Alitalia RIP?
Things are not looking at all good on the Alitalia Italian national airline front.
Intransigent Italian unions have refused to back down in negotiations aimed at saving Italy’s beleaguered national carrier. The net result is that everyone who works for the company will probably lose their jobs. Nice move unions!
It looks as though Alitalia’s planes will soon be heading for the clouds one last time.
Is this then the last word? Read more
Speed Cameras in Italy
If you are coming to Italy on your holidays this summer, then watch your speed, otherwise you will end up on camera, and this particular snapshot will result in a fine that will drop through your letterbox at some time in the future.
The term for speed camera in Italy is ‘autovelox‘, and the Italian police use both fixed and mobile speed cameras to check that you are staying within the limits.
To help those of you watch your speed, here are some photographs of some of the types of speed camera you will see around Italy. Read more
ID Cards for Children
If, like me, you have an ‘Italian’ child, ie a child that was born in Italy, then it is possible that this child is included on the mother’s passport, assuming that the child is under 18.
What happens though, if the father wants to take the child out of Italy, without the mother?
Well, there is a solution. You can apply for a children’s ID card, and this can then be used to travel within those European countries which have signed the Schengen Agreement. Italian ID cards are also accepted as travel documents in some other countries, such as Egypt for example.
I’ve managed to track down details of the application procedure on the Vice Consulate of Italy, Bedford site. You will need to scroll down to the Italian ID Card section at the end of the page for more information and all the forms you will need.
I do know of a couple who did not bother putting their young one on the mother’s passport, but instead just applied for a children’s ID card. What I do not know is for how long these ID cards are valid.
One other thing you may like to note is that non-Italian citizens, like me, who have an Italian ID card, cannot use their version of the ID card to travel outside of Italy. We still need our passports.
I also believe that the UK and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Agreement, so a full passport is needed to enter these countries.
Rats! The Dog Has no Passport.
The dog can’t go to France after all. His passport is not ready yet.
Yes, that’s right. Dogs who travel within Europe need a passport. The process here in Italy involves a visit to the vet for an anti-rabies jab, followed by an application to the local health authority - ASL - for the requisite document. A photo is not necessary, but you do need to take your animal’s registration document too.
Apparently you need to make an appointment with the health people 21 days after the jab to get the paperwork. You pet should also have either a functioning microchip or a legible tattoo, too.
The anti-rabies jab, the effectiveness of which lasts a year, may set you back 50 Euros or so, and the passport costs around €12 for permission to take dawgs, pussys, and ferrets (?!) to countries within the European Community. If you wish to venture further afield then the cost rises to around €18. Should you wish to visit the UK or Malta, then a further test to ensure that the anti-rabies anticorpuscles are coursing around your pet’s body will be necessary.
In urgent cases, a passport can be expedited, usually at a premium of an extra €7 or so. If you happen to be the proud owner of a Tarantula or Anaconda, I’ve no idea what kind of documentation is required. As for elephants - don’t ask.
Not sure what to do now regarding France. I’ll have to think about it some more.
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