Documents written in English or other languages must be translated in Italian in order to be valid in Italy. Sometime an apostille is required as well.
The Italian Consulate does NOT offer a translation service; it only certifies the translation of a document from English to Italian (or vice versa) is complete and correct.
For a translation service, you can contact any of the professional translators on this list.
The certification of a translation is done by regular mail ONLY (no email or drop off in person).
In order to request this service, our Notary Office must receive the following items:
- The original document (no photocopy or scans);
- The translation (no handwriting, it must be printed on single sheet/s, no front-back);
- Money order to pay the fee (or a cashier’s check in U.S. dollars, cashable in any U.S. bank);
- USPS Priority pre-paid and pre-addressed envelope to send you back the certified translation (if you reside abroad you must set up the shipping through FedEx or DHL, pick up included).
- The request form filled out.
Mail address is:
Consular General of Italy – Notary Office
2590 Webster St.
San Francisco
CA 949115
The translation must be correct (using the proper legal terms when required), and complete (every word must be translated).
Apostille’s do not require translation.
You can check the current amount for the fee on the link below (from English to Italian: art. 72A; from Italian to English: art. 72C). The $ amount is per each original page front and back (so, if the original is one page front and back, and the translation is two pages, the fee is for one page): Fees – Consolato Generale d’Italia a San Francisco (esteri.it)
Processing time is about one/two weeks, however it may change based on the number of documents you need to certify.
It is not possible to proceed with the authentication of the translation of educational qualifications or professional qualifications. These documents must be evaluated according to the legislation regarding declarations of value of educational qualifications/professional qualifications (link).
TRANSLATIONS OF DOCUMENTS FOR THE PURPOSES OF REQUESTING ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP
PLEASE NOTE: The Citizenship Office of the Italian Consulate takes care of the translation certifications for all applicants who have applied for citizenship at our Consulate in San Francisco, and in this case the cost of the certification is free because it is already included in the payment of the fee required for this procedure.
If the request for Italian citizenship is filed in Italy, the competent Italian Consulate based on the origin of the documents will simply confirm the correctness of the documents by email, but the certification of the translations must be made in Italy by a sworn translator in a Court of Law.