Sworn translation of a foreign court judgment for use in Italy
A foreign judgment is a file, not a certificate. Which parts to translate, when Apostille applies, and when a sworn translation is not automatic.
October 12, 2026 · 4 min
If you already have a judgment or other court decision issued abroad and must file it in Italy, the document is often a multi-page file: heading, facts, reasons, operative part, seals, annexes. It is not a one-page certificate. This guide starts from that file — not from how to obtain, recognise or enforce the decision.
MAECI recalls that documents issued by foreign authorities, to be used in Italy, must as a rule be legalised (or apostilled, if the State is party to the 1961 Hague Convention) and, except for multilingual models under conventions, translated into Italian. A sworn translation (traduzione asseverata) is one of the forms admitted in Italy. It is not automatic for every judgment: it depends on the receiving authority and the applicable regime.
Note
ItaloDocs is a private service specialised in sworn translations. If you already hold the judgment, we can prepare the sworn translation into Italian. Recognition, enforcement and transcription remain with the competent judicial or administrative channels.
A foreign judgment is not a certificate
A judgment is a procedural instrument. In many systems it contains, in varying form:
- heading (court, case number, date, parties);
- procedural history;
- findings of fact;
- reasons / legal grounds;
- operative part (dispositivo);
- signatures, seals, authentications;
- annexes (evidence, reports, earlier decisions).
The Italian recipient may ask for the full copy, not an extract. Translating only the last page because ‘that is what counts’ is a frequent mistake.
Which decisions may enter an Italian file
- Divorce, separation, annulment — a separate path: translation of a foreign divorce judgment.
- Custody, parental responsibility, adoption.
- Change of name or civil status ordered by a foreign court.
- Civil and commercial judgments among EU States under Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 (Brussels I recast).
- Other rulings that an Italian notary, Comune, court or administration needs to read in Italian.
MAECI frames recognition of foreign judgments, as a general rule, under Law No 218 of 31 May 1995. EU regulations, where they apply, prevail. This page does not explain how to obtain effectiveness or enforcement.
EU, extra-EU, Apostille: three different layers
| Situation (simplified) | International formality | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Decision covered by an EU regulation (e.g. 2019/1111 in family matters; 1215/2012 in civil/commercial) | Often no Apostille | May be requested if the Italian authority cannot proceed without it; sometimes an EU certificate is enough |
| EU public document in the categories of Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 | No Apostille for those categories | A multilingual form may reduce translation; it does not forbid it |
| Extra-EU decision, Hague Convention State | As a rule Apostille in the country of origin | Translation into Italian, unless the recipient says otherwise |
| Extra-EU decision, non-Hague State | Italian consular legalisation or another treaty | Translation into Italian, unless otherwise |
The cautious order, when the formality applies, is: complete document → Apostille or legalisation → translation of the specimen that will be filed. Sequence: document, Apostille and translation.
Do you have a multi-page judgment? Send the complete document to request a quote.
FAQ
Does every foreign judgment need a sworn translation?
No. If the text is already in Italian, if the office accepts an EU certificate, or if it asks for another form of conformity, asseverazione may not be required.
Can I translate only the operative part?
Only if the recipient has said so in writing. Otherwise start from the full copy.
Does ItaloDocs recognise or enforce the judgment?
No. The translation makes the text readable in Italian in a formal mode.
