The Office of Civil Status of an Embassy or of a Consulate is the institution that deals with registrations, endorsements and keeping of the Registers of Civil Status. The Civil Status Registers are four: citizenship, birth, marriage and death. For each of these services, the Office is also competent in the issuance of certificates of documents deposited in the office’s registers that certify the”civil status” of each individual.
The consular offices receive documents issued by foreign Authorities and forward them to the Italian City Halls for their registration.
The Civil Status sector of the consular offices, apart from managing the four registers of Civil Status, assists the nationals resident within the district in carrying out the following paperwork:
- Drawing up of the banns and placing them in the consular notice board;
- Celebration of the consular marriage, unless contrary to local laws;
- Forwarding of applications for change of name or surname, be it because ridiculous or shameful, to the Prefecture;
- Receipt and forwarding of separation orders and divorce decrees to the relevant City Hall for registration.
Necessary requirements to register Civil Status acts and/or obtain relevant certificate in the Civil Satus Offices
An Italian citizen who has established residence overseas must firstly enrol in the Register of Italians Residing Abroad (A.I.R.E.).
CHANGES OF CIVIL STATUS
1. BIRTH
Registration of birth of a child of an Italian citizen living overseas:
the children of both Italian parents or at least of one of the two parents with Italian citizenship, even if born overseas and in possession of another citizenship, are Italian citizens. Therefore, their birth must be registered in Italy.
To communicate a birth, one must visit the Consular Office with the following documents:
- Birth certificate, issued by the competent Registrar’s Office of the Country where residing, together with the translation into Italian done by an official translator and authenticated by the Foreign Ministry (for all those Countries that have adhered to the 1961 Hague Convention)
- Documentation attesting Italian citizenship of at least one parent (identity card, Italian passport or a Certificate of Italian citizenship).
2. MATRIMONY
Matrimony celebrated in Kenya or in the Seychelles must be registered at the relevant Italian City Hall in order to be valid in Italy. The national resident in Kenya or in the Seychelles, and who is regularly registered with the Registry Office may present the Certificate of Matrimony:
1. to the Consular Chancery of this Embassy so that it may be forwarded to Italy for transcription in the Registry of Civil Status of the competent Town Hall
2. directly to the pertaining Italian Town Hall, once the same has been authenticated and translated. For futher useful information kindly consult the dedicated web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
Necessary documentation:
Seychelles
• Form requesting registration of Marriage Certificate in the Seychelles;
• Original Certificate of Marriage issued by the Civil Status Office of the foreign Country;
• Photocopy of the identity documents of the spouses to verify the authenticity of the signatures of the holders: Passport (the first three pages) or the Identity Card (back and front);
• Translation into Italian of the Marriage Certificate issued by a Consular Authority;
• Possibly photocopy of the Birth Certificate, in the case of one of the spouses being a foreign citizen, issued by the Civil Status office of the foreign Country.
Kenya
• Form requesting registration of Marriage Certificate in Kenya (to be signed in the presence of the competent Consular Authority);
• Original Marriage Certificate accompanied by the transciption certificate issued by the Marriage Registrar’s Office in Kenya;
• In the case of marriages celebrated according to Christian, Muslim, Hindu or traditional rites, the transciption of the marriage will need to be accomapnied by the authentication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya (Legal and Host Country Affairs Directorate) that attests the authenticity of the signature and the stamp of the Authority that celebrated the marriage;
• Photocopy of the identity cards of the spouses in order to verify the authenticity of the signatures of the holders: Passport (first three pages) or Identity Card (front and back);
• Translation into Italian of the Marriage Certificate authenticated by the Consular Authority;
• Possible photocopy of the Birth Certificate issued by the Registrar’s Office of the foreign Country, in case one of the two spouses is a foreign citizen.
3. DIVORCE
ATTENTION – The citizens’ attention is drawn to the fact that the published Official Gazzette n. 212 of 12th September 2014 the Law Decree of 12.09.2014, n. 132 bears urgent measures of taking litigation out of the courts for the definition of civil trial matters.
Registration in Italy of the decree of divorce issued overseas:
One must bear in mind that a decree of divorce passed overseas is not automatically considered valid in Italy.
The documents required for the transcription are the following:
• the final decree of divorce (original or authenticated copy);
• the official translation of the decree;
• declaration in lieu of affidavit;
• a photocopy of all the documentation presented;
• act of divorce registration from the Civil Status Office of the Country
These documents must be certified copies bearing the authentic stamp of the Court.
If the documents are valid according to the legislation of the place of issuance, the Consular Office will proceed with the forwarding of these to the Italian Town Hall for the registration of the decree.
4. DEATH
Registration in Italy of the death of an Italian residing overseas:
the death of an Italian citizen that has occurred abroad must be registered in Italy.
The documents required for the registration are the following:
- death certificate issued by the Registrar’s Office of the residing Country, duly translated and possibly legalized (in the expected cases);
- documentation relevant to the citizenship of the deceased: identity card, Italian passport or certificate of Italian citizenship.
All civil status certificates issued by the local authorities will have to be presented in original, and where expected, authenticated and translated into Italian, so that the Consulates can forward the same to the relevant Town Hall.
