Guide to preparing your documents for a sworn translation

The success of a procedure almost always depends on how the documents are prepared before translation. A certificate without legalisation, a plain copy instead of an original or an expired document are enough for an application to be rejected. This guide collects the most frequent cases and indicates, for each type of document, the form in which it must be presented, whether legalisation or an Apostille is required and what period of validity applies. The indications are general guidance: requirements vary according to the receiving authority and the country of origin and must be confirmed before proceeding.

Three preliminary checks

Original or certified copy?

Some procedures accept only the original document. Others admit a certified copy, that is a copy authenticated by a public official. A plain copy has no legal value and is not accepted. The Court of Rome allows photocopied documents to be sworn provided the nature of the document is stated in the record.

Legalisation or Apostille?

A document formed abroad acquires effect in Italy only after being legalised or apostilled in the country that issued it. The Apostille applies between countries that have acceded to the Hague Convention of 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents. For other countries, legalisation at the Italian consular mission is required. See Legalisation and Apostille.

Does the document expire?

Several certificates have limited validity. The criminal-record certificate from the country of origin, for example, is normally accepted within six months of issue.

Italian citizenship

Citizenship applications, by residence or by marriage, are among the most rigorous. Documents from abroad must be presented in original, legalised or apostilled in the country of issue and translated in sworn form. Plain copies are not accepted.

Marriage in Italy of a foreign national

Foreign documents follow the general rule: original with Apostille or legalisation and sworn translation. The certificate of no impediment issued by the authority of the country of origin is the central document.

Residence permit and family reunification

Civil-status certificates and proof of kinship from abroad must be legalised or apostilled in the country of origin and translated in sworn form.

Driving licence and personal documents

Driving in Italy on a non-EU licence, and converting or recognising a foreign licence, requires a sworn translation. In many cases a legible copy is sufficient; some offices require the original. See the dedicated page on driving licence translation.

Academic qualifications

Recognition of a foreign qualification requires the qualification in original or certified copy, the Apostille or legalisation and, depending on the procedure, the declaration of value. The sworn translation accompanies the qualification and, where required, the transcript of examinations. For assistance with recognition procedures see mmwtraduzioni.com.

Company and commercial documents

Chamber of Commerce extracts, articles of association, financial statements, powers of attorney and company deeds intended for use abroad follow the full chain: sworn translation and subsequent Apostille or legalisation of the officer's signature.

Judicial and notarial deeds

Judgments, decrees, writs and notarial deeds require absolute precision in the rendering of technical terms. They are presented in certified copy and, for use abroad, with the Apostille or legalisation of the registrar's or notary's signature.

Before sending your documents

• Obtain the original document in the country of issue, where the procedure requires it.
• Have the Apostille or legalisation affixed in the country of origin, before bringing the document to Italy.
• Check the date of issue of certificates subject to expiry, in particular criminal-record certificates.
• Confirm with the receiving office whether it accepts a certified copy or requires the original.
• Keep documents intact, without staples or annotations covering stamps and signatures.

Highly qualified work and the EU Blue Card

For the entry into Italy of highly qualified workers from non-EU countries (article 27-quater of the Consolidated Immigration Act, as amended by Legislative Decree 152/2023 implementing Directive (EU) 2021/1883), academic qualifications and professional credentials must be prepared before relocation. Documents issued by non-EU authorities must be legalised by the Italian diplomatic mission in the issuing country or, for countries party to the Hague Convention of 1961, bear the Hague Apostille, and must then be translated into Italian with a sworn translation before an Italian court. For higher-education qualifications and regulated professions, a Declaration of Value issued by the Italian diplomatic mission or a CIMEA certificate of comparability and authenticity is also required.