The legalisation of documents in Italy applies to a wide category of certificates. The process can easily change based on the type of document, jurisdiction body and international agreements in force.
Do Italian documents need to be apostilled?
Before using an Italian document abroad, it is first necessary to verify its authenticity.
The following are examples of documents issued by Italian authorities that may require legalisation or an apostille for use abroad, depending on the destination country and any applicable exemptions:
- Registry Offices Certificates, such as:
- Birth Certificates;
- Marriage Certificates;
- Name Change certificates.
- Legal and Judicial Acts.
- Education documents such as degrees or school certificates.
- Documents for the movement of vehicles, such as Driving licenses.
- Criminal record certificates and certificates of pending criminal proceedings, for which legalisation or apostille, when required, falls under the responsibility of the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office (Procura della Repubblica)Â
Different types of legalisation of documents in Italy
Different types of legalisation of documents in Italy may be necessary, depending on the need and on the target destination country.
These types of legalisation are:
- Apostille (have a look at our guide on the Apostille);
- Legalisation, according to any special agreement between Italy and the destination country.
Furthermore, a sworn translation might be needed.Â
Sworn translation
A sworn translation is a translation whose accuracy is formally confirmed through an oath taken by the translator before a court clerk or a notary.
When a sworn translation completed in Italy is intended for use abroad, further authentication may be required. In such cases, the signature of the court clerk or notary who received the oath is legalised or apostilled by the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office (Procura della Repubblica).
For countries where an apostille is not applicable, further legalisation by the diplomatic or consular representation of the destination country in Italy may be required.
The applicable requirements depend on the destination country and any relevant international agreements.
For more information please check our article on sworn translations in Italy.
How to get an Apostille in Italy?
The apostille is a stamp that replaces the legalisation process. It is an annotation, with a specific stamp, put on the original document. The apostille applies exclusively to those countries that ratified the Convention on the Abolition of the Legalisation of Foreign Public Documents (The Hague Convention of October 5, 1961).
Each country part of the Agreement has a dedicated Authority that issues the apostille. Citizens must go there to apply for the apostille.
To find out which authority in your country is responsible for affixing the apostille, go to the website of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. It is an inter-governmental organization based in The Hague that was founded in 1893. Later, it has evolved into a hub of international judicial and administrative cooperation in the field of private international law.
How do I legalize documents in Italy?
Italian documents intended for use abroad may require legalisation or an apostille, depending on the type of document, the destination country and any applicable international agreements.
Legalisation or apostille is not automatically required following a translation. Where a translation is necessary, any additional requirements for its certification or authentication must be assessed separately.
The Prefecture (Prefettura) is generally responsible for the legalisation or apostille of administrative documents, such as civil status and registry certificates.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office (Procura della Repubblica) is responsible for judicial and notarial documents, including criminal record certificates, certificates of pending criminal proceedings and, where required, the signatures of court clerks or notaries on sworn translations.
The procedures for requesting legalisation or an apostille may vary depending on the competent Prefecture or Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Applicants should consult the official website of the relevant authority to verify the available submission methods, appointment requirements and supporting documentation.
Depending on the office, applications may be submitted in person, by appointment or by post, where permitted. Applicants may also appoint a representative to submit the application on their behalf, where permitted by the competent authority.Â
When do I need to legalise documents in Italy?
These are the cases when you can apply to legalize documents in Italy:
- Italian citizens or foreigners who have to validate a foreign document in Italy,
- Italian citizens or foreigners who need to make an Italian document valid abroad,
- People who need to validate an Italian document released by a foreign consulate or embassy but on the Italian territory.
Learn more about how to legalize your foreign documents for Italy in our dedicated guide.
The Jurisdiction bodies: where can I legalize documents in Italy?
In Italy, the authority responsible for legalisation or apostille depends on the nature of the document and the public official who signed it.
Public Prosecutor’s Office (Procura della Repubblica)
The territorially competent Public Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for the legalisation or apostille of judicial and notarial documents, including documents signed by court clerks, judicial officials and notaries.
Its responsibilities also include criminal record certificates, certificates of pending criminal proceedings and, where required, the signatures of court clerks or notaries on sworn translations.
Prefectures (Prefetture)
Prefectures are generally responsible for the legalisation or apostille of administrative documents issued by Italian public authorities, including civil status and registry certificates.
Consular
Where consular legalisation is required, documents must first be legalised by the competent Italian authority and then submitted to the diplomatic or consular representation of the destination country in Italy. Documents bearing an apostille under the Hague Convention generally do not require further consular legalisation.
Other Legalization: some documents may benefit from specific exemptions or simplified procedures under international agreements, EU rules or multilingual certificate schemes. The applicable requirements must always be checked based on the document type, the issuing country and the destination country.
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In particular, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 simplifies the circulation of certain public documents between EU Member States by removing the requirement for legalisation or apostille for specific categories of public documents. In some cases, multilingual standard forms may also reduce the need for translation. This exemption does not apply to all documents, but only to the public documents covered by the Regulation and used between EU Member States
If you want to legalise or get the apostille stamp for your documents, take a look at our legalisation and apostille services.