Have you lost your ID card and don’t know where to start? Have you just realised that your driving licence or other important documents are no longer in your wallet? Are you worried that someone might misuse your personal information, or do you need to obtain a replacement as quickly as possible? Most importantly, where should you report lost documents in Italy, and what information will you need?
Losing an important document can be stressful, especially if you need it to travel, drive, identify yourself or complete an administrative procedure. However, knowing the correct steps can make the situation much easier to manage.
In this guide, we explain how to report lost documents in Italy, which authorities you may need to contact and what to do after filing a loss report.
Table of Contents
- What to Do When You Lose a Document in Italy
- Where to Report Lost Documents in Italy
- What You Need to Report Lost Documents in Italy
- What to Do If You Lose Your Italian Identity Card
- What to Do If You Lose Your Driving Licence in Italy
- Does a Lost Document Report Count as an ID Document?
- What If You Lose Several Documents at the Same Time?
- Do You Need a Lost Document Report Template?
- What Happens After Reporting a Lost Document?
What to Do When You Lose a Document in Italy
If you lose an important document, the first thing to do is make sure that it is actually missing. This may sound obvious, but checking your bags, car, pockets, home and the last places you visited can save you from starting an unnecessary replacement procedure.
Once you are reasonably certain that the document has been lost, identify exactly what is missing. Losing an Italian identity card, for example, involves different procedures from losing a health card or credit card.
A lost document report in Italy can be particularly important because it formally records what has happened and, where required, allows you to proceed with the subsequent steps needed to obtain a replacement.
Where to Report Lost Documents in Italy
One of the most common questions is where to report lost documents in Italy.
Traditionally, you can report the loss to the competent police authorities. However, Italy now also offers a digital option that can make the process considerably easier in certain situations.
Since July 2026, the Italian State Police (Polizia di Stato) has made its “Denunce online” online reporting service available throughout Italy for reporting the loss of various personal belongings. These include paper and electronic identity cards, debit and credit cards, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, keys and other items covered by the service.
For eligible cases, the loss can be reported through the online portal, and the corresponding official report is made available in the user’s personal area within 96 hours of submission.
This is an important development because people searching online for a lost document report template in Italy or a sample lost document report may find generic forms that do not necessarily correspond to the official procedure required for their particular case.
It is therefore advisable to check the appropriate official procedure rather than simply downloading a generic form found online.
What You Need to Report Lost Documents in Italy
Before filing a report, it is useful to gather as much information as possible about the missing document.
This may include the type of document, the name of the holder, its identification or document number if available, the authority that issued it and any information you can provide about where and when you believe the loss occurred.
The more accurately you can reconstruct the circumstances, the easier it will generally be to complete the report and provide the authorities with the necessary information.
However, the requirements depend on the type of document involved. The procedure for an Italian identity card, for example, is not necessarily the same as the procedure for an Italian driving licence.
What to Do If You Lose Your Italian Identity Card
If you have lost your Italian identity card, it is important to distinguish between the traditional paper identity card and the electronic identity card, known in Italy as the Carta d’Identità Elettronica (CIE).
According to the official instructions for the CIE, in the event of loss or theft you must report it to the Public Security authorities and subsequently provide the report to the relevant municipal office (Comune), together with another identification document.
If you do not have another identification document available, you should contact the Comune directly for instructions on how to proceed.
Once these steps have been completed, you can apply for a new Carta d’Identità Elettronica. A new CIE can be requested when the previous identity card has been lost, stolen or damaged.
There is also a dedicated service for blocking a lost CIE. To request the block, you will need to provide the required information and details of the loss report.
What to Do If You Lose Your Driving Licence in Italy
The procedure is different if you lose your Italian driving licence.
The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport states that, in the event of loss or theft, the holder must report it to the police authorities within 48 hours.
The police will then check whether the driving licence can be replaced directly through the relevant procedure or whether the holder needs to contact the Italian motor vehicle authority, the Motorizzazione Civile.
A temporary driving permit is also issued when applicable. This permit allows you to drive while waiting for the replacement licence, but it is valid only in Italy.
From the moment the temporary permit is issued, the driving licence listed in the loss report is no longer valid. If you subsequently find the original licence, it must be destroyed rather than used again.
Does a Lost Document Report Count as an ID Document?
Another common question is whether a lost document report can be used as an identity document in Italy.
As a general rule, you should not automatically assume that the police report itself can replace the missing identity document for every purpose.
The report essentially provides official evidence that the loss has been declared. It may be required to obtain a replacement document or to complete subsequent administrative procedures, but this does not mean that it has the same function as the original document.
Where Italian regulations provide for a specific temporary document or permit, this is issued according to the procedure applicable to the document concerned.
A good example is a driving licence. After reporting the loss, a temporary driving permit can be issued, allowing the holder to continue driving in Italy while the replacement procedure is completed.
Therefore, if you need to travel, drive, prove your identity at a public office or carry out another official procedure, do not assume that simply showing the loss report will always be sufficient.
What If You Lose Several Documents at the Same Time?
Losing an entire wallet can make the situation more complicated because several important items may disappear at the same time.
For example, you might lose your identity card, driving licence, debit or credit cards and other personal documents together.
The first useful step is to make a precise list of everything that is missing.
If your bank cards or credit card have also been lost, contact the issuing bank or card provider promptly through its official channels and request that the cards be blocked. It is generally better not to wait until all the other administrative procedures have been completed.
You can then deal separately with the replacement of each missing document, checking which Italian authority or administration is responsible for each one.
Do You Need a Lost Document Report Template?
People who want to prepare in advance often search for a sample lost document report in Italy or a lost document report template.
A template can be useful for understanding what information you may need to provide, but a form found online should not automatically be treated as equivalent to the official reporting procedure.
This is particularly important now that certain losses can be reported directly through official online services.
For the cases covered by the Italian State Police’s online system, the official report generated through the platform can then be used for the subsequent procedures provided for by law, including, where applicable, applying for a replacement document.
What Happens After Reporting a Lost Document?
Filing a lost document report in Italy does not necessarily mean that the entire procedure has been completed.
In many cases, the report is only the first step. You will then need to apply for a duplicate or replacement document through the relevant authority.
If you have lost your CIE, for example, after reporting the loss you will need to apply for a new Carta d’Identità Elettronica through the appropriate municipal procedure.
For a lost driving licence, the next steps also depend on whether the licence can be duplicated directly. The procedure may therefore be handled through the police authorities or require further action involving the Motorizzazione Civile.
For this reason, it is advisable to keep the loss report or a copy of it in a safe place, together with any temporary permits or other documents you receive while waiting for the replacement.
Knowing exactly what you have lost, reporting it through the appropriate Italian authorities and following the specific replacement procedure for each document can help you deal with the situation more quickly and avoid unnecessary complications.
This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)