US birth certificate for use in Italy: long form, Apostille and sworn translation
US birth certificate for Italy: form, state Apostille and sworn translation. If you already hold the record, we can prepare the sworn translation into Italian.
October 20, 2026 · 4 min
A US birth certificate for use in Italy is not a single federal form. It is usually issued by the vital records office of the state (or, in some cases, the county) where the birth occurred. This guide is for anyone who already holds the act — or is obtaining it themselves — and needs to understand Apostille, form (short / long form) and sworn translation into Italian.
The service
If you already hold the birth certificate, we can prepare the sworn translation into Italian. The record and the state Apostille are obtained from the US authorities.
Who issues the act (and why it changes by state)
The CDC publishes Where to Write for Vital Records: each state has its own issuer, forms and access rules. USA.gov explains how to replace vital documents. There is no identical “US birth certificate” in all fifty states.
The Italian recipient (Prefettura, Comune, Consulate) usually wants an extract complete as to identity particulars, translated and legalised/apostilled — as the citizenship instructions put it for people born abroad. Which local format meets that request must be checked against the issuing state and the applicable Italian instruction.
Long form, certified copy, short form
Many states distinguish a short copy (often a few lines, sometimes a wallet card) from a long form / extended / full certified copy, with parents, annotations and more fields. Some Italian consular posts in the US expressly ask for the long form. It is not true that every Italian procedure, in a Prefettura or Comune, automatically uses that wording: what counts is the text of your file.
What it may be used for in Italy
- Citizenship (marriage, residence, other routes) — foreign birth extract among the annexes if you were not born in Italy. Marriage picture: documents and residences.
- Civil status — transcriptions, annotations, registry entries, when the registrar asks.
- Other procedures — residence, family reunification, administrative uses: only if the recipient names that act.
State Apostille
The United States and Italy are in the Hague Convention. A birth certificate is a state document: the Apostille is affixed by the Secretary of State (or designated authority) of the issuing state, not by the federal Office of Authentications. Schema: USA.gov — authenticate a document. The Apostille is obtained from the issuing state’s authority.
| Element | Note | ItaloDocs’ role |
|---|---|---|
| Birth record | Vital records of the state / county of birth | Does not obtain it. Translates the complete specimen |
| Form (long / certified) | Check the issuer and the Italian recipient | Translates what you have; does not choose the form for you |
| Apostille | Secretary of State of the issuing state | Does not obtain it. May enter the translation if it is on the file |
Sworn translation
For use in Italy the target language is Italian. ItaloDocs performs sworn translation. Send the complete act (front, back, annotations, Apostille). A crop or partial scan leaves out the fields the recipient reads. MAECI governs other cases (translations for use abroad): here we mean use in Italy.
See also: US documents · US marriage and divorce · Apostille.
Already have the US birth certificate in the form required for your procedure and, where it applies, the Apostille? Send it in full for a sworn-translation quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is the long form always required?
No. Some US posts ask for it; a Comune or Prefettura may word the requirement differently. Check the concrete instruction.
Who apostilles a birth certificate?
As a rule the Secretary of State of the state that issued the act, not the federal Department of State.
Is the Apostille translated?
Often yes, if it is part of the specimen. It depends on the recipient: translating the Apostille.
Does ItaloDocs obtain the certificate in the US?
The service starts once you already hold the required act: we can prepare the sworn translation into Italian.
Can I send birth and other US acts together?
Yes. One quote on the real file.
