Good Afternoon,
I am a US citizen and am planning a trip to Italy in June 2026. I will be landing and beginning my trip in Rome. I have an issue with my fingerprints and have recently had a tough time getting a usable set of fingerprints to start a new job. I had to repeat them 4 times and finally had to have my background check done another way. I am very concerned that I will be denied entry to Rome because of this issue. Is there something I can do ahead of time to prepare for this? Will another form of background check with my passport be sufficient? Should I call an American Embassy or an Italian Consulate?
Any information that may help me with this will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!!
Joanna
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7085 posts
You aren't unique in having difficulty getting clear finger prints. Far from it. Passport Control has alternate procedures when this fails, Nothing for you to do in advance.
Posted by
874 posts
No. You might experience a delay if the machine doesn't clearly read your prints, but that would just flag you for a human to come verify that you are who you are. Your passport would clear that up; assuming you look the same as the picture.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
9248 posts
You will not be denied entry.
This is the process they use (if it is operational)... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4K3zIAjYNUw?feature=share
I have seen where if they do not get enough prints off the right hand you use your left. They are not looking for all prints, just a couple, probably not high resolution (like with a security check).
Worst case, if they can not get a good image, you see an actual person, and they resolve the issue.
I'll be interested myself, I am missing parts of two fingers, bad prints on another.
Posted by
Colorado
12 posts
We went to Rome in November and experienced this. My daughter is a rock climber and has apparently worn off her fingerprints. They just send you to a different machine and then a different line. I actually didn't see how she got through as I had my own issues with the fingerprint machine. For me, they eventually gave up and just waved me through. There seemed to be a lot of glitches and the employees were not very bothered by any of it, at least when we were passing through.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
16835 posts
You've gotten great advice from others!
When I did my Global Entry interview a number of years ago the Agent was chatting as he was waiting for a computer program to launch. He said that older people have a more difficult time with fingerprints and recommended I try to hydrate on the flight and NOT to use hand lotion until after I'd been thru.
As everyone says, this will not be a new situation for the Border control folks in Rome. They will have a way to work this out!