ITALIAN BIRTH CERTIFICATE

​In the following article, we talk about the certificate needed to request Italian Citizenship.
How many types of it? And How did you get it?

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WHAT IS?
It is a certificate issued by the competent Italian Comune (Municipality) which contains the personal details, such as first and second name, surname and date and place of birth of the person in question.
​​The birth certificate of your Italian ancestor is the first and most important document you need to collect to apply for Italian Citizenship by descent (jus sanguinis).
 
WHO ISSUES IT?
 
The Comune (Municipality) issued the birth certificate where the birth took place or where the original act of conception was formally registered if the birth occurred in a foreign country.
 
For example, if you or your Italian ancestor were born in Rome, you must request the birth certificate from the Comune di Roma. You can also ask for your birth certificate from the Italian Comune, for example, Rome, even if you were born abroad (USA, UK, Canada etc.), if, because you are or became Italian, your original act of birth has been registered with the Comune through your local Consulate or through the assistance of an Italian professional or because you took it there in person.
 
HOW DO I REQUEST AN ITALIAN BIRTH CERTIFICATE?
  
​​To request your or your Italian ancestor's birth certificate, you will need to provide the Comune with the relevant details, such as the first and second name, surname, date of birth and place of delivery of the person in question. If you do not have the exact details, you need to hope that you will find a friendly clerk willing to research for you, which does not always happen.
​​The request must be written in Italian. Oral requests made via phone or submissions written in a foreign language or Italian but incomprehensible or with many grammar or typing mistakes will almost certainly not be considered and answered.
 
WHAT TYPES OF BIRTH CERTIFICATES?
​Three types of birth certificates can be requested with the assistance of Vademecum Italia from your competent Italian Comune. These are: Certificato, estratto per riassunto, and copia integrale
​Certificato di nascita (Birth certificate).
The certificate di nascita shows the minimum essential data, so it contains the registration details (year, act number, part, and series of the Register of Civil Status), the personal data of the person in question such as name and surname, place of birth and date of birth. It is a certification that proves the birth.
 
​Estratto per riassunto dell’atto di nascita (Extract of birth)
In addition to the above data, the estratto per riassunto also includes other significant data that is called "annotazioni marginali" (marginal annotations as defined by article 69 of the D.p.R. 396/2000), such as marital status, divorce, and it usually shows the name of the parents. It is a summary of what is registered in the Comune's official Register of Civil Status.
 
Estratto di nascita plurilingue (Multilingual or international extract of birth certificate)
The multilingual extract is the most common certificate nowadays. It is an extract of birth issued by the Comune, just like the traditional one (see above), with the benefit that it is drawn up in a multilingual format. Therefore, no translation nor notarization/legalization is required if you need to use this certificate abroad.
 
Copia integrale dell’atto di nascita (Full ​copy of the act of birth)
 
The Copia integrale dell'atto di nascita is the authenticated copy of the act as it has been registered in the Register of the Civil Status of the Comune, where any circumstance and annotation are reported. It is a "complete copy" of the act of birth. Considering that it is the actual copy of the original front of birth contained in the Official Register, it can only be in Italian. It is often written using old Italian expressions, in italics, by hand, and is difficult to read.
 
WHICH CERTIFICATE DO YOU NEED TO APPLY FOR ITALIAN CITIZENSHIP?
 The birth extract is the certificate you will need to apply for Italian Citizenship.
DO YOU NEED TO ADD THE LEGALIZATION OR APOSTILLE TO THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?
If you need to use the birth certificate before a foreign court or other foreign authority, you might need to add the "apostille" or legalization, depending on the country.
For Italian citizenship applications, you are considering that an Italian Comune issues the certificate in Italian and that you will apply for Italian Citizenship. In this case, the Apostille, legalization or translation are not needed. However, you will need the original certificate from Comune.
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