Bring a valid passport or identity card for every person staying, children included. By Italian law the host must check each guest's document and send the guest's details to the police within 24 hours of arrival, so you cannot be lodged without one.
This is not a rule invented by the apartment: it comes from article 109 of the Italian public security law (TULPS) and applies to hotels, B&Bs and short-term rentals alike. We read the Polizia di Stato's Alloggiati Web portal and the guidance published by Questure on 6 October 2026.
What documents are accepted
The law allows lodging only to people holding an identity card or another valid identity document. Guidance published on the Polizia di Stato website says that for foreign guests a passport or equivalent document is sufficient. For an overview of what else you need when you arrive in a new country, see our Italy setup checklist. Visa and entry rules are separate and depend on your nationality: check them with your embassy or the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs before you fly.
What the host sends to the police
The host uses the national Alloggiati Web portal, run by the Polizia di Stato. The portal manual lists the fields for each guest:
| Information | Notes |
|---|---|
| Surname and first name, sex, date of birth | As on the document |
| Place of birth and citizenship | For guests born abroad, the country |
| Document type, number and place of issue | For example passport or identity card |
| Arrival date and number of days of stay | The number of days you declare on arrival |
The deadline
The host must send the data within 24 hours of arrival. The portal home page says that for stays shorter than 24 hours the details go in at arrival, and the portal manual gives a six-hour limit. Hosts therefore ask for your documents around the time of arrival, not at the end of the stay.
Children, families and groups
Everyone must be identified. The Polizia di Stato FAQ explains that the portal allows a simplified entry for families and groups, where the document details are filled in only for the head of the family or group. That does not remove the host's duty to have checked a valid document for each person.
Self check-in and remote check-in
Guidance from the Questura di Piacenza (updated December 2024) says the host must check in person that the document matches the person who occupies the apartment. It adds that remote check-in procedures through digital tools, automatic access codes or key boxes do not satisfy the obligation on their own, citing a circular of the Ministry of the Interior. Hosts handle this in different ways, so ask yours what they need from you before you travel.
On this site, self check-in instructions are sent 24 hours before arrival by email and the guest portal (see the FAQ). If you booked with us and are unsure what we need from you or from your travel companions, write to us on WhatsApp at +39 081 1818 7816 or at booking@cosmicagroup.space before you arrive.
What happens to your data
The data goes to the police only for public security purposes. The Questura guidance says the host must delete the digital data once the receipt has been obtained and keep the receipts for five years.
A checklist before you travel
- One valid passport or ID card for each guest, adults and children.
- The details of any guest who arrives later than you, if the host asks.
- Your arrival time, so the host can meet the 24-hour deadline.
- Cash or a card for the city tax: see tourist tax in Milan and Naples.
Ready to book? Browse the apartments. For house rules and what to expect, read our Italian apartment etiquette guide.
Sources read on 6 October 2026: Polizia di Stato Alloggiati Web portal, its FAQ and manual (manual dated January 2022), and Questura guidance published on questure.poliziadistato.it. Rules can change.
Frequently asked questions
Do children need an ID document to check in?
Yes. The Polizia di Stato FAQ says everyone in a family or group must be identified, because the law allows lodging only to people holding an identity card or another valid document. The host may enter a family under the head of the family in the portal, but the host must still have checked each person.
Is a passport enough for a non-Italian guest?
Yes. The Questura guidance says that for foreign guests showing a passport or an equivalent document is sufficient.
Do I have to sign a form or a privacy notice?
No signature is needed for the data the host must send to the police by law. The Polizia di Stato FAQ says the guest does not have to sign any consent for this registration.
How long does the host keep my data?
The Questura guidance says hosts must delete the digital data they sent as soon as they have the receipt from the system, and keep the receipts for five years.
Does this apply to short-term rentals booked online?
Yes. Law 132/2018 extended the obligation to landlords who rent for less than thirty days, including bookings made through websites. It applies to hotels, B&Bs and apartments alike.