VZCZCXRO6498
RR RUEHFL
DE RUEHFL #0019/01 1251414
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051414Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL FLORENCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0493
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH NH
INFO RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0306
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 0546

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FLORENCE 000019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR KCC WILLIAMSBURG KY 
 
STATE FOR CA/FPP 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC SM
SUBJECT: FRAUD SUMMARY (SAN MARINO) 
 
REF: 08 STATE 74840 
 
------------------------ 
Country Conditions 
------------------------ 
 
¶1.  Relations between the United States and the Republic of San 
Marino (RSM) were upgraded in 2006 from Consular to Diplomatic. 
For consular purposes, the republic is within the jurisdiction 
of the Consulate General in Florence for all functions except 
for immigrant visas, which are processed at the Consulate 
General in Naples.  There is also a virtual presence post at 
http://sanmarino.usvpp.gov. The Vice Consul in Florence acts as 
the Fraud Prevention Manager and supervises a fraud prevention 
FSN. 
 
¶2.  With a population of approximately 31,000, San Marino is the 
third smallest state in Europe. The key industries include 
manufacturing, banking and insurance, and public administration. 
 Main agricultural products are wine and cheeses. Tourism 
remains a significant activity, drawing about two million 
visitors a year.  San Marino's per capita level of output and 
standard of living are comparable to that of the most prosperous 
regions of Italy, a country with which San Marino is closely 
aligned in terms of foreign policy, social and political trends. 
 San Marino maintains the lowest unemployment rate in Europe and 
has no national debt. 
 
¶3.  San Marino is a democratic, multiparty republic. The 
popularly elected unicameral Great and General Council 
(parliament) selects two of its members to serve as Captains 
Regent (Co-Heads of State). The Secretary of State for Foreign 
Affairs has some of the prerogatives of a prime minister. The 
judiciary is independent. We believe this to be a low fraud 
post. 
 
---------------- 
NIV FRAUD 
---------------- 
 
¶4.  San Marino is a participant in the Visa Waiver Program.  NIV 
fraud, whether by citizens or foreign residents, has yet to be 
detected.  In 2008, all nine NIV applications from citizens of 
San Marino were approved.  Third country nationals are generally 
well-rooted in their communities.  Due to the extremely low 
number of applicants applying from San Marino, no validation 
study has been run. 
 
------------- 
IV FRAUD 
------------- 
 
¶5.  Florence does not adjudicate IV cases.  See Italy's fraud 
summary. 
 
-------------- 
DV FRAUD 
-------------- 
 
¶6.  Florence does not adjudicate DV cases.  See Italy's fraud 
summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
ACS AND U.S. PASSPORT FRAUD 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  There are approximately 1,000 U.S. citizens resident in San 
Marino, with an estimated 12,000 Amcit tourists visiting 
annually.  Post has not noted any ACS or U.S. passport fraud. 
 
-------------------------- 
ADOPTION FRAUD 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8.  Post is unaware of any adoption fraud.  No Sammarinese have 
been adopted by American citizens. 
 
------------------------------ 
USE OF DNA TESTING 
------------------------------ 
 
¶9.  Post does not issue IVs and has never used DNA testing for 
investigation of suspected relationship fraud. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFIT FRAUD 
 
FLORENCE 00000019  002 OF 002 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶10.  Florence does not process asylee/refugee cases.  See 
Italy's fraud summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
------------------------------------- 
ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, TERRORIST TRAVEL 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  Post is unaware of any alien smuggling, trafficking, or 
organized crime.  Post has not 
noted any fraud trends that affect post consular operations, or 
border and national security. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶12.  The Consular Section Chief is also the Post Security 
Officer and maintains a close relationship with the RSOs in 
Milan and Rome.  There are no DS criminal fraud investigations 
concerning the San Marino. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
--------------------------------------------- - 
HOST COUNTRY PASSPORT, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶13.  Sammarinese apply for passports through the Passport Office 
of the State Department of Foreign Affairs.  If abroad, they can 
receive a temporary Italian travel document (annotated for 
return travel to San Marino) from an Italian consular office. 
San Marino missions abroad CANNOT issue them.  Alternatively, 
while abroad, Sammarinese can apply by mail for a new passport 
and wait until it is sent by mail from the government of San 
Marino.  San Marino passports are EU and ICAO compliant. 
 
¶14.  A foreigner can apply for a "permit of stay" in San Marino. 
 After five consecutive years of "permits of stay", a person may 
apply for permanent residency.  Once a person stops holding a 
"permit of stay", the permanent residency application process 
resets.  At that point, the person must begin again the process 
of obtaining five year's worth of consecutive permits before 
applying. 
 
¶15.  Schengen country citizens with employment in San Marino and 
"commuters" (Italians and Schengen citizens who live in Italy 
and work in San Marino) are generally granted work permits 
automatically.  San Marino employers who want to hire other 
foreign workers may apply for a work permit through the Office 
of Labor of the Department of Labor. 
 
¶16.  Post is unaware of any cases of document fraud. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
--------------------- 
COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
--------------------- 
 
¶17.  Post is unaware of any instances of consular fraud 
pertaining to San Marino, and therefore we have not engaged with 
host government authorities on any suspected fraud cases. 
Sammarinese officials do report their nationals' lost and stolen 
passports to Consulate General Florence.  Sammarinese officials 
have reported 30 lost or stolen passports in 2005, 50 in 2006, 
60 in 2007, and 52 in 2008.  Counterfeiting an identity document 
is considered a serious crime in San Marino. The penalty for 
this crime is six months to three years of imprisonment (Two to 
six years plus interdiction from holding public offices if the 
guilty party is a public official.)  Making false declarations 
to obtain an identity document is also punishable with 
imprisonment from six months to three years. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶18.  There are no areas of particular concern to report. 
COUNTRYMAN