Request a translation quote
We will reply within a day. Please fill in the form with some information that will help us better understand what you need.
Authentication is a stamp applied to a document by a public authority attesting to the authenticity of a signature. Not all signatures can be authenticated in this way – only those of public officials who lodge them with special registries. Authentication is a procedure that exists in Italy and abroad, with different rules and methods, which serves to avoid the counterfeiting of public documents and deeds. Authentication does not certify the content of the document, just the signature of the public official and their role.
When official documents need to be translated to present them to the public authorities of another country, they must first be authenticated in the country of origin in order to be valid abroad. After which, depending on the case, it may also be necessary to authenticate the certified translation.
Examples of official documents are certificates issued by the registry office, notarial deeds, sentences and certified true copies of documents.
People needing to present an Italian deed or document to a foreign authority must first of all authenticate the original or a true certified copy of the document at the Prefecture or Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Prefecture is responsible for authenticating the signatures of administration officials (normally civil service functionaries), while the Public Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for authenticating the signatures of court officials and notaries.
Once the Italian document has been authenticated, it may be translated into the language of the destination country and follow the certification process. Because the document is for use abroad, the signature of the official who receives the certification must also be authenticated. The person in charge of translation takes care of the whole procedure.
People needing to present a document or deed produced abroad to the Italian authorities must authenticate it in the country of origin or at an embassy or consulate in Italy. Depending on the country of origin, it may be a complicated matter to obtain authentication, which is provided by different authorities abroad, and may sometimes involve lengthy turnaround times. However, it is a fundamental step for the document to be recognised in Italy.
The authenticated document may be translated into Italian and then certified. A translation that has been certified in Italy and is for the Italian authorities does not need to be further authenticated.
An apostille is a specific type of authentication adopted by countries that are signatories of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. This now includes most countries in the world. An apostille is a form of authentication that follows a set format, the same in all countries, which reduces the bureaucracy at embassies or consulates. For countries that have not signed the convention, after ordinary authentication, the document must in fact be lodged with a diplomatic mission.
The procedure to be followed is the same as described above – the competent authorities will decide, based on the country of destination of the document, whether to authenticate or apply an apostille to it.
The apostille on original documents must in any case be translated, because it is an integral part of the document.
Authentication or the application of an apostille to an original document or translation is in any case indispensable for recognition of the document by other countries, especially when the document is going or comes from outside of the European Union.
There are international agreements providing exonerations from the obligation to authenticate documents, in particular Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, in force since 2019. The regulation exonerates from the need for authentication and apostilles documents to be presented between member states concerning the civil status and criminal record of European citizens. Specifically, authentication is not necessary for birth certificates, certificates proving a person is alive, death certificates, marriage, adoption and divorce certificates, residency certificates and certificates showing that a person does not have a criminal record.
In relations with Italy, these documents still require a certified translation.
We will reply within a day. Please fill in the form with some information that will help us better understand what you need.
We will work alongside you through all the stages of the work: before, during and after translation, to offer you a complete service, with added value that makes all the difference.
Ask for your quotation!