Sworn translation English to Italian: how it works in both directions

In short

• English and Italian is the most requested pair, and it works in both directions: documents in English to be filed in Italy, and Italian documents to be filed in an English speaking country. The rules are not symmetrical.
• Towards Italy: the foreign record has to be apostilled or legalised before the translation, and filed in Italian. Article 33 of Presidential Decree 445/2000 speaks of a translation certified as conforming by the consulate, or made by an official translator.
• From Italy abroad: many English speaking offices accept a certified translation with the translator's statement, others ask for asseverazione before a court with an apostille on the oath statement. It depends on the office: ask before ordering.
• Watch for a possible saving: Ireland and Malta are in the European Union, so the multilingual standard form of Regulation EU 2016/1191 applies to civil status records. The United Kingdom is no longer in the European Union and does not benefit from it.
• With us a sworn translation costs 30 euros per page, as a signed and stamped PDF by email in 24 to 48 working hours, in both directions.

English and Italian is the language pair that handles the largest number of files: students arriving with a British degree, families coming back from the United States, Indian and Nigerian workers with qualifications in English, Italians who have to file a certificate in London, New York or Toronto. This guide explains what changes in each direction, because many files get stuck on exactly that difference.

Direction 1: a document in English to be filed in Italy

Here the Italian rule is a single one and applies to every country: the document has to arrive in Italian, with its authenticity proved. Three steps, in this order.

1. The full copy

Ask the issuing authority for the complete version, the long form or full copy, not the short extract. This is the first ground for refusal in Italian offices, especially for American and British birth certificates, which exist in several formats.

2. The apostille, in the country that issued the document

For countries party to the Hague Convention you need the apostille, affixed by the competent authority of that country. Some useful pointers:

• United Kingdom: the legalisation office of the British foreign ministry;
• United States: the apostille is issued by the Secretary of State of the state that issued the document; for federal documents the Department of State is competent. Many records first need county level authentication;
• Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Nigeria: the central authority designated by each country, generally the foreign ministry;
• Canada: party to the Hague Convention since 2024, so it now issues apostilles; older documents may still carry a consular legalisation.

The apostille goes on the original and before the translation: it is part of the document and gets translated too. If you do it afterwards, the translation has to be supplemented. Our guide on apostille and sworn translation goes into detail country by country.

3. The translation into Italian

Article 33 of Presidential Decree 445/2000 provides for a translation certified as conforming by the diplomatic or consular mission, or made by an official translator. In practice Italian offices ask for a sworn translation, signed and stamped, made by a translator other than the person concerned: the rule and its sources are in our guide on who can do a sworn translation in Italy.

The documents in English we most often translate into Italian:

• the birth certificate, for citizenship, registration at the town hall or marriage;
• the marriage certificate and the divorce judgment;
• the degree certificate and the transcript of records;
• the criminal record certificate, which in English speaking countries goes by different names depending on the issuing body;
• the driving licence, for conversion;
• the bank statement and the payslip, for visas, tenancies and mortgages.

Two shortcuts worth knowing. Ireland and Malta are in the European Union: for civil status records you can ask for the multilingual standard form of Regulation EU 2016/1191, which removes the legalisation and, in many cases, the translation. The United Kingdom no longer benefits from it. And many Italian universities waive the translation of qualifications written in English: before ordering, check the course regulations, as explained in our guide to enrolling at an Italian university with a foreign qualification.

Direction 2: an Italian document to be filed abroad

Here everything changes, because the rule is not set by Italy: it is set by the foreign office receiving the document. Three recurring scenarios.

A certified translation is enough

Many English speaking offices, universities and employers included, ask for a certified translation: a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator attesting its accuracy and completeness. Our sworn translation, signed and stamped, meets that requirement in most cases.

An apostille on the Italian original is needed

If the foreign office wants proof that the Italian record is authentic, the apostille is requested in Italy, before the translation, and competence depends on the type of record: notarial, judicial and civil status records go through the Procura della Repubblica, administrative records through the Prefettura. The route is described in our apostille guide linked above.

Asseverazione before a court is needed

This is the least frequent but most burdensome case: some foreign offices, and courts in particular, ask for the translation to be sworn before an Italian court, with the oath statement, duty stamps and sometimes an apostille on the statement itself. It is not our standard product, but we can arrange it on quote: write to us with the office's request in front of you and we will tell you what is really needed. The difference between the formulas is explained in our guide to the differences between sworn, asseverated, certified and legalised translation.

A common sense rule: before ordering, ask the receiving office for one line in writing about what it accepts. No provider can guarantee acceptance, and anyone promising it is selling a certainty they do not have.

What it costs and how long it takes

The price is the same in both directions: 30 euros per page, as a signed and stamped PDF by email in 24 to 48 working hours. The quantity to enter in the order is the number of pages of the document, not the number of documents: a birth certificate fits on one page, a university transcript can run to ten or fifteen, and it is the heaviest item in a quote. All prices are on the prices page, and the guide on how much a sworn translation costs explains the items that come on top elsewhere in the procedure.

If the office wants the translation on paper, add the paper copy by post; our guide on when the PDF is enough helps you see when it is needed. The full route, from upload to delivery, is on the how it works page.

Typical mistakes in the English to Italian pair

1. Producing a short form American or British birth certificate instead of the full version.
2. Translating before apostilling. This applies in both directions.
3. Assuming a document in English will be accepted as it is in Italy: outside universities that is rare.
4. Thinking the United Kingdom still benefits from the European simplifications. It no longer does.
5. Translating a transcript without counting the pages: it is the document that blows up quotes made by eye.
6. Not asking the foreign office which form it wants before paying for an asseverazione that may not have been needed.

The other languages

Besides English we work in Spanish, French, German, Romanian and Arabic, and between these six languages, not only to and from Italian. All the documents we handle are in the our services collection, and by procedure in the documents for university and documents for work collections. For a language we do not handle, write to us for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

Is a sworn translation made in Italy valid in the United Kingdom?

It depends on the British office. Many accept a certified translation with the translator's signed statement, which is what we provide. Others have requirements of their own. Ask the receiving office for one line in writing before ordering: it is the only way to be sure.

Does my American birth certificate need an apostille?

To file it in Italy, yes, and it is issued by the Secretary of State of the state that issued the record. Check also whether a preliminary county level step is required: procedures vary from state to state.

I have a British degree: will the Italian university ask for a translation?

Many universities waive qualifications in English, but the rule belongs to each course. Check the course regulations before ordering: the guide on enrolling at an Italian university with a foreign qualification, linked above, explains the rest of the route.

Can I translate my own document, since my English is good?

No. The translator must be unconnected with the document: you cannot translate and rely on your own document, not even if you are bilingual.

How much does it cost to translate a fifteen page transcript?

Fifteen pages at 30 euros each. Upload it and we confirm the page count and the total before starting, so there are no surprises.

Do you also translate from English into Spanish or French?

Yes, we handle the six languages between themselves too, not only to and from Italian. For a particular combination, write to us through the contact page.

I need the document for the town hall: is the PDF enough?

It depends on the town hall, and the question is settled at the counter in two minutes. If the procedure is a registration, our guide to registering a foreign record in Italy explains the whole route. Further answers in our frequently asked questions.

Sources: Presidential Decree 445 of 28 December 2000, art. 33; Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents; Regulation EU 2016/1191 on the free movement of public documents; HCCH, status table of the Apostille Convention.