What is an Apostille?

An Apostille, French for “certification,” is a form of authentication issued to documents that will be used overseas. If you reside in the United States, an Apostille is provided by the Office of the Secretary of State of the State where the document/certificate was issued. The Apostille is attached to the original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in one of the other countries i.e. Italy who are members of the 1961 Hague Convention.

If you are applying for Italian Dual Citizenship, all U.S. Birth/Marriage/Divorce/Death records that are certified by the US State Registrar related to the "Italian side" must bear an Apostille (except for the Certificate of Naturalization and/or similar documentation). Note: Italian vital records do not need to be Apostilled. 

If you are applying for Italian Dual Citizenship in Italy, additional documents, such as the naturalization certificate or the statement of no record issued by the federal government must also be Apostilled by the United States Department of State. 

The Apostille does not need to be translated to Italian.