The Birth Certificate Italian Translation Guide

A sworn Italian translation of the birth certificate is wanted in residence, family and some university procedures in Italy. In this post we explain how to prepare a birth-certificate translation and what to watch.

Why is a birth certificate wanted?

The birth certificate is one of the basic documents for identity and civil-status procedures in Italy. In the residence permit (permesso di soggiorno), family reunification, marriage and some university and scholarship processes, the apostilled and sworn-translated form of the birth certificate is required. The document officially confirms the person’s date and place of birth and family details. Italian institutions use this information in registration and entitlement processes. So a correct, complete translation of the birth certificate is important for all later procedures to move smoothly.

Which format is wanted?

Italian institutions usually want a currently dated, full (detailed) civil-registry extract or an international birth certificate. Old-dated or summary documents may not be accepted; so you should obtain the document current before the procedure. Although a multilingual international format is accepted for some procedures, most Italy procedures want an apostille and a sworn translation. It is safest to confirm which format is valid from the institution you will submit the document to. For the translation of civil-registry documents, see our document-type translations section.

The apostille and translation order

The right order for a birth certificate is usually this: obtain the current document, have it apostilled, then have it sworn-translated from the apostilled version. As civil-registry documents are administrative documents, the apostille is obtained from the governor’s/district offices. Muddling the order may require preparing the document from scratch. For the apostille process, see our apostille guide, and you can leave the translation with us with apostille tracking included. This holistic approach lets you complete the process in one go and in the right order.

Translating names and place names

In a birth-certificate translation it is critical that details such as the name, the parents’ names and the place of birth are consistent with the spelling in your passport. Rendering Turkish-character names and place names correctly is needed for the documents to be understood as belonging to the same person. A small inconsistency can lead to the document being questioned in residence or family procedures. So when having the translation done it is important to give the office the correct spellings from your passport and other documents. An experienced office watches this consistency from the outset.

Its use in residence procedures

After arriving in Italy, the birth certificate is one of the documents often wanted in the residence-permit application. In family reunification and some status changes in particular, the document is compulsory. Preparing the translation in Turkey before going to Italy prevents wasting time there. For the whole of the residence process, see our guide library. Preparing documents in advance lets you spend your first weeks in Italy much more comfortably.

Time and preparation

The apostille and translation process for a birth certificate, including obtaining the document current, can take from a few working days to a few weeks. As procedures such as family reunification may need several family members’ documents, it is efficient to plan them all together. Preparing documents before your procedure calendar prevents delays. For an exact time and price, share your documents and take a free quote.

Common mistakes

The commonest mistakes are: using an old-dated document, skipping the apostille, not realising that a full extract is needed instead of a summary, and inconsistencies in the name spelling. Also, some procedures want the document to be within a certain currency period; a document obtained long before may be considered invalid. These details may require starting the process from scratch. Obtaining the document close to the procedure and preparing it in the right order prevents most of these problems.

The birth certificate in family procedures

In procedures such as family reunification or registering a child born in Italy, the birth certificate plays a central role. In these procedures several family members’ (spouse, child, parent) birth certificates may be wanted together; all must be apostilled and sworn-translated. The consistency of the names and kinship details across the documents is important for the procedure to move smoothly. As family procedures usually involve strict document checks, all documents must be prepared in full and in the right order. Preparing these documents in advance in Turkey lets you complete the procedures in Italy much faster.

Frequently asked questions