How to translate vital records for a citizenship application at a municipality in Italy
Our previous article focused on translating the vital records for a citizenship application at an Italian consulate in the United States or outside of the U.S. This article instead will focus on translating the vital records needed for a citizenship application at a municipality in Italy. While the eligibility requirements to apply are the same, if you apply for citizenship in Italy, as a general rule, you will not need to provide the vital records pertaining to the spouses of the individuals in your Italian lineage, unless specifically required by the municipality to which you are applying. Another important difference between applying in Italy and applying at an Italian consulate in the U.S. is that if you apply in Italy, the translations of all the vital records will need to be certified prior to being submitted to the municipality. So, how do you certify translations? Can you translate your records by yourself?
This article will provide you with an overview of the most important aspects you need to consider if you are preparing an application to be submitted to a municipality in Italy.
Applying for citizenship at a municipality in Italy
While filing an application in Italy may be one of the fastest and perhaps most exciting ways to apply for Italian citizenship by descent, it may also be quite daunting, especially when you need to establish residency in Italy and prepare all of the documentation needed to file an application.
You can file an application at any municipality in Italy, however, it is important to bear in mind that not all municipalities are familiar with applications for Italian citizenship by descent. Furthermore, not all municipalities might have English-speaking staff, therefore you may need an interpreter or a lawyer during your citizenship appointment.
Prior to booking an appointment at a municipality, it is always worth double-checking that you meet all the eligibility requirements and that you have all of the necessary vital records to apply, including your ancestor’s naturalization records or proof that your ancestor was never naturalized. Your ancestor’s naturalization documents, including letters of negative search issued by The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and Certificates of Non-Existence issued by The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will also need to be translated into Italian. Additionally, and contrary to filing an application via an Italian consulate, if you apply for citizenship via a municipality in Italy, you will also need to translate the Apostille on each vital record.
While you may be able to translate your records by yourself (although we strongly discourage DIY translations), you might need help with certifying the translations of all your vital records prior to submitting them to the citizenship office on the day of your appointment.
How do you certify translations?
Translations may be certified by a court in Italy or by the Italian consulate which is located in the country which issued the vital records.
If you decide to certify the translations of the records in Italy, you will need the help of a professional translator as he/she will need to appear before a court clerk and swear that the translations reflect the original content. Most courts in Italy only accept sworn translations to be provided by a translator who is registered in an official list of authorized translators which is held by the court.
The cost to certify the translations in a court in Italy is dependent on the number of vital records that need to be translated and, consequently, on the number of revenue stamps that are needed to certify each translation.
On average, the cost to certify the translations of all the vital records needed for a citizenship application varies between €200 and €500.
Final remarks
In conclusion, this article has sought to explain how to translate vital records if you are filing your application at a municipality in Italy. It has also sought to elucidate the role of a professional translator in certifying the translations in court in Italy.
If you have any questions or you would like help, do not hesitate to contact us at info@italiancitizenshiptranslators.com.