QtBonobo

We are leaving for 10 days next week to the Amalfi Coast. I was surfing through our U.S. Department of State website and found the following paragraph. This is the first I've heard of it. Is it really necessary? Thanks in advance for any input.

"Under Italian law, tourists are required to register with a local police station and obtain a "permesso di soggiorno" (permit to stay) within eight working days of their arrival, regardless of the intended length of stay. Visitors may be required to show police that they have sufficient means of financial support. Credit cards, ATM cards, travelers' checks, prepaid hotel/vacation vouchers, etc. may be evidence of sufficient means."

Eloise

It's a purely bureaucratic formality that does not require any effort whatsoever on your part. When you take a room in a hotel, the hotel asks you to fill out a form; the hotel then registers you with the police. The police takes due notice (or not) of your presence and then throws out the form. Totally nonsensical and totally wonderful in a totally Italian way.

ssachida

Technically yes. Typically your hotel does it for you - thats one of the reasons they make a copy of your passport during check-in.

QtBonobo

Now I get it. We're supposed to provide a copy of our passport to the owner of the apartment we rented. Mystery solved. Thanks!!

ira

>Totally nonsensical and totally wonderful in a totally Italian way.<

IIRC it is standard procedure throughout Europe.

GeoffHamer

Some countries have a legal requirement to register in hotels and other countries do not. It has not been a requirement in Britain for very many years, and is no longer a requirement in France. In Italy, you need to produce evidence of identity when you check into a hotel. All it amounts to is that when you arrive at an Italian hotel, you (or the hotel proprietor) will have to fill in a little form with your passport number, etc, but I doubt whether the police waste their time checking the details.