In short. If your residence permit is lost or stolen, report it at a police office and then ask for a duplicate. The most common permits use the post office kit: Form 1, a photocopy of your passport and a copy of the police report. The Immigration Portal lists a €30.46 payment slip and no contribution, plus a revenue stamp and postage. If you lose it abroad, you normally need a re-entry visa.
Here you will find the steps for a duplicate request, the documents, the costs listed by the official sources and the special cases: travel, loss abroad and other types of document.
Reviewed 4 November 2026. These are general rules, not personalised advice: documents, amounts and offices can change and depend on your type of permit. The official sources listed at the end were consulted on 4 November 2026; check them again before you pay or hand in your application.
What should I do first if my residence permit is lost or stolen?
Start with a police report. Go to an office of one of the Italian police forces, such as the Polizia di Stato or the Carabinieri, and declare the loss or theft. Give the type of permit and, if you know them, its number and expiry date, plus where and when you lost it. A photocopy or phone photo of the permit makes this easier.
Ask for a copy of the report and keep the original safe. The Ministry of the Interior’s Immigration Portal (Portale Immigrazione, in Italian) lists a photocopy of the report among the documents for a duplicate. A permit in the wrong hands could be used by someone else, so report the loss at once.
How do I apply for a duplicate?
The Portale has two duplicate requests: code 11 for the residence card (carta di soggiorno) and code 12 for the residence permit. For the most widespread permit types you apply with the postal kit, at a post office offering the “Sportello Amico” service. A few permits are handled only by the Questura, the provincial police headquarters (see below). The steps on the Portale’s procedure page are these.
- Collect the yellow-banded kit from any post office. It holds the forms, instructions, a payment slip and an envelope. The Portale has a search tool for the offices that accept applications.
- Fill in Form 1 (Modulo 1). An authorised Patronato or municipality can help you free of charge. If you fill in the kit by hand, you can first register on the Portale, on its “Compilazione Dati Ricevuta” page; the registration lasts 15 days, and you must complete the procedure at the post office within that time.
- Photocopy your documents and pay the revenue stamp and the payment slip, as set out below.
- Sign the form and hand it in with the envelope open, showing your passport or an equivalent document. An unsigned application is not examined.
- Keep the post office receipt. It shows two codes, the Codice Assicurata and the Codice Ologramma, which let you follow your file in the Portale’s reserved area.
- Wait for the Questura’s letter with your appointment at the Immigration Office, for the photo and fingerprints (where required) and the handover of the new document. Take the second payment receipt. The Portale also says to bring 4 passport-size photos with a white background to the appointment; it does not say whether this applies to a duplicate, so read the letter carefully. If no appointment is free straight away, you are summoned later by registered letter.
Which documents do I need?
For codes 11 and 12 the Portale’s page lists three documents. The kit also asks for the payment receipts.
| Document | What the Portale says | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Form 1 postal kit |
Application completed and signed by the person concerned. | An unsigned application is not examined. |
| Passport Portale table no. 4 |
Photocopy of the whole passport or of another equivalent document. | If the passport was lost too, the Portale does not say how to proceed: ask the Questura and your consulate. The equivalent documents include the travel document for foreigners. |
| Police report police forces |
Photocopy of the report of theft or loss. | Keep the original with you. |
| Payment receipts postal kit |
One goes in the application; the other is shown when you are summoned. | Do not lose them: you need one at the Questura. |
If your passport is missing as well, see also our guide to the travel document for foreigners.
How much does a duplicate cost?
The Portale’s cost table (last updated 22 July 2024) lists these items.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue stamp marca da bollo |
€16.00 | Sold at tobacconists and wherever revenue stamps are sold. |
| Producing the permit payment slip in the kit |
€30.46 | For a duplicate, an update or a conversion it is the only slip listed. |
| Poste Italiane postage at the counter |
€30.00 | The Portale calls it “costo spedizione” (postage cost). Paid when the office accepts the application. |
| Contribution issue and renewal |
Not provided for | For a duplicate the table says the contribution is “non previsto” (not provided for). |
Some worked examples on the same page contain typing errors, so confirm the figures on the kit or at the counter before paying. For a comparison with renewal, see our renewal guide.
What does the receipt prove, and can I work or travel while I wait?
The post office receipt proves that you filed the application and lets you follow it online. Neither the Portale’s pages nor the rules we consulted say what a duplicate receipt allows in terms of work and travel, or that it replaces the permit. Article 5(9-bis) of Legislative Decree 286/1998 governs the wait for the issue, renewal or conversion of a permit, with the receipt of the request; the text does not name a duplicate.
One point is clear: when the police ask, you must show your passport and your residence permit, or another document proving that you are lawfully in Italy (Article 6(3) of Legislative Decree 286/1998). Until you receive the duplicate, carry your passport, the police report and the receipt.
For trips abroad, Article 8 of Presidential Decree 394/1999 matters. On return you show your passport and a valid permit, and if the document is missing because it was lost or stolen, the rules provide for a re-entry visa. The text does not mention a receipt for a duplicate. Before you book a trip or sign a contract, ask the Questura to confirm. The rules on renewal receipts are in our guides to travelling with a receipt and working with a receipt; they cover a different situation.
What if the permit is lost or stolen abroad?
The route is the re-entry visa. Article 8(4) of Presidential Decree 394/1999 says that a foreigner without a residence document, because it was lost or stolen, must apply to the competent Italian diplomatic or consular office and attach a copy of the police report. The visa is issued after a check that the Questura’s decision on the stay exists. The interministerial decree of 11 May 2011 (Annex A, point 12) refers in this case to the Questura’s clearance (nulla osta).
Consulates publish their own lists of documents, which can differ and which some call indicative. Typically they ask for an application form, your passport, a photo, the fee receipt and the police report. Some, such as the embassy in Astana, want the report from the local authorities, translated and apostilled; others, such as the embassy in Bogotá, provide a form to declare the loss. Timing also depends on the Questura’s reply, and a complete application does not guarantee that the visa is issued. See our guide to the re-entry visa and your own consulate’s page.
How does it work for EU long-term permits and other documents?
The Portale lists a duplicate among the requests accepted at post offices for the EU long-term residence permit (code 09) and for the electronic card for family members of EU citizens (code 35). Its pages give no instructions beyond the general ones above. The Portale also lists “Familiari cittadini U.E.” among the requests handled only by the Questura, so for the card of EU citizens’ family members ask the Questura which channel applies to a duplicate. For these documents, see our guides to the EU long-term residence permit and the residence card for family members of EU citizens.
Some requests are handled only by the Questura, as the Portale states. They include medical treatment, temporary protection, special cases, investors, digital nomads, working holiday and a permit expired for more than 60 days. For a duplicate of these documents, do not assume the kit is available: ask the Questura. If your permit has expired, see our guide to the expired residence permit; for an overview, see the types of Italian residence permit.
What if the permit is damaged or has a mistake?
The Portale’s duplicate page speaks of theft and loss. Its pages and the rules we consulted do not describe a procedure for a damaged permit or for a mistake made at issue, so we cannot state one with certainty. Contact the Immigration Office of the Questura (normally the one for the province where you live), take the document and your passport, and ask which request to file.
If your details have changed instead (new passport, new address, personal data, a child born in Italy), the request is an “update” (aggiornamento), not a duplicate. The documents are on the Portale’s page on updates, and its cost table lists the same €30.46 slip with no contribution.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I report a lost residence permit?
At an office of one of the Italian police forces, for example the Polizia di Stato or the Carabinieri. The Immigration Portal lists a photocopy of the report among the documents for a duplicate, together with Form 1 and a photocopy of your passport or an equivalent document.
How much does a duplicate of the residence permit cost?
The Immigration Portal lists a €30.46 payment slip for a duplicate, with no contribution. A €16 revenue stamp is added, plus €30 for postage, paid when the post office accepts the application. The figures come from a table last updated on 22 July 2024, so check them before paying.
Can I travel abroad while I wait for the duplicate?
Neither the Portale nor the rules we consulted say that a duplicate receipt counts as a permit. Article 8 of Presidential Decree 394/1999 requires a valid permit on return and, if it is lost or stolen, provides for a re-entry visa. Ask the Questura to confirm before you leave.
What should I do if I lose my permit while I am abroad?
Apply for a re-entry visa at the competent Italian consulate, attaching a copy of the police report. The visa is issued after the Questura’s decision on your stay has been checked and, under the decree of 11 May 2011, with its clearance. Timing is not guaranteed and varies between consulates.
Official sources
- Codes 11 and 12: duplicate of the residence card and permit – Ministry of the Interior, Portale Immigrazione (Italian text)
- Cost tables – Ministry of the Interior, Portale Immigrazione (Italian text)
- The postal kit procedure – Ministry of the Interior, Portale Immigrazione (Italian text)
- General information on the kit (PDF) – Ministry of the Interior, Portale Immigrazione (Italian text)
- Types of request for non-EU citizens – Ministry of the Interior, Portale Immigrazione (Italian text)
- Presidential Decree 394/1999, Article 8 on leaving and re-entry – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Interministerial decree of 11 May 2011 on entry visa types – Ministry of Foreign Affairs with other ministries, copy on the Ministry of Labour website (Italian text)
- Re-entry visa, an example of a consular page – Consulate General of Italy in Paris (Italian text)
How can SH Immigration Specialists help?
SH Immigration Specialists offers administrative help to prepare a duplicate request, check your documents and work out which office and procedure apply to your type of permit. Legal advice, appeals and representation are handled by the lawyers of SH Immigration Specialists. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. For an assessment, contact us.
This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
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Which other guides may help you?
- Italian re-entry visa: when you need it and how to get it
- Travelling with a Residence Permit Receipt in Italy: Full Guide
- Working with your residence permit receipt in Italy: rules for workers and employers
- Residence Permit Renewal in Italy: When, Costs and Documents (2026)
- Travel Document for Foreigners in Italy and Renewal Without a Passport
- Expired residence permit in Italy: what to do, late renewal and risks
- EU Long-Term Residence Permit in Italy: Validity, Renewal and Time Abroad
