To understand what an apostille is, we must start from legalization .
Legalization consists in certifying the legal status of the public official who has signed a document (deeds, copies and extracts), as well as the authenticity of the signature itself. This signature authentication in Italy is obtained at the Public Prosecutor's Office or Prefecture. Then the legalized document must be taken to the Consulate of the country where the document must be presented. The consulate in turn legalizes the signature of the attorney or prefect on the document.
The states adhering to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 simplify this procedure by using the apostille instead of legalization . Unlike legalization, the apostille only provides a special and recognizable stamp certifying the authenticity of the document and the legal status of the issuing authority and does not require passage through the Consulate.
When is legalization or apostille required?
The document to be translated must be legalized or apostille- certified depending on the country in which it is to be used (see link above). Normally for EU countries this formality is not necessary , although it is sometimes requested. For official documents to be translated originating from or presented in non-EU countries, however, it is always required .
If the document needs to be used abroad , once translated and certified , it is necessary to affix the legalization or apostille (depending on the state in which the document is to be delivered) also on the translation (the signature of the Judicial Officer who signed the translator's sworn statement is certified).
Some examples of documents that require an apostille: criminal record , pending charges, registry certificates.
Apostille: where it is done in Italy
In Italy , legalization or apostille is the responsibility of the UTG Prefecture , while for documents signed by Notaries, Registry Officials and Judicial Officers it is the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor's Office .
| Documents for Italy | 1) Original foreign document (with legalization or apostille if from non-EU countries) 2) Sworn translation (Legalization or apostille on the translation is NOT required) |
|
Documents for abroad (EU) |
1) Original Italian document 2) Sworn translation |
| Documents for abroad (outside EU) |
1) Original Italian document with legalization or apostille 2) Sworn translation 3) Legalization or apostille on the translation |
As mentioned above, legalization/apostille in Italy is obtained at the Prefecture or the Public Prosecutor's Office depending on the case.
As regards foreign countries, the legalization of deeds and documents drawn up abroad and to be valid in Italy must be carried out by the Italian diplomatic or consular representation present in the country that drafted the document, while the apostille is requested from the competent bodies in the various countries.
FAQs about Apostille
Apostille: What is it?
An Apostille is a certification that confirms the authenticity of the signature, seal or stamp on the document to which it is attached.
Apostille: where is it done in Italy?
The apostille is obtained at the Prosecutor's Office or at the Prefecture, depending on the signature that needs to be certified. The Prosecutor's Office holds the signatures of notaries, registry officials and judicial officers, while the Prefecture holds the signatures of civil status officials, school officials and the medical examiner.
How to get an Apostille in Italy / Who issues it
As explained above, in Italy the Apostille is issued by the Public Prosecutor's Office or the Prefecture for countries that adhere to the Hague Convention.
Legalization: what it is and where it is done
Legalization, like the Apostille, confirms the authenticity of the signature, seal or stamp present in the document to which it is attached, but for countries that do not adhere to the Hague Convention. It is always obtained at the Prosecutor's Office or Prefecture like the Apostille. Subsequently, the signature of the prosecutor or prefect must in turn be legalized at the competent consulate.
Countries adhering to the Hague Convention for which documents must be apostilled:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Belarus
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Cyprus
- Colombia
- South Korea
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Philippines
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Japan
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- India
- Ireland
- Iceland
- Cook Islands
- Marshall Islands
- Israel
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Kosovo
- Lesotho
- Latvia
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Fruit salad
- Malawian
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monk
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Netherlands
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
- Czech Republic
- Dominican Republic
- Romania
- Russia
- St. Kitts Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- St. Vincent Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- United States
- Surinam
- Sweden
- Swiss
- Tajikistan
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- Hungary
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
How to apostille a document
To apostille a document in your possession, simply go to the following link:
https://www.certificatievisure.it/products/apostille-legalization
Proceed to pay for the service and then send the original document to our address specifying in the envelope the order number received after payment for the service and if they were not reported during the purchase phase, report the telephone number and email where we can contact you.
If you do not yet have the document to be apostilled, simply make the request through our website and add the apostille service.