beyond July 1st, 2026)
  3. to have the residential address updated in the consular registry. Before booking an appointment, please check the Fast-It portal to verify your address and eventually send an update request
  4. to have the Fiscal Code validated by the Agenzia delle Entrate (Internal Revenue Agency). If not, the Fiscal Code will be issued and/or validated during the CIE appointment

Please note that the CIE is an Identification document and it is not a proof of residence, therefore it will NOT be issued a new CIE in case of change of address (even if moved in another consular jurisdiction or in Italy).

How to request the CIE

To request the CIE is necessary to book an appointment on the portal Prenot@mi service “Travel Document”/”Electronic ID card”. Walk-ins are not accepted.

If the appointment is not for the holder of the Prenot@mi account, during the reservation please insert in Notes: full name, DOB, and residential address of the person in need of the CIE (for example the personal data of the minor, in case of CIE booked by the parent for a minor kid).

Please note that every appointment will be thoughtfully pre-screened. Should the screening reveal any issue, the CIE appointment will be cancelled. Possible issues are:

  • AIRE request not registered by the Comune
  • Birth certificate not registered by the Comune
  • Biographical data not inserted in the AIRE-ANPR database by the Internal Affair agency
  • Italian passport expired, never issued, lost, or stolen
  • Previous CIE expiring beyond 6 months of the appointment date

Appointment and documentation

The appointment is for the General Consulate in Houston. For now, the honorary consuls (New Orleans, Dallas) or the itinerary consular operators (Austin, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, etc.) are NOT able to take the biometrics for CIE issuance.

The person requesting the CIE must be present at the appointment. In case of CIE for a minor, both parents must be present as well.

At the appointment is necessary to show:

  1. CIE form for adults, or CIE form for minors, filled out but not signed
  2. 1 picture, printed on photo paper and in passport-picture format
  3. Payment of consular fees for $ 25.80 in cash or USPS money order. Please check that the total equals the Tabella Consolare (Estratto tabella consolare): row “Rilascio Carta d’identità elettronica, art 28C (A+B)” and column “USD arrot.”. Please note that the consular fees change every three months on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st
  4. (*) The previous Carta d’Identità Cartacea or Elettronica (valid or expired), if held. Please be aware that the previous Carta d’Identità will be revoked on the day of the appointment
  5. (*) State Driver License or State ID, if over 18
  6. (*) All passports, valid or expired
  7. Proof of US legal residence (US visa, permanent resident card, employment authorization card, etc), if held
  8. US naturalization certificate, if naturalized
  9. If none of the (referred to in points 4, 5, 6) document is valid, it is mandatory to come to the appointment with two witnesses (holding a valid ID) who are not family members and who can witness the identity of the applicant
  10. In case of lost or theft of a valid Carta d’Identità (CIC o CIE), it’s necessary to report the lost/theft to the local police office and show the police report at the appointment

During the appointment the documentation will be checked, and the biometrics will be taken (picture and, for the over 12, fingerprints and signature). The picture taken at the consulate will be showed on the CIE.
A temporary paper CIE will be issued at the appointment.

Delivery and activation

The plastic CIE card will be issued in Italy by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato and shipped with certifed mail to the applicant’s residential address.
To get the CIE digital identity, it is necessary to register and activate the CIE. Residents abroad must activate the CIE at level 3.
For more detailed information on delivery and activation download the file (coming soon).

Lost, Theft, or Deterioration

In case of lost or stolen Carta d’Identità (CIC o CIE) that is still valid, before booking an appointment, it’s necessary:

  • To report the lost/theft to the local police office
  • To collect the police report. The report must include the full name and the number of the lost/stolen Carta d’Identità (CIC o CIE)