Exiting Italy on a British passport as a dual citizen

Question

My son (age 18) and I are due to travel to England in one week. We are dual British-Italian citizens, and we have valid British passports, and valid Italian ID cards. These last 8 years, we have exited and entered Italy with our British passports when travelling between the UK and Italy. We show them and our Italian ID card and they don't stamp our British passport. We have never been questioned or stopped and on asking a border policeman in 2022 we were told this was possible.

Just yesterday, I found a gov.uk.update saying that Italy "recommends"(not obliges), that dual citizens use their Italian passports. On reading the Italian government websites, "questura" websites and forums, I'm finding conflicting information and I'm worried that I could be denied boarding next week. I don't have time to get my Italian passport.

I even phoned the border police in Milan who confirmed I had actually been doing things wrong these last years. However, she said that if I book an appointment for the Italian passport, they may well let me board even IF they stop me.

Many sources say it's at the airport's discretion. I will definitely get an Italian passport now I know, but I doubt I can get one in time for this flight. Has anyone heard of cases of dual nationals being denied boarding with just a British passport? How could I get a passport or piece of paper in time to travel by next Tuesday? Both our British passports and Italian ID card are valid, surely we're not illegal, I don't understand.

The authorities here in Italy have provided me with conflicting information:

1. The Questura said that they can not deny me boarding if I'm travelling with a valid passport but maybe they can stop me and I would have a warning and would have to explain.
2. The border police in Milan have told me that it is in fact the rule that I MUST exit and leave with an Italian passport and I'm not allowed to exit or enter Italy with the British one if I'm also an Italian citizen. The ministero website doesn't seem to have any clear information on the question, I've searched through it. I have also read that it was "at the discretion of the airport" if I'm stopped. I have no time to get an Italian passport now, so will have to hope that I go through like I have done these last 8 years. I'm now applying to get the Italian passport but if you start to look on the various authority sites , the main idea is you MUST enter and exit with Italian passport. Neither are you allowed to use a different passport for the border control to that used for the booking,which many people are doing. Controls are likely to change with ETIAS in November. It would be great to find an Italin govt. source stating the rules more clearly. Below are some links if anyone wants to check up on this before being caught out:

https://italiancitizenshipassistance.com/traveling-as-a-dual-citizen-with-two-passports/

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements

I am still flummoxed as to how I can be denied passing border control on a valid passport (even if not European) and a valid Italian ID card. However, the border police I phoned in Milan was very clear and severe about it and said sooner or later I'll be stopped, so thought I'd send a warning.

Answer 1

There must be some confusion here.

You can use your Italian ID cards, you don’t need an Italian passport. The confusion may come from the fact that you should use some form of Italian ID (passport or national ID card) rather than the British passport when dealing with the Italian authorities. But a national ID card is enough, no need for an Italian passport.

You’ll need the UK passport to travel to the UK, though.

The general rule for dual citizens is that they should use the ID (passport or ID card) of the country they’re entering, staying in, or exiting.

This applies to border control. Use passport or ID of country A when entering or exiting country A and ditto for country B.

When flying, the airline will also usually ask for ID. Use the ID of the destination country in those cases.

So it should go like this, from Italy to the UK:

• Booking, check-in, gate: use British passport
• Italian exit passport control: Italian national ID card
• UK passport control: British passport

The other way around:

• Booking, check-in, gate: use Italian ID card
• (no UK exit passport control)
• On arrival in Italy, use Italian ID card at border control

In some cases someone may be puzzled and ask about the other ID, just show it to them if they ask. For instance, we’ve had reports that Italian exit border control may warn you if you use an ID card and not a passport, because most people can’t use an ID card to enter the UK. But that doesn't prevent you from exiting Italy with your Italian ID card.

Note that while for now the risk when travelling to Italy is limited, things will become more complex when the EES and more importantly ETIAS come into play: if you travelled to Italy using your UK passport, you would require an ETIAS, which you’re not supposed to get as an Italian national… The converse is already true for travel to the UK since the introduction of ETA (that’s why you should use your UK passport when dealing with the airline flying to the UK).

The ID you provide to the airline does not need to be the one you'll use at exit passport control at the origin. It should match the one you'll use at the destination, and in some cases it actually needs to (when there's an ESTA/ETA/ETIAS required at the destination for people who aren't citizens or residents or don't have a visa).

The confusion probably comes from the fact that most people are not dual nationals, and while an ID card is sufficient to exit Italy, a passport is usually required to enter other countries, including the UK now. But since you have a UK passport for that, the Italian ID card is enough to exit Italy, you don't need an Italian passport for that.