The Italian Consulate General in Porto Alegre recorded record numbers in 2025. The agency confirmed a record in passport issuance and in the total number of Italian citizens residing in Rio Grande do Sul.
In total, 15.641 new passports were issued. This volume represents an increase of almost 10% compared to the 14.238 documents released. in the year 2024.
The number of Italian citizens recognized by the State also increased. The total reached... 135.665 peopleThis represents a 9% increase compared to the 124.495 registrations from the previous year.
In an interview with the newspaper Zero HoraConsul General Valerio Caruso stated that the results stem from closer ties between diplomacy and the community. "Everyone knows what the consulate's situation was like, with a two-year wait for passport processing. Today, the average is 15 days from the moment the application is submitted," Caruso explained.
The consul linked the increased productivity to the celebrations of 150 years of immigration"This was no ordinary year, as it marked the 150th anniversary of immigration, which allowed for a closer relationship between the State and Italy and increased participation, requiring greater productivity in the consulate's work," he told the newspaper.
New headquarters in Porto Alegre
The consulate plans to move to its own building in the first half of 2026. The 1.500 square meter building is located on Avenida Loureiro da Silva.
The work should be completed by the end of March. “The work is going very well, and we are very happy. It will be a focal change, as our current headquarters is not adequate to serve a large community like ours, and the goal is to move in April,” said Caruso.
The consul highlighted that the achievement is a recognition of the second largest Italian community in Brazil. "It will be a source of pride to inaugurate the first headquarters owned by the Italian state here in Rio Grande do Sul, as until now it has always been rented," he added.
Impacts of the new legislation
Changes to citizenship laws altered consular procedures in 2025. The agency's current priority has become the registration of minor children.
The deadline for this registration ends on May 31, 2026. “It was a race to organize the registration service for minor children. We had to reorganize our human resources and our work to meet this new objective, which imposed this tight deadline. Our goal is to ensure that everyone can access this service within the established timeframe, and this was the biggest impact of the changes in the law for us,” explained the diplomat.
Regarding the old waiting list, which had 30 names, the consulate adopted a cautious approach. Many applicants no longer meet the new legal criteria.
"Why call people, make them come to Porto Alegre to hand in the documentation and pay the fee, knowing that they wouldn't be entitled to it?", Caruso questioned.
"It's registered and the data isn't lost, but I would say that, at this point, that queue is no longer current, as it was based on old legislation," he concluded.
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Leonardo
January 7, 2026 at 15:32 am
Congratulations to the consul for the work done!