Need to register with police and have any extra stamps?

Hi Elizabeth. You don't say where you read this, but no, neither of these are needed. Enjoy your trip!

I think the "register with the police" bit is the reason why each hotel will ask you for your passport. I believe they take care of it for you.

used to be a regulation and probably still is in many European countries and the former soviet bloc but in all my experience of 100's of stays in hotels all over Europe amd the former soviet bloc there has never been a need to register, your hotel or accommodation should take note of your passport and may ask for your home address and that's it, no need to do anything else

http://www.esteri.it/mae/it/ministero/servizi/stranieri/ingressosoggiornoinitalia/soggiorno_stranieri_in_italia.html

If you stay in Italy no more than 90 days, you do not need a "permesso di soggiorno" (residence permit) - this covers most tourists. If you have an Italian visa for more than 90 days, you have to address police within 8 days from your arrival for the permesso di soggiorno.

You still need to be registered with police. If you come from a non-Schengen country, the registration is the stamp on your passport. If you come from a Schengen country, the registration at your hotel is good as a registration with police.

Thank you, everyone!

If you read Italian detective novels, you'll see this is how they track down and identify bodies that turn up.

When you check into your hotel they will take your passports to make copies of them. This information is forwarded to the police, which is the law. I'm sure this is what the document you read is talking about. You don't need to go down to the station or anything like that, your hotel will take care of it for you.

As for the "bollo", I have no idea what that is. Just be sure to carry your passport with you at all times, it's the law in Italy too.

Donna

If you are staying in a very small hotel/inn or a holiday apartment, I would suggest taking photo copies each passport in your party. This makes for an easier and quicker check-in. If the place doesn't have a working copy machine, they may ask to hold your passport until they can get you registered with the local authorities. Having the photo copies (one for each person and place you are staying) will usually prevent the need to leave your passport with them.

What the heck is your source for that information? It's so wrong that I wouldn't rely on it to be accurate for anything.

Your hotel will make a copy of your passport to register your address. When I've stayed in Italian apartments the host has asked us to bring copies of our passports for that purpose. This isn't a requirement in The UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Czech Republic, or Austria. I'd don't know about elsewhere. But don't worry about, you'll hardly be aware of it.

Actually, at least until a few years ago, when you entered Italy they put a little paper inside tour passport that said you had to hesitate with the police on the first 48 hours of your stay. I know that hotels do that for you, as should Airbnb owners, but her source was not wrong, the little paper said that!

I've been coming to Italy for over 10 years now and can't remember a single time when I was given a piece of paper stating to check in with the police. This must have been a very long time ago.

Anyway, hotels, apartments and villas will do this for you when you check in. Some larger places may ask for this information before you get there in order to speed up the check in process.

donna

MR, we've been traveling to Italy since 2003. We've never been given that slip of paper telling us to register with the police.

we are in Italy right now each place we have stayed has either taken a photo or written down our passport info and told us it was for the police. we have stayed at AirBnB/VRBO and a villa. we have also needed to pay a VAT tax typically it's in cash when you arrive at your lodging and the rate depends on the city. I think it's for the first 3 nights per person -children are usually less. we have paid a coupl euro per person on average. Rome was the most expensive I believe at over $5 eur per person. the rates are listed on one of their govt sights and you can get a receipt if you want/need.

That daily charge depends also on the lodging. You pay more for staying at a five star than a two star.

Maybe it depends on where you're coming from then... I got the little paper in 2005, 2009 my husband and our friends got it, and my family got it when they came to visit me in 2011 and 2013... None of us are from the us, so maybe if you needed a visa to enter, then you have this extra step? I don't know...

I've never gotten the paper. But you are indeed required to register. Hotels and apartment hosts take care of this. I suppose it might be a thing you have to do for yourself if you visit family, or stay long term.