How to Notify the US Embassy in Italy After a Death

Who to Call and When

Report the death to the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate General as soon as possible — ideally within the first 24 hours. ACS officers are available around the clock for emergency calls involving the death of a U.S. citizen.

If you are calling from the United States and do not know which Italian consular district applies, start with the Bureau of Consular Affairs emergency line:

• From the U.S.: 1-888-407-4747
• International: +1 202-501-4444

They will route you to the correct office in Italy based on where the death occurred.

The Four Consular Districts

Italy's U.S. diplomatic presence is split across four offices, each covering specific regions:

U.S. Embassy Rome — Lazio, Abruzzo, Sardinia, Umbria, Marche Phone from Italy: +39 06-46741 | From the U.S.: 011-39-06-46741

U.S. Consulate General Milan — Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Liguria, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Phone from Italy: +39 02-290351 | From the U.S.: 011-39-02-290351

U.S. Consulate General Florence — Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna Phone from Italy: +39 055-266-951

U.S. Consulate General Naples — Campania, Sicily, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, Molise Phone from Italy: +39 081-583-8111 | From the U.S.: 011-39-081-583-8111 Email: uscitizensnaples@state.gov

The consulate covering the region where the death occurred processes your case. A death in Venice goes to Milan; a death in Palermo goes to Naples. If your loved one was transferred to a hospital in a different region before passing, it is the region of death — not the region of the initial incident — that determines jurisdiction.

What the Consular Officer Will Do

Once you make contact, the ACS officer opens a case file and provides several forms of support:

• Maintains a list of vetted local funeral homes that work with English-speaking families. The officer can share this list so you are not choosing a provider blind.
• Coordinates with Italian judicial authorities if the death triggered a prosecutor's investigation — monitoring autopsy progress and relaying updates to the family.
• Initiates the e-CRODA process (the electronic Consular Report of Death Abroad), which is the U.S. federal death record you will need for banks, insurers, probate courts, and the Social Security Administration.
• Helps notify next of kin in the United States if the family does not yet know.
• Inventories and secures personal effects if no family member is present in Italy to collect them.

What the Consulate Cannot Do

Understanding these limits up front prevents days of frustration waiting for help that will not come:

• Cannot take custody of the remains. You must hire a licensed Italian funeral director (onoranze funebri) to handle the body.
• Cannot pay funeral, cremation, or repatriation costs. All expenses are the family's responsibility. The consulate can facilitate a wire transfer from your U.S. bank to an Italian provider, but they do not advance funds.
• Cannot investigate the cause of death. That authority belongs to the Italian prosecutor (Procura della Repubblica) and local police (Carabinieri or Polizia di Stato).
• Cannot act as a lawyer, translate documents, or represent the estate in Italian court.

What to Have Ready When You Call

The ACS intake goes faster if you can provide:

• The deceased's full legal name and date of birth
• Their U.S. passport number (or last known location of the passport)
• The city or region in Italy where the death occurred
• The name and contact details of the hospital, hotel, or local authority that notified you
• Your relationship to the deceased and your own identification details

If you are managing this from the United States while also coordinating repatriation, insurance claims, and Social Security benefits, the American Dies in Italy Family Emergency Guide sequences every step across both countries so you know exactly what to do and in what order.