Apostille of documents is a process where the documents are attested and authenticated for use in countries that are a part of the Hague Apostille Convention, signed on 5th October 1961. The Hague Apostille Convention is a treaty among the countries that abolishes the need for the legalization of public documents. Apostilled documents have a specific stamp on them that makes them valid for international use. Other than the countries that are included in the Hague Apostille Convention, every country has to apply its documents for legalization when required. Having the documents apostilled makes sure that your documents are legitimate in the eyes of the foreign authorities.
WHY IS APOSTILLE AND AUTHENTICATION OF DOCUMENTS NECESSARY?
Apostille and authentication of a document act as proof that the documents that you are providing to the officials in the foreign country are genuine and legitimate. The documents that are valid in your country will not be anything more than just a piece of paper. And that is why to give value to your documents and to make it acceptable in the international sphere apostille and authentication of the document is important.
PROCESS OF APOSTILLE AND AUTHENTICATION FOR DOCUMENTS IN ITALY
There are specific officials in Italy that have the authority to issue apostille and they are mentioned below-
- The public prosecutor in the court of law that comes under the province where the documents were created. These public prosecutors deal with some specific kinds of documentation like judicial documents, civil status documents, and notarial acts.
- The prefectural officer or the prefect that has the authority of a territory. The prefects perform the issuance of apostille on documents that are administrative which is provided by the convention.
Follow the below-mentioned steps before applying for apostille and authentication of the document.
- Notarize the required document
Notarization of documents is very important as the document cannot move further without being notarized. Send your documents to the local court for the certification. Once it is verified by the notary clerk they will certify the documents.
- Make sure that the documents that are being notarized by them are not copies but original documents. Notarizing the copies of the documents will not be accepted and will make your efforts go to waste.
- Once the above conditions are met and the documents are successfully notarized you can go ahead with the process and get the documents apostilled.
When applying your document for apostille or legalization there are some cases where certain documents have to go through a verification process which is carried out by a public notary officer in Italy. As mentioned earlier, an apostille of documents can be only done for those countries that are a part of the Hague Convention. The countries that are not a part of the Hague Convention have to legalize their documents from the embassy or the consulate of Italy in the country.
COMMONLY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR APOSTILLE OR LEGALIZATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:-
- Translated copy of the original document.
- Copy of the passport details of the owner of the documents.
- National ID card of the owner of the documents.
- Copy of the mother’s and father’s national ID cards.
- Copy of the death certificate if any of the parents are dead.
- Copy of resident permit of the owner of the document.
Remember, that if there is any error found in the documents or if any documents are missing the documents will be returned back to you by the embassy. This will result in repeating the process which will take more time to complete the procedure.
LIST OF DOCUMENTS THAT ARE APOSTILLE AND AUTHENTICATED IN ITALY
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Divorce certificates
- Death certificates
- School reports
- Academic certificates
- Diploma certificates
- Trade register documents
- Documents related to the judiciary
- Affidavits
- Notarized copies of a document
- Notarized translated documents
- Declaration
- Wills
- Authorization documents
- Tax registration document
- Articles of incorporation
- Registration certificates
- Commercial documents
- Other documents
These are some of the documents that are apostille and authentication in Italy.
REASONS TO GET YOUR DOCUMENTS APOSTILLED AND AUTHENTICATED
- Applying for an employment visa
While applying for a visa documents are required to be apostilled and authenticated for the foreign party to recognize it as a valid document. As apostille proves the legitimacy of the documents it is important to legalize them before applying for an employment visa. Not only for the employment visa but also for your residential visa you might need documents that are authenticated.
1. Pursuing higher education in a foreign country
When you apply for universities in a foreign country you are expected to submit your documents and certificate that is apostilled and legalised to show that the documents provided by you are genuine. Only then will you be able to apply for your intended universities.
2. For better employment opportunities in foreign countries
As a foreigner, the companies or organizations that you will opt for in the foreign land will demand for your documents and academic certificates to be apostilled. In such situations, you are supposed to provide the documents that are properly authenticated by the appropriate authorities.
3. Expanding business overseas
For business owners that are planning on spreading their business in a foreign land than getting their business-related documents apostilled and authenticated should be at the top of their priority list. Certifying their documents and contracts would help them to set up their businesses in the countries that they are targeting.
CONCLUSION
The process of apostille and authentication may sound simple but it is very complicated that needs great precision and has to be handled with utmost care. Mistreatment of the documents can cause all your efforts to go down the drain. Trusting the job to untrained people will bring tons of problems on your way. While beginning the process to trust your documents with a trained professional who knows what they are dealing with because apostille attestations are important documents that should always be miles away from harm.
