If you have read my post about getting married to an Italian in Italy, you will know that there are tons of documents and bureaucracy involved (not to mention that pesky marca da bollo).
Then, when you’ve gotten all those documents, you have to get even MORE documents to make your American documents legal in Italy. So, how do you do that?
You guessed it! With an apostille.
What Is an Apostille?
While it may look similar to an Italian word, “apostille” is actually a French word, meaning “certification.” To put it simply, it is a stamp that authenticates the signature on a document so that it can be considered valid and legal in other countries, like Italy. This is done as a part of the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty, which was enacted with the goal of making it easier for documents to be legal in more than one country.
Getting an apostille is, in theory, similar to having a document notarized, in that it is basically a validation that the signature on it is official and, well, valid.
The apostille itself may either be an actual stamp inked onto the page or what looks like a seal or a raised sticker, which is usually golden. Each U.S. state has a different apostille stamp, so not every one will look the same.
Typically, the types of documents that require an apostille for use in Italy are vital records, such as birth certificates.
How to Get an Apostille
Getting an apostille can be a fairly simple process and perhaps even easier than getting a document notarized. In the state of Kentucky, for example, all you have to do is head to the Secretary of State’s website, find the apostille request form, print it, fill it out, and send it in via USPS along with a check and the document you need the apostille for.
It took my quite a bit of Googling to find the way, but I can help you skip all that (you’re welcome!). Simply scroll down to the chart in section III of the Hague Conference on Private International Law’s (HCCH) information page and find your state. Click the link to your Secretary of State’s website and you’ll be able to see all the requirements and the procedure unique to your own state.
It really is that easy!
Important tip: If someone tells you that you have to use a special “apostille service” to get an apostille, don’t fall for it! There are a lot of websites and services online that will take a lot more money from you for the apostille than the secretary of state will. While legalizing documents may seem like a daunting task, I assure you that you can do it on your own — you don’t need a service.
How Much Does an Apostille Cost?
If you go through one of these apostille service providers, the cost of an apostille could be anywhere from 30 to hundreds of dollars a pop. But if you go through the proper channels, your apostille should cost you less than $10. In Kentucky, I paid around $6, including the stamp and the envelope. In Georgia, the cost is $3.
See how much you can save when you believe in yourself?
Important Note
One last thing to mention before you head off to get your documents apostilled is that the document you send in must be the original, not a copy. I know it’s nerve-wracking to send the original, only copy of your birth certificate in the mail, never knowing if it will reach its destination, but this is, unfortunately, the only way to do it.
I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say that, in my case, it only took a couple short weeks before the original birth certificate was returned to me, safe and sound and with a nice, shiny apostille.
Do you have any questions about how to get an apostille for your documents? If so, let me know in the comments section below and I will do my best to find an answer for you!
Hello!!!
I was wondering is there away that I can just go in person to get my birth certificate???
Sandra
Hi Sandra!
That would depend on the rules of the Vital Records Department in the state where you were born. I think that in most cases it is done via the mail, but your state might be different. Here’s the link to a page with the information about how to get a certified copy of your birth certificate in each state that might help: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm.
Hi Jessica I would.like to know if we can talk via phone so I can ask a few questions. 1. Does the atto notorio have to have the apostle? And does it have to be translated as well as the affidavit? If you can please email me and I can send you my number so I can speak directly and ask the questions pertaining to my situation
Hi Tameka,
Only American documents need an apostille, so you don’t need one for the atto notorio. If you have any other questions, you can email me at blog@anamericaninitaly.com.
(I removed your email address from your comment so you don’t get spam)
Hello Jessica…So I was in america and I did all the documentations that was needed..but now I was told by the commune that I need to go to Consolato U.S.A IN FLORENCE to get a dichiarazione giurate (sworn statement) …Atto notorio is where I need to have four individuals to witness the signing of the documentations…I really thought I was done had all docs in order in America ..There is always a loop hole lol….
Yep, that’s the Nulla Osta! It’s basically a signed document that says that your other signed document (the Atto Notorio) is legitimate. I wrote about it in this post here: https://www.anamericaninitaly.com/how-to-survive-italian-bureaucracy/documents-required-for-an-american-to-marry-an-italian-in-italy-part-2-the-nulla-osta-etc/
Once the Nulla Osta is validated at the Prefettura, you’re almost done with the paperwork!
Hi- I am an American armed forces employee in Naples Italy on a soggiorno residency permit here, trying to marry my Italian Fiancé…I am a bit confused cause I was able to go right to the US consulate Naples and get the Nulla Osta and validated by Prefettura without having the “atto notorio” step yet with all the apostile and translated documents. I am wondering if I will still need this to present at the commune/town hall for marriage? (Somewhat crossing my fingers I just lucked out in Naples and don’t have to do that step, but I doubt it)
Hi Morgan! Unfortunately you will still need the atto notorio as well. You don’t necessarily have to do the atto notorio first, but you do have to have both that and the nulla osta when you go to the comune to apply for the marriage license and everything.