It is part of the way things are done in Italy. The hotel has to report your details to the police. If the front desk is busy, they will want to hold the passport for a short time until they can take the details. There is no risk: many thousands of passports are handled this way every day.

In Italy, it is a strict legal requirement under the "Testo Unico delle Leggi di Pubblica Sicurezza" (TULPS) for all hospitality providers to register guests with the local police (Questura) within 24 hours of arrival. This is done via the Alloggiati Web portal. Hotels take your passport to accurately transcribe your full name, birth date, nationality, and document number. While many modern hotels in 2026 will simply scan the passport and return it immediately, some smaller or busier establishments may hold it for a few hours to complete the administrative work during peak check-in times. This process is essentially a security measure to track the movement of foreign nationals and ensure public safety. You should never feel alarmed by this request, but it is a good practice to ask for your document back as soon as the photocopies or digital scans are completed to ensure you have it for other identification needs.