So far our articles have explored the different paths to acquiring Italian citizenship, the eligibility requirements, the documents needed to apply, the different steps involved in the application process and the benefits of obtaining Italian citizenship. This article instead will focus on one specific phase of the application process, i.e., translating your vital records which are not in Italian. This is a mandatory requirement to apply for Italian citizenship, which is carried out once you have retrieved all the certified copies of your vital records and you have checked that there are no discrepancies that might negatively affect your application.
It is very important that your records are in the correct format; as a general rule, you will need certified, long form/book copies of your family’s vital records. If no amendments need to be made, you can request an apostille on all the certified copies of your records. An apostille is a certificate issued by the Secretary of State or by the Department of State (for federal documents) which is attached to an original document to verify that it is legitimate and authentic in order for it to be accepted in one of the other countries which are members of the Hague Convention. Finally, you will need to translate your vital records into Italian as per the requirements set by the Italian authorities. The type of translation needed is dependent on the path you are pursuing to apply for Italian citizenship.
Application through an Italian Consulate
Generally, if you apply to an Italian consulate in the U.S., you will need to translate all of the vital records which are in English or in any other language into Italian, except for the naturalization records pertaining to the ancestor through whom you are claiming citizenship.
Vital records issued by any EU member state outside of Italy (such as France or Spain, for instance) will not need to be translated if they are issued in a multilingual form.
Consulates require professional translations, therefore we strongly discourage DIY translations because they will be rejected, unless you are fluent in Italian.
As for documents which are issued by the applicant’s country of residence, consulates generally accept uncertified translations. This is the case, for instance, for most Italian consulates in the U.S. This is because the consular personnel is required to speak both Italian and the language of the country in which the consulate is located. Furthermore, the fee paid to the Italian consulate to process a citizenship application also includes the cost for the consulate to certify the translations. Finally, most Italian consulates in the U.S. do not require the apostilles on the applicant’s vital records to be translated into Italian.
It is always advisable to check the translation requirements on the specific website of the consulate to which you are applying as some consulates require certain types of translations to be certified prior to the citizenship appointment. This can be the case for legal documents (such as a divorce decree or a legal name change certificate). In these cases, it may be necessary to ask a translator to certify the translations before a public official (such as a public notary in the U.S.).
Additionally, some consulates outside of the U.S. may require ALL the translations to be certified by a professional translator prior to the submission of the citizenship application, even for vital records issued in the country where the consulate is located.
Application involving documents issued outside of the country where the consulate is located.
There are some Italian consulates which also offer certification services. This might be the case if you are applying in a country that is different form the one which issued the documents needed for your application. In order for an Italian consular clerk to certify translations, you will need to provide the consulate with the original documents via mail, or you might need to submit them in person. You will need to pay a fee in order to obtain the certifications. The fee can be found in a specific table which outlines the consulate’s services and their cost (this is normally available on the consulate’s website).
If you reside in the U.S., for instance, but your ancestor lived in Argentina you may need to retrieve documents from Argentina. In order for the Italian consulate in the U.S. to accept the documents issued in Argentina you will need to certify the translation from Spanish to Italian. In this case, the most common method is to ask an Italian Consulate in Argentina to certify the translations prior to submitting the documents in the U.S.
1948 cases and applications in Italy
Finally, if you file an application via a municipality in Italy or via a lawsuit, translations for ALL your documents which are not in Italian (including naturalization records or other records that the consulate may have accepted with an uncertified translation) will need to be certified prior to being submitted to the court or to the Italian municipality, respectively.
In these cases, the most common way of certifying the translations is through an Italian court or through the Italian consulate which is located in the country which issued the documents.
How do you obtain certified translations through a court in Italy?
First of all, you can go to any court; in other words, it is not necessary to apply to a court to which you are applying for Italian citizenship, nor do you need to go to a court that covers the jurisdiction of the municipality to which you will be applying for Italian citizenship. You will need to provide the court with the original documents as the certified translations will be stapled to the original records.
As for process per se, the translator will need to appear before a court official (generally a clerk) and swear that the translation respects the original content and that it is accurate. Most courts only accept sworn translations to be provided by a translator who is registered in an official list of authorized translators which is held by the court.
The cost to certify the translations in a court in Italy is dependent on the number of vital records that need to be translated and, consequently, on the number of revenue stamps that are needed to certify each translation. On average, the cost to certify the translations of all the vital records varies between €200 and €500. Additionally, and contrary to filing an application via an Italian consulate, if you apply via a municipality in Italy or via the court system, you will also need to translate the apostilles into Italian.
In conclusion, here is a recap of some of the most common methods to certify translations:
- Translations certified by an Italian consulate aboard;
- Translations certified by a professional translator before an Italian court official;
- Translations certified by a professional translator abroad before a public official (a U.S. Notary Public, for instance);
There are other ways of certifying translations. Among these are certifying translations before an Italian Notary Public.
We hope that this article has provided you with the necessary information regarding translating your vital records. If you need help with applying for Italian citizenship do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. We will be happy to help you.
