Apostille, legalization and notarization
Our apostille and legalization services ensure you get the required Italian governmental authority authentication of documents for their international use.
What is the difference between apostille and legalization?
Apostille and legalization are both administrative procedures through which an official document issued in Italy (e.g., court documents, administrative documents, notarial acts, official certificates, etc.) is authenticated and certified for use outside of Italy. This is particularly relevant for Italy corporate document legalization, which ensures that business documents comply with international standards. Often, the document must be authenticated by an Italian public notary before it can be apostilled or legalized.
Unlike legalization, the apostille is a simpler and faster procedure but is only available for countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention of October 5, 1961. For jurisdictions that are not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, the document must be legalized by the Embassy or Consulate in Italy of the country where the documents will be used.
As of today, the Hague Apostille Convention has 115 parties. It’s important to note that apostille and legalization are not needed for documents issued in the following jurisdictions: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Latvia (Brussels Convention of April 25, 1987), Germany (Rome Convention of June 7, 1969), and Hungary (Budapest Convention of May 26, 1977).
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