Apostille for Italy: citizenship by descent, visas, and marriage

Common reasons you need documents for Italy

The elective residency visa that American retirees use to move to Italy, Italian citizenship by descent, marriage in Italy, and property or inheritance matters.

Documents and who authenticates them

Long-form birth, marriage, and death certificates for each person in your line, apostilled by the state that issued them, plus FBI results apostilled by the U.S. Department of State when a background check is required.

Step by step from Oregon

1. Get fingerprinted for your FBI Identity History Summary. Italian consulates generally want it issued within the last 6 months, and they want the physical original with the wet signature and seal, not a PDF.
2. Send the original FBI results to the U.S. Department of State for a federal apostille.
3. Order long-form certified copies of any birth, marriage, or death records the consulate asks for, and have each apostilled by the state that issued it.
4. Have the documents translated into Italian after the apostille is applied, including the apostille page, in the form your consulate accepts.
5. Book your consulate appointment and file the full pack with proof of passive income, health insurance, and registered accommodation in Italy.

Translation

Italy generally requires an Italian translation, and many consulates require the translation to be certified by the consulate or done by a court-sworn translator (traduttore giurato) in Italy. Check your consulate's rules before ordering a translation.

Good to know

• Italy is stricter than most countries about the FBI check: consulates commonly require the original hard copy with the FBI's wet signature and seal, and reject printed PDFs.
• The elective residency visa is for people living on passive income and does not allow work in Italy. Consulates also refuse informal housing arrangements, so a registered rental contract or property deed is usually required.
• Citizenship by descent files often include records from several states, so start early and expect more than one apostille request.
• Consulates differ on formatting and translation rules, so follow the instructions from the specific consulate handling your case.

Moving to Italy: which route, and what it needs

Requirements differ by route and change without notice, so treat this as a starting point and confirm with the consulate or your immigration attorney.

• Work and employment. A job offer usually drives the paperwork. Employers and immigration offices commonly ask for a criminal background check, degrees, and sometimes birth or marriage records, all authenticated.
• Business, investor, and self-employment. Company formation, investor permits, and self-employment routes typically need authenticated corporate documents, powers of attorney so someone can act for you locally, and a background check.
• Remote work and digital nomad routes. Where a remote-work route exists, applications usually require proof of foreign income, health insurance, and an authenticated background check. Confirm whether the route is currently open before you build a document pack around it.
• Retirement and passive income. The elective residency visa is the usual retirement route. Italian consulates commonly require the original hard-copy FBI check, apostilled, with the Italian translation done after the apostille.
• Family, marriage, and children. Marriage abroad, family reunification, and registering a child usually need apostilled birth and marriage certificates, and sometimes a single-status or no-impediment document.
• Study. Universities and student permits typically ask for apostilled diplomas and transcripts, and a background check for longer programs.

Document timeline

These are our turnaround times for the steps we handle. Government processing and consulate appointments are set by those offices.

1. Fingerprinting and FBI background check — Submitted within 30 minutes of your appointment
   We capture your prints and submit the request through our channeler partners. The FBI controls how quickly results come back.
2. Notarization, if your documents need it — Same day
   Powers of attorney, affidavits, and copies that need a notary before authentication are handled at your appointment, in our office or at your location.
3. Apostille or authentication courier service — 10 to 15 business days
   We prepare and courier the request to the right office: the U.S. Department of State for FBI results, or a state Secretary of State for state-issued documents.
4. Certified translation — 2 to 3 business days
   Ordered after the apostille when the receiving country wants the apostille page translated too. Some countries require their own sworn translator, and we tell you when that applies.
5. Your consulate appointment — Set by the consulate
   Book early. Appointment backlogs, not document preparation, are usually what delays a move.

Finding the Italy consulate that covers Oregon

Each Italy consulate in the United States covers specific states, and you generally have to file with the one that covers Oregon. Check the consulate's own website for its jurisdiction, appointment system, and current document checklist, because those differ by post and change without notice.

The U.S. State Department publishes the official directory of foreign consular offices in the United States, which is the reliable place to find current addresses and contact details rather than a third-party list.

U.S. State Department: Foreign Consular Offices in the United States

We don't book consulate appointments or file applications. We prepare, notarize, translate, and courier the documents you take to that appointment.

How we help with your move to Italy

One team handles the document chain, so you make one call instead of coordinating four businesses against one deadline.

• Fingerprinting and FBI background checks

  Captured at our Beaverton office or at your location, submitted within 30 minutes. $135, or $350 with the federal apostille package.

• Notary and witnesses

  Powers of attorney, affidavits, and consent letters notarized before they go for authentication. $10 per signature at our office.

• Apostille courier service

  Prepared and couriered to the Oregon Secretary of State, another state, or the U.S. Department of State. $125 to $195 per Oregon document.

• Certified translation

  $65 per document, $75 with a notarized certificate, in 2 to 3 business days. We tell you when the destination requires its own sworn translator instead.

• Passport photos and shipping

  Photos sized for the country you're applying to, and tracked international shipping for the finished documents.

We are notaries and a private document facilitator, not attorneys or immigration consultants. We can't choose a visa route, complete application forms, or advise on eligibility. For that, talk to an immigration attorney or the consulate.

Our prices for documents going to Italy

Our fees are for our document authentication facilitator and courier service. See all prices.

Related country guides

• Portugal
• Greece
• Spain
• Germany
• All countries

Where we serve Italy clients

Documents for Italy are handled at our Beaverton office or by mobile appointment across the Portland metro area.

• Beaverton
• Portland
• Hillsboro
• Tigard
• Lake Oswego
• All service areas