Court of Rome rules for sworn translations

Sworn translations in Rome are taken before the Sworn Reports and Translations Service (Servizio Asseveramento Perizie e Traduzioni) of the Court of Rome, Civil Administrative Hub, at Viale Giulio Cesare 54/b, old building, ground floor, room 6. What follows summarises, in our own words, the rules published by the Court on the Service's official page and in the attached forms, consulted in October 2026.

What the oath is

By swearing a translation the translator officially attests before the court officer that the translated text corresponds to the original document, assuming responsibility by signing the oath record. The same procedure gives an out-of-court expert report effect between private parties and with public administrations. The matter is governed by article 5 of Royal Decree 1366 of 9 October 1922, Presidential Decree 396/2000 and Presidential Decree 445/2000.

Who may take the oath

• The oath on a translation or an out-of-court expert report is taken before a court registrar or a notary; the translator's place of residence and place of professional registration are irrelevant.
• The Service does not translate: a translator must be engaged, whether or not registered with the Register of Court-Appointed Experts. Registered translators can be found on the Ministry of Justice portal or in the Rome Chamber of Commerce register of experts.
• The translation must be sworn in person by the translator who produced it (article 483 of the Criminal Code). Documents in the translator's own name cannot be sworn: the translator must be a person other than the interested party and not a relative by blood or marriage.
• The translator produces a valid original identity document, whose details are entered in the record; photocopies and digital images are not accepted. Non-EU nationals also state the details of their valid residence permit, produced in original.

Composition of the file

• In this order: the document translated, the translation, the oath record, stapled or bound into a single document. Rings and spiral binding are not accepted.
• The translator signs the joins between all the sheets of the translation, starting with the join between the last page of the document and the first page of the translation, except the page containing only the oath.
• Stamps, logos, coats of arms and signatures on the document are described and translated, not reproduced; where unclear, this is stated with wording such as "illegible stamp" or "illegible signature" in the language of the translation. Photographs and revenue stamps must also be mentioned.
• If parts of the document are not translated, the omission is declared before the translation, in the same language, and repeated in the oath record.
• Direct translation from one foreign language into another is not permitted: the file consists of the foreign-language document, the Italian translation with the first oath, and the translation into the other language with the second oath.
• Several documents cannot be translated under a single oath record.
• Before attending, the translator checks binding, revenue stamps, join signatures and completeness: incomplete files are not accepted and must be completed outside the office.

Oath record

The record is the form prepared by the Court, available in the Forms section of its website or in copy at the counter; a record prepared by the translator is accepted provided it follows the Court's parameters. It states the translator's name and identity-document details and is signed before the officer. Bilingual Italian-English and Italian-Spanish records are available for translations into those languages.

Revenue stamps

• Translations: one €16.00 revenue stamp for every 100 lines, counted from the translation and including the lines of the oath record; the stamp is applied to the translation. Above 100 lines a single cumulative stamp may be used.
• Civil-status certificates: under Ministry of Justice circular no. 83861.E of 20 September 2021, sworn translations and certified civil-status certificates bear stamp duty from the outset at €16.00 per sheet, not absorbed by the unified court fee.
• Expert reports: €16.00 for every 100 lines including the record; each photograph or image counts as 25 additional lines.
• Attachments (article 28, tariff, part two, annex A to Presidential Decree 642/1972): €0.52 for each original drawing or photograph of the expert, €0.52 for every 100 lines of lists, calculations or bills of quantities, €0.52 for each photocopy of documents of other offices certified by the expert. Nothing is due on plain photocopies. A cumulative payment is allowed, with the stamp applied to the attachments.
• The officer cancels the stamps with the office seal and records the document under a progressive chronological number in the translator's presence.

Exemptions from stamp duty

In the cases expressly provided for by law, including adoptions, scholarships, separation and divorce, no stamps are applied. The reference to the exempting provision must be written on the record, dated and signed by the translator, who bears the fiscal responsibility for the declaration. Not all documents concerning minors are exempt: the translator checks each case. Annex B to Presidential Decree 642/1972 lists the documents exempt in absolute terms; see Stamp duty exemptions.

Documents for use abroad

Where the sworn translation or report is to be sent abroad, the signature of the officer who received the oath is legalised or given the Hague Apostille by the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Rome, Apostille and legalisation service; other administrative documents go through the Prefecture of Rome. Documents issued abroad for use in Italy are legalised by the Italian diplomatic missions or, in countries party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, bear the Hague Apostille; since 16 February 2019 Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 has removed legalisation for certain public documents between EU Member States. See the Guide to the legalisation of documents.

Official forms of the Court of Rome

• Rules for the swearing of translations (PDF, 5 January 2024)
• Oath record for translations (PDF, 15 January 2024)
• Bilingual Italian-English oath record (PDF, 21 June 2024)
• Bilingual Italian-Spanish oath record (PDF, 21 June 2024)
• Ministry of Justice circular 83861/2021 on stamp duty (PDF)

The full Italian text, with all the forms, is on the Italian page. The rules may change over time: before attending the counter it is advisable to check the version published by the Court.