Searching for Italian passport records

Are you looking for an Italian surname? Do you need more information about your family heritage?
This is the right place to start your genealogy search.
Post Reply
User avatar
Josie07M11
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 122
Joined: 12 Dec 2010, 13:29

Searching for Italian passport records

Post by Josie07M11 »

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for information about where to access passport applications / passport records for my great-grandfather, Paolo Sulfaro and his relatives. He lived in Giardini, Messina and visited America 3x (1906,1909 and 1912) before he was killed in WW1.

I have all the ship manifests, but it would be amazing to also have his passport application. I searched this form and found people discussing passport records on ancestry.com but I can't find any. All passport information are for passports issued by America. I am specifically looking for passports issued by Italy.

Does anyone know if these records exist online? Or if I will need to write to the Archivio di Messina to get it?

Thank you!
User avatar
adelfio
Master
Master
Posts: 9334
Joined: 27 Oct 2010, 13:47
Location: Chicago

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by adelfio »

If you dont have it already he was born in the village of Messina
Index#22
1882 Oct 25th birth record in the town of Cururaci frazione of Messina Paolo Sulfaro son of Giuseppe Sulfaro age 44 and his wife Giuseppa Sulfaro side note says he married Gaetana Serrantino Aug 9th 1908 in Giardini Messina

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cat=624174

http://www.cadutigrandeguerra.it/ShowIm ... bdcRvys%3d

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1887904


Marty
Researching Trabia, Palermo surnames Adelfio, Bondi, Butera, Scardino,Rinella, Scardamaglia

Marty
User avatar
Josie07M11
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 122
Joined: 12 Dec 2010, 13:29

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by Josie07M11 »

Thanks, I already have this information, but I appreciate you trying to help :)
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8458
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by erudita74 »

Passport applications for the Province of Messina are not online, nor does it appear that they will become online at the antenati website. You’ll have to contact the Archivio di Stato di Messina to inquire about your ancestor’s document.

Archivio di Stato di Messina
Via la Farina 293
98124 Messina

E-mail : as-me@beniculturali.it

Here's some background info for you:

Since the unification of Italy, passport applications have been made at the local police station (questura). The records kept by the questura (in the archives of the headquarters of the internal police in each province) are not available to the public. Registri dell’Emigrazione e Passaporti from about 1800 through WWI are preserved in the archivi di stato, with those dated 1869 and later being among the records of the Polizia (police) or Prefettura (Prefect). Passport records since WWI are still in the custody of the questura, where the applications were made. (from Colletta's book Italian Roots)

When applying for a passport, the Italian citizen had to submit a copy of his birth record and a penal certificate showing that he was in good standing with Italian law enforcement. Copies of the documents presented when applying were often brought with the emigrant and usually contain the name of the emigrant, town of birth, age or birth date, the date when applying to emigrate or the date when emigration would be permitted, the port of departure and destination


Erudita
Thomas Codispoti
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 29
Joined: 13 Feb 2020, 16:48

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by Thomas Codispoti »

erudita74 wrote: 29 Apr 2019, 12:58 Passport applications for the Province of Messina are not online, nor does it appear that they will become online at the antenati website. You’ll have to contact the Archivio di Stato di Messina to inquire about your ancestor’s document.

Archivio di Stato di Messina
Via la Farina 293
98124 Messina

E-mail : as-me@beniculturali.it

Here's some background info for you:

Since the unification of Italy, passport applications have been made at the local police station (questura). The records kept by the questura (in the archives of the headquarters of the internal police in each province) are not available to the public. Registri dell’Emigrazione e Passaporti from about 1800 through WWI are preserved in the archivi di stato, with those dated 1869 and later being among the records of the Polizia (police) or Prefettura (Prefect). Passport records since WWI are still in the custody of the questura, where the applications were made. (from Colletta's book Italian Roots)

When applying for a passport, the Italian citizen had to submit a copy of his birth record and a penal certificate showing that he was in good standing with Italian law enforcement. Copies of the documents presented when applying were often brought with the emigrant and usually contain the name of the emigrant, town of birth, age or birth date, the date when applying to emigrate or the date when emigration would be permitted, the port of departure and destination


Erudita
Excellent information as always.
Were passports required for immigration after the unification of Italy?

Thank you
Thomas Codispoti
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8458
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by erudita74 »

Thomas

From 1869 (post Unification), passports were required to leave Italy. This was so the Italian government could exert control over their male population and prevent men who had not served their required military duty from leaving the country and could also ensure that anyone who had been convicted of a crime there did not leave the country. From 1901 through 1904, men were also required to have written consent to leave the country-if married, from their wives; if unmarried, from their mothers. In 1901, Italy even passed a law requiring a medical certificate before a passport would be issued for transoceanic travel. This was to ensure that countries in North and South America, such as the U.S., did not reject emigrants for health reasons, or because they were likely to become public charges. This law remained in effect until 1967.

Erudita
continuo
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 31
Joined: 29 Apr 2019, 15:14

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by continuo »

Thomas, passports were required just to relocate to a different province or even a different town. These kinds of documents existed in some form since Napoleon abolished feudalism.
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8458
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by erudita74 »

continuo wrote: 06 Jun 2020, 18:43 Thomas, passports were required just to relocate to a different province or even a different town. These kinds of documents existed in some form since Napoleon abolished feudalism.
Yes, it's true that pre unification, passports were required to migrate from one region to another in what was to later become the unified nation called Italy. Each region had its own governments, custom houses, coinage, and laws, and a passport, or some kind of travel document, was required to move from one region to another. That is not to say though that passports were not issued for external migration, although they were not required. Individuals who wished to emigrate externally for work, or permanently, often secured passports, not only as means of identification, but also as a means of protection when dealing with the authorities of foreign governments. Post unification though, external passports were still issued, but upon request and with exceptions.* A married woman, for example, could not request a passport to emigrate out of the country, even if her husband had left the country years before and had stopped supporting her and her children. She needed his authorization to emigrate and her passport request was denied. This was true until 1919. In 1901, passports were required for Italian citizens wishing to emigrate, but only for transoceanic travel. Some circumvented the 1901 passport requirement for transoceanic travel by emigrating from ports outside of Italy, as passports were not required to emigrate, even permanently, to other European countries.

*passports were not required to leave Italy in 1869, as I had previously stated in one of my replies in this thread.
continuo
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 31
Joined: 29 Apr 2019, 15:14

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by continuo »

Erudità,
During the ventennio fascista permits were required for internal migration. Laborers caught without them could be (and often were) deported to their region of origin.
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8458
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by erudita74 »

continuo wrote: 18 Jun 2020, 00:37 Erudità,
During the ventennio fascista permits were required for internal migration. Laborers caught without them could be (and often were) deported to their region of origin.
I haven't previously researched the subject of passports during fascism. I did, however, find the following online, which specifically addresses the subject of passports:

"Whereas the first few years of fascism saw the regime continue to champion liberal policies on emigration, after 1925, Italian migration policy shifted focus from external to internal migration. In November 1926, a Public Security Law made all passports held by Italians in Italy invalid. Less than a year later, strict eligibility criteria for new passports were introduced—for example, only individuals with a work contract with an employer who was not a direct relative of the employee could be issued with a new passport. In 1930, fines and penalties were introduced for assisting or engaging in clandestine emigration."

http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads ... 04s02.html

If you have any other specific info to expand this topic, including the names of any books or articles to further explore this subject, that would be helpful.

Thanks
Erudita
continuo
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 31
Joined: 29 Apr 2019, 15:14

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by continuo »

Erudità,

I've seen references to these laws in various books and articles, a few of them even in English. One that pops immediately to mind is "Christ Stopped at Eboli" by Carlo Levi. To be honest though, the real detail of what I know on the subject I got through interviews.

But just to reassure you that I am not simply making all of this up, here is a basic online reference (the relevant section is "Internal migration patterns"):
https://www.britannica.com/place/Italy/ ... t-patterns
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8458
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by erudita74 »

Thank you for sharing the references. I think I own a copy of Carlo Levi's book, but currently all my books are in storage, and I can't access them. Not sure though if I ever got around to reading it. If I did, it was many many years ago, and I am ashamed to admit that I honestly don't recall any details from the book. I also appreciate the link you sent. Other than the link I posted above, last night I just couldn't find anything else online concerning Fascism and the passport issue. When I do research on a subject, I just like to consult as many resources as I can get my hands on. This is a leftover habit from my graduate school days.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing the info that you did. It was new info for me.

Erudita
continuo
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 31
Joined: 29 Apr 2019, 15:14

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by continuo »

OK, here's a bit better reference on which to close the subject. It is from a law book contemporary to the Ventennio:

L'art. 7 della legge 9 aprile 1931, cui fa richiamo il decreto, parla di « spostamento di famiglie per l'impiego in altra provincia »; invece il decreto parla di trasferimento, parola più adatta a significare non il solo atto materiale di cambiare posto, ma di recare altrove il domicilio, la residenza, i diritti, ecc. Ma, a prescindere dal significato letterale e avuto riguardo agli scopi delle disposizioni suaccennate, è a ritenere che «trasferimento» stia a significare, nella specie, il mutamento dell'attività lavorativa da un luogo ad un altro per effetto d'impiego.

Ne consegue che il datore di lavoro non deve assumere da altra provinvia coloni nel proprio fondo,
obbligandosi contrattualmente (impiego), prima d'averne ottenuta l'autorizzazione.

La legge, pertanto, non si preoccupa del solo materiale spostamento della famiglia colonica, ma in special modo dell'eventualità dell'impiego non controllato della mano d'opera in altra provincia, comminando sanzioni penali al solo datore di lavoro, per l'impegno contrattuale indebitamente concluso, mentre per la famiglia colonica non sussistono penalità, ma la facoltà nel commissariato di restituirla al luogo di provenienza, e nulla più.


https://books.google.ca/books?id=po66ofK6BpYC

Good luck in your research. :)
User avatar
mmogno
Master
Master
Posts: 3706
Joined: 14 Mar 2016, 22:29

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by mmogno »

Emilio Lussu: “Che ne sarebbe della civiltà del mondo, se l’ingiusta violenza si potesse sempre imporre senza resistenza?” 🇺🇦 Slava Ukraine! 🇺🇦 🇮🇱תחי ישראל🇮🇱
erudita74
Master
Master
Posts: 8458
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 20:26

Re: Searching for Italian passport records

Post by erudita74 »

Thank you both so much for the references. Yes, I think this thread has gone a tad astray from the original subject matter, and we should put this discussion to rest. Hopefully though some other researcher will find these links useful to them as well. I really appreciate what you have shared with me.
Erudita
Post Reply