Pickpocketed in Rome? Lost your passport? Here's what to do in the first hour — and why the police report matters more than the stolen items.
Plan your Italy trip →If your phone was stolen: use another device to change passwords (email, bank, social media) and remotely wipe/lock the phone (Find My iPhone / Find My Device). If credit cards were taken: call your bank immediately to block them. Most banks have 24/7 international numbers on the back of the card — if you don't have the card, search online.
Go to the nearest Questura (police headquarters) or Commissariato (police station). You need to file a denuncia — an official police report. This document is CRITICAL for: insurance claims, replacing stolen passports, disputing fraudulent credit card charges, and proving the theft happened. Without it, your insurance company will deny your claim.
Bring your passport (or a copy if that's what was stolen). Describe what happened, when, where. The officers will type a report in Italian — you'll sign it and receive a copy. Some stations have English-speaking officers; if not, use Google Translate or ask for an interpreter.
If your passport was stolen, go to your country's embassy or consulate with: the police report (denuncia), any ID you have, passport photos (photo booths at train stations work). They'll issue an emergency travel document. US Embassy Rome: Via Veneto 121. UK Embassy Rome: Via XX Settembre 80a.
Some Italian police districts now allow filing a denuncia online for non-violent thefts (pickpocketing, bag snatching without injury): denunceonline.poliziadistato.it. You'll still need to go to a station to sign, but the form is pre-filled, saving time.
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