Foreign company documents for use in Italy: which may need translation
Articles, incorporation deed, registry extract, resolutions, powers of attorney: an inventory of the foreign company file and when it is translated for Italy.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min
A foreign company file for Italy is rarely ‘one PDF’. It is a set: constitution, internal rules, proof of registration, powers, resolutions, sometimes powers of attorney. This page is an inventory of document types — not a guide to incorporating or filing a company.
Articles and the incorporation deed have their own note: foreign articles of association.
Note
ItaloDocs is a private service specialised in sworn translations. If you already hold the company file, we translate the documents the recipient asks for in Italian. Filing with the Registro delle Imprese and corporate advice remain with the competent professionals.
Which foreign company documents appear in Italian files
| Type (names vary) | Typical role |
|---|---|
| Incorporation deed and/or articles | Birth of the company and internal rules — detail |
| Certificate of incorporation / registry extract | Proof the company exists |
| Good standing | That it is not dissolved, according to the foreign register |
| Board / shareholder resolutions | A specific decision |
| Powers of attorney | Representation: in Spain, often a notarial act |
| Shareholder documentation | Title, transfers — only if requested |
| Accounts and financial documents | Mention only: some offices ask for them; they are not the core of this guide |
A Companies House extract is not a Registro Mercantil. Ask the Italian recipient for the list using the original names.
Who may request the file
- Italian notary;
- bank;
- Companies Register — the Rome CCIAA provides form S1 also for a foreign company opening a secondary office;
- a counterparty in due diligence;
- administrations that must identify the foreign company.
For EU capital companies, Art. 2508-bis of the Civil Code requires a sworn translation of foreign-language documents in the secondary-office registration path. A bank KYC is not that filing.
Apostille and translation are not the same
According to MAECI, documents of foreign authorities, to be used in Italy, are legalised or apostilled (Hague Convention) and translated into Italian, unless a convention says otherwise. A registry extract is usually a public document. Internal articles may first need a notarial certification.
Do you have a multi-page file? Send the complete set of documents to request a quote.
FAQ
Must I translate the accounts?
Only if the recipient asks. ItaloDocs is not a specialised financial-translation practice.
Is the registry extract enough?
Sometimes to identify the company; rarely if the Italian deed turns on powers or internal rules.
