Registering a foreign record in Italy: how it works at the town hall and which translations are needed

In short

• Trascrizione is the act by which an Italian town hall enters in its own registers an event of civil status that happened abroad: a birth, a marriage, a death, a divorce. Without it, for many Italian offices that event simply does not exist.
• The legal framework is Presidential Decree 396 of 3 November 2000, the civil status regulation: records concerning Italian citizens drawn up abroad are forwarded by the consular authority to the competent town hall and registered there.
• There are two routes: go through the Italian consulate of the country where the record was drawn up, or file the record directly with the civil status office of the town hall.
• In both cases you need the record in full form, with an apostille or consular legalisation, and with an Italian translation. For records issued in the European Union, the multilingual standard form of Regulation EU 2016/1191 can remove both: ask for it, it is free.
• With us a sworn translation costs 30 euros per page, as a signed and stamped PDF by email in 24 to 48 working hours. A paper copy by post is an option, and some town halls prefer it.

A child born abroad, a marriage celebrated in another country, a divorce granted by a foreign court: all of these produce effects in Italy only once they have been registered in the civil status records of a town hall. The procedure is free or nearly so, and not difficult, but full of steps that have to be taken in the right order. This guide lines them up, explains which translation is needed and flags the mistakes that send the file back.

What registration is and what it is for

Registering means entering a foreign record in the Italian civil status registers, so that from then on the town hall can issue certificates from it, update the population register and take it into account in every other procedure. The practical consequences are concrete:

• an unregistered marriage has no effect on matrimonial property, on inheritance or on the marital status shown in Italian certificates;
• an unregistered birth makes it impossible to obtain the child's Italian documents or to enter them correctly in the population register;
• an unregistered divorce leaves the citizen «married» as far as Italy is concerned, which immediately blocks any new marriage;
• an unregistered death blocks the succession and the formalities with banks and the tax authority.

Registration is also a recurring step in citizenship files: our guide to the documents for Italian citizenship comes back to it, because the records of the ancestor or of the spouse often have to be registered before or together with the application.

Who applies and which town hall is competent

Registration concerns records affecting Italian citizens: those born Italian, those who acquired citizenship, those registered with AIRE. The competent town hall is normally:

• the town hall of residence, for those living in Italy;
• the town hall of AIRE registration, for those living abroad;
• for those without a reference town hall, the consulate indicates which office is competent: do not pick a town hall for convenience, the file would be refused.

If your case concerns a foreign citizen living in Italy, registration does not apply: their records are needed translated and legalised for each individual procedure, for example those collected in the civil status documents and documents for work collections.

The two routes

Through the consulate

This is the straightest route when you live abroad. You file the record with the competent Italian consulate for the place where it was drawn up; the consulate checks it, handles or verifies the translation and forwards the record to the town hall, which registers it. The advantage is that the formal check happens first: if something is wrong, you find out at the consulate instead of chasing the town hall. The drawback is the timing, which depends on how busy the post is.

Directly at the town hall

If you live in Italy, you can file the record directly with the civil status office of your town hall, already legalised and translated. This is the faster route, but all the checking is upstream: the translation and the legalisation have to be in order, because the registrar will not fix them for you. Many town halls publish their own forms and the exact list of what they accept: look for it before you move.

The three steps on the record, in the right order

1. The full copy, not the extract

You need the full copy of the record issued by the foreign authority, that is the document reproducing all the data of the register, not a summary extract. This is the first ground for refusal: a short-form extract is almost never enough. Ask the foreign authority for the «full» or «long form» copy.

2. Apostille or legalisation, and the European exception

The foreign record has to prove its own authenticity. Three cases:

• European Union country: Regulation EU 2016/1191 exempts civil status records from legalisation and allows a multilingual standard form to be attached, which in many cases also removes the translation. It is free or nearly so and must be requested from the issuing authority at the same time. Always ask: it can save you the whole expense.
• Country party to the Hague Convention: you need the apostille, affixed by the competent authority of that country.
• Other countries: you need legalisation by the Italian diplomatic or consular mission in the country of origin.

The apostille goes on before the translation, because it is part of the document and gets translated as well. Our guide on apostille and sworn translation explains where it is requested, country by country, and what happens if the order is reversed.

3. The Italian translation

The record has to be filed in Italian. Article 33 of Presidential Decree 445/2000 provides that the translation be certified as conforming by the diplomatic or consular mission, or made by an official translator. In practice the town hall asks for a sworn translation, signed and stamped, not one made by the person concerned: on who may sign it, our guide on who can do a sworn translation in Italy sets out the rule, because the translator must be unconnected with the document.

We work from scans: you upload the record, a translator sworn before the competent court of appeal translates it, signs and stamps it, and you receive the PDF by email in 24 to 48 working hours at 30 euros per page. Some civil status offices, however, want the translation on paper, to be attached to the file: in that case add the paper copy by post. Our guide on when the PDF is enough and when the original is needed helps you decide, and the advice stays the same: ask your town hall which form it accepts, before ordering. The receiving office decides, not us.

Record by record

Birth certificate

This is the most frequent case: a child born abroad to at least one Italian parent. The local birth record is declared to the consulate, or filed with the town hall, in full form, legalised or apostilled and translated. Order the sworn translation of the birth certificate after obtaining the apostille, not before. Watch the spelling of names: if the foreign record shows a spelling different from the parent's Italian documents, flag it to the town hall in advance.

Marriage certificate

A marriage celebrated abroad between an Italian citizen and a foreign citizen, or between two Italians, is registered along the same route. You need the sworn translation of the marriage certificate, and in some cases the spouses' birth certificates too. If the marriage is still to be celebrated, the document route is a different one and our guide to marrying a foreign citizen explains it.

Death certificate

The death of an Italian citizen abroad is registered in the town hall of last residence or of AIRE registration. You need the sworn translation of the death certificate. The succession file often also calls for the family status certificate and the translation of a notarial power of attorney, when the heirs are abroad.

Divorce judgment

This is the most technical case. For divorces granted in a European Union state the European regulation on matrimonial decisions applies, and the judgment travels with the certificate provided for by that regulation. For other countries Law 218/1995 applies, which provides for recognition of the foreign judgment where the conditions are met, checked by the registrar or, if the matter is contested, by the Italian court. In both cases you need the sworn translation of the judgment, including proof that it is final where required. Here more than anywhere it pays to ask the town hall first: the assessment changes from case to case.

What it costs and how long it takes

There are four cost items, and the most variable one is not ours:

• the issue of the full copy of the record, at the price set by the foreign authority;
• the apostille or the legalisation, at the local rate;
• the sworn translation: 30 euros per page with us, with the number of pages as the quantity to enter in the order. A birth certificate usually fits on one page, a divorce judgment on five or six. Prices are on the prices page, and the guide on how much a sworn translation costs explains the items that come on top;
• any administrative fees or duty stamps charged by the town hall: these vary, ask at the counter.

On timing there is no national figure: it depends on the workload of the consulate and of the town hall, and ranges from a few weeks to several months. The translation, for its part, takes 24 to 48 working hours.

The mistakes that send the file back

1. Bringing an extract instead of the full copy. Ground for refusal number one.
2. Translating before apostilling. The apostille is part of the document: if it arrives later, the translation has to be redone or supplemented.
3. Translating it yourself. The translator must be unconnected with the document, so you cannot translate your own.
4. Not asking for the multilingual form in a European Union country. You end up paying for a legalisation and a translation that were not needed.
5. Assuming the PDF is enough. Many town halls accept it, others want paper. It takes two minutes to ask at the counter.
6. Inconsistent spelling of names between the foreign record and the Italian documents: flag it before, not after.

How we can help

We do one thing, and we do it well: the sworn translation of the record, ready to be attached to the file. The route is described on the how it works page; if you are not sure which type of translation you need, start from the page which translation to choose. All the documents we handle are in the our services collection.

If your town hall expressly asks for a translation sworn before an Italian court, we can arrange it on quote: write to us before ordering, with the office's request in front of you, and we will check together what is really needed.

Frequently asked questions

Is registration compulsory?

For records concerning Italian citizens, yes, in the sense that without registration the event produces no effect in the Italian registers. In practice you notice at the first procedure that calls for an up to date certificate.

Can I apply myself or do I need a lawyer?

You can apply yourself, at the town hall or at the consulate. A lawyer is only needed if the recognition of a foreign judgment is contested and the matter goes to court.

Does the town hall accept the translation as a PDF?

It depends on the town hall. Many accept the signed and stamped PDF, others want the paper copy in the file. Ask at the counter and, if paper is needed, add the paper copy by post.

My record is Romanian: do I need the apostille?

Romania is in the European Union, so civil status records are exempt from legalisation and you can ask for the multilingual standard form of Regulation EU 2016/1191, which in many cases also removes the translation. Ask the office issuing the record.

How long does it take?

There is no uniform deadline: it depends on the consulate and the town hall, and ranges from a few weeks to several months. The sworn translation, for its part, is ready in 24 to 48 working hours.

I have a divorce granted in the United States: what is needed?

A certified copy of the judgment, with the apostille of the state that issued it, proof that it is final where required, and the sworn translation. Since each case is assessed individually, ask the town hall for the exact list first.

Which languages do you translate?

Italian to and from English, Spanish, French, German, Romanian and Arabic, and between these six languages. For another language write to us for a quote. Further answers in our frequently asked questions.

Sources: Presidential Decree 396 of 3 November 2000, regulation on the revision and simplification of the civil status system; Presidential Decree 445 of 28 December 2000, art. 33; Law 218 of 31 May 1995, reform of the Italian system of private international law; Regulation EU 2016/1191 on the free movement of public documents; Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consular services for Italians abroad.