Is a passport required?
'Obbligatorio' — ob-bli-ga-TO-ryo. Stress on the fourth syllable; six syllables total.
Ask before boarding, especially on routes that cross international waters. For routes within Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), an Italian ID card suffices for Italian citizens.
'Obbligatorio' means compulsory or mandatory. It agrees with 'il passaporto' (masculine singular). 'È obbligatorio + infinitive' is a common formal structure: 'È obbligatorio presentarsi un'ora prima' (It is mandatory to check in one hour before). Very useful in formal and travel contexts.
Basta la carta d'identità?
Is an ID card enough?
Check whether a national ID suffices instead of a passport.
Servono documenti per i bambini?
Are documents needed for children?
Children need their own documents on most routes.
Accettate la patente come documento?
Do you accept a driving licence as ID?
A driving licence is generally not accepted as sole travel document.
Routes from Italy to non-EU countries (Tunisia, Albania, Montenegro, Turkey) always require a valid passport. Routes within the EU/Schengen area allow national ID cards for EU citizens. Non-EU travellers always need a passport regardless of route.