Italian Genealogy: Unlocking Passport Collections in Archives

Italian passport records are a hidden gem for family historians researching Italian ancestors. Issued by local or national authorities, these records often include detailed personal information such as birthplaces, occupations, physical descriptions, and destinations. Whether your ancestors left Italy in the 1800s or early 1900s, passport applications and registers can help confirm identities, track migration patterns, and fill in gaps between civil and church records. This presentation explores the Italian passport process, where these records are housed, and how to locate and use them in your own research. We’ll look at examples from various time periods and Italian archives, including Naples, Genoa, Treviso, and more. Learn how to access these collections both in person and remotely, what is online and what is not, tips for navigating Italian archive websites, using search tools, and drafting request letters in Italian.