In his remarks, Rubagotti reiterated the consulate’s role as a service provider for the Italian community through the delivery of consular services.
He described 2025 as a particularly significant year, noting that for the first time the Sydney consular district surpassed 60,000 registered Italians.
He added that registrations were around 30,000 in the early 2000s, reached 50,000 in 2019 and have increased by 20 per cent since the period following Covid.
Among the figures presented, Rubagotti also highlighted passport issuance: for the first time, the consulate issued more than 5000 passports in a single year.
Rubagotti said the result was made possible by the daily work of consular staff managing steadily rising demand.
A further increase was recorded in the visa sector. Rubagotti explained that while two years ago the Consulate issued around 900 visas, in 2025 the number rose to more than 2000.
He noted these visas allow, among other things, Australian citizens and other foreign residents to travel to Italy for study, work or tourism.
The meeting also covered reacquisition of citizenship, made possible by recent legislative changes. Rubagotti said the consulate has handled a high number of reacquisition applications and reminded attendees that the opportunity will remain open until December 31, 2027.
The Consulate has also held information sessions regarding this at community venues including Club Marconi and the Canada Bay Club.
Rubagotti also drew attention to consular assistance provided in sensitive situations, such as cases involving Italian citizens in hospital, in prison or detained by local authorities.
He said the consulate dealt with an average of a couple of cases per month in 2025, stressing that these are often complex matters.
Significant attention was also given to overseas voting. With a referendum expected this year, Rubagotti urged Italian nationals to update their residential address, noting that many ballot packs are returned due to outdated details.
He added that, as in previous years, voters will be able to request a duplicate from the consulate, which will remain open over the weekend before voting.
Alongside consular services, Rubagotti also highlighted several initiatives delivered in 2025 as part of the consulate’s cultural and scientific promotion work.
These included an event focused on bilateral cooperation in the space sector, and an exhibition that brought four 19th-century Neapolitan works to Sydney as part of a broader effort to showcase the contribution of Italian artists to Australia’s cultural history.
Looking ahead, the Rubagotti flagged the continuation of several initiatives launched in recent years, including an event with the University of Sydney and the Italian Cultural Institute on dialects in Italian cinema.
He also announced an Easter concert featuring Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, expected around March, and new activities in Wollongong, where the Consulate will take part for the first time in a Carnevale event scheduled for Sunday, February 22.
The briefing concluded with a summary of the consulate’s main activities in 2025 and a commitment to further strengthening consular services and cultural initiatives in support of the Italian community in New South Wales.
