by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: Sandra Savino, Trieste Councilor for Economic Activities; Stefano Avian, Trieste Councilor for Human Resources Policies
A rush to replace paper identity cards has highlighted the city’s uniquely international population, where thousands of expatriates and foreign residents rely on municipal services for travel and everyday life.
TRIESTE, Italy — In a city shaped by borders and migration, a seemingly bureaucratic change has become an international story. Since Aug. 3, paper Italian identity cards are no longer valid for travel within the European Union, forcing residents to obtain the biometric electronic identity card, or Carta d’Identità Elettronica (CIE). The new requirement, introduced under European Union regulations aimed at standardizing secure identity documents, has triggered an unprecedented surge in applications across Italy.
Nowhere is the impact more visible than in Trieste, where one of Italy’s largest expatriate communities has placed additional pressure on local municipal offices.
A city with global ties
Trieste counts 35,390 citizens registered in AIRE, Italy’s registry of nationals living abroad. The figures reflect the city’s historic role as a port and gateway between Central Europe and the Mediterranean.
The largest overseas communities are in Croatia (11,129), followed by Argentina (3,279), Slovenia (2,363), Australia (2,046), Germany (1,768), the United Kingdom (1,762) and the United States (1,751). Thousands more are registered in Switzerland, Spain, France, Brazil and Canada.
For many of those citizens, 2026 brought an important change: beginning in June, Italians registered abroad became eligible to request an electronic identity card directly from any Italian municipality rather than exclusively through consulates, making cities like Trieste a convenient point of service during visits home.
Demand doubles
Municipal offices issued 24,802 electronic identity cards between January and July 2026, compared with 12,270 during the same period in 2025—effectively doubling production.
To keep pace, the city extended office hours, opened additional afternoon appointments and reassigned personnel from other departments. Civic centers also introduced reception staff to help manage the growing number of visitors.
Officials estimate that approximately 11,000 identity cards still need to be replaced, including about 3,000 belonging to foreign residents living in Trieste.
More than a travel document
While the regulation primarily affects international travel, the electronic identity card has become essential for daily life in Italy. It is increasingly required for banking, postal services, digital public administration and pension collection.
Recognizing that not everyone could reach municipal offices, Trieste launched a home-visit program for residents who are bedridden, hospitalized or living in nursing homes. Since January, municipal employees have issued roughly 1,150 electronic identity cards directly at homes and care facilities.
The city has also expanded digital assistance through rotating facilitators who help residents activate the electronic credentials needed to access Italy’s growing range of online public services.
An international municipality
Unlike many Italian cities, Trieste issues electronic identity cards not only to Italian citizens but also to legally resident foreign nationals. Although the document serves primarily as identification within Italy for non-EU residents, it has become an important administrative tool for the city’s diverse international community.
For a municipality where English, Slovene and Croatian are heard alongside Italian in cafés and public offices, the transition to digital identity is more than a technological upgrade—it is another chapter in Trieste’s long history as one of Europe’s most international cities.
