Woman beside a car on an Italian street comparing an Argentine licence and a translated document, with an Argentina–Italy keyring

Translation of an Argentine driving licence in Italy: when it is needed and how conversion works

You already hold an Argentine licence: when a sworn translation may be needed, what it does not replace, and how official conversion works in outline.

August 25, 2026 · 11 min

If you already hold an Argentine driving licence and you live in Italy, it helps to keep two planes apart: the translation that may be needed for certain uses of the document, and the official conversion into an Italian licence. They are not the same service and they do not replace each other.

This guide starts from the document you already have. It explains when a sworn translation into Italian may be useful, what that translation does and what it does not replace, and it frames conversion only as official context. It does not replace the Motorizzazione Civile, the Argentine Consulate or the Prefettura.

Note

ItaloDocs is a private translation service. It does not convert an Argentine licence, does not handle filings with the Motorizzazione Civile, the Argentine Consulate or the Prefettura, does not obtain the Certificate of Legality or the Consular Certificate, and does not submit a conversion file. It offers sworn / asseverata translation of the licence you already have, when that format is the one you need.

When do I need to translate my Argentine licence in Italy?

Not every holder of an Argentine licence in Italy needs a sworn translation. The starting point is what the recipient of the document asks for, not a single rule for every driver.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport states that a holder of a valid non-EU licence — Argentina falls under that scheme — may drive the vehicles the licence authorises until one year after acquiring residence in Italy. Together with the original, an international permit issued by the country of origin or an official translation into Italian is required.

In short, for driving in the period the MIT describes:

if you have an international permit accepted together with the original, an official translation may not be necessary;
if you do not have that permit, the MIT points to an official translation into Italian together with the original licence;
after one year of residence, the MIT states that to keep driving in Italy you need to convert the licence, if the reciprocity agreement allows it, or obtain an Italian licence by exam.

A translation may also appear in other documentary uses — an insurer, an employer or another Italian recipient that needs to understand the title — without that amounting to a conversion. In all of these cases it is worth asking in writing which format they accept.

When the MIT refers to an official translation, in Italian practice that often matches a sworn (asseverata) translation before a court. It is not an automatic match for every office: confirm it with whoever will receive the document. ItaloDocs prepares sworn translation only, not other translation types.

For conversion of an Argentine licence, the bilateral agreement and the Argentine consulates describe a different path: the document that also contains the translation provided for that procedure is, as a rule, the consular certificate, not a separate private translation. The detail is below, as information only.

Driving licence and documents on a desk, prepared for a translation into Italian — A sworn translation reproduces the document you already hold: it does not replace the licence or the conversion.

What is a sworn translation of an Argentine driving licence?

In Italy this is a traduzione asseverata (often also called a sworn translation): the translator attests, under the rules in force — usually before a court — the correspondence between the Argentine licence and the Italian translation.

the source document is translated into Italian;
the translation must be faithful: it does not “improve”, correct or align names or dates;
asseverazione attests that faithfulness; it does not authenticate the signature on the original or legalise the licence;
it does not alter the Argentine title and does not authorise driving;
it does not replace documents issued by Argentine or Italian authorities (Certificate of Legality, Consular Certificate, Prefettura legalisation, Italian licence).

The general picture of asseverazione is in when you need a sworn translation. ItaloDocs offers exactly this service on the licence you already hold, when that format is what you need.

Translation is a documentary tool. It does not replace the Argentine licence and it is not conversion into an Italian licence.

Conversion of an Argentine licence: the official picture

Conversion is a public procedure: you apply for an equivalent Italian licence, you hand in the foreign one and, if it is accepted, the original is usually withdrawn and returned to the State that issued it, as the MIT explains. It is not an ItaloDocs service.

Argentina appears on the ministerial list of non-EU States whose licences can be converted in Italy where a reciprocity agreement is in force. According to the MIT, conversion without further tests or exams is available, in outline, if the foreign licence is still valid, if it was obtained before acquiring residence in Italy, and if the application respects the time limit in the agreement.

For Argentina, MIT circular prot. 31762 of 24 October 2023 and the Argentine consulate pages indicate a limit of four years from acquiring residence in Italy. After that, the MIT states that conversion applications for licences from these States are refused, with no revision exam. Details and dates should be re-read on the current official sources, not on a commercial blog.

The Consulate General in Rome and the Consulate General in Milan describe the consular certificate and refer to the Motorizzazione in the province of residence for conversion. Consular jurisdiction and documentary requirements vary: use the competent office.

Certificate of Legality

In the Argentine consular instructions, the Certificado de Legalidad (certificate of legality of the licence) is an official requirement before applying for the consular certificate. It is not an ItaloDocs product and it is not obtained through translation.

The Consulate in Milan and the Consulate in Rome distinguish, in outline:

national licence: certificate from the Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Vial, subject to the limits on that portal (for example municipal or provincial licences and those issued before 2010 may fall outside that channel);
municipal licence: certificate from the municipality that issued it, with legalisation by the Argentine Ministry of the Interior or an apostille, when the consular instructions require that for handwritten signatures.

The interested person requests this certificate from the competent Argentine authorities. ItaloDocs does not obtain it, does not review it and does not legalise it. For current requirements: ANSV, Consulate in Rome and Consulate in Milan.

Consular Certificate

The Italy–Argentina agreement provides that the holder of an Argentine licence, for conversion in Italy, must present — in addition to the original — the certificate issued by Argentine diplomatic-consular representations in Italy. In the text of the agreement, that certificate also contains the translation and a photocopy of the document. The category to be issued on conversion is determined by the Italian authorities on the basis of that certificate.

Consulates usually call it a Certificado Consular de Validez y Autenticidad. The Consulate in Milan states that it does not carry out the conversion: it only issues that certificate, which is required for the later procedure before the Italian authorities. The Consulate in Rome states that the certificate must then be legalised at the Prefettura before filing with the Motorizzazione.

Note

A sworn translation prepared by ItaloDocs does not replace the Consular Certificate if that certificate is required for conversion. It is not an equivalent of the model provided for in the agreement and it does not authorise the Motorizzazione to convert the licence in place of that certificate.

Prefettura and Motorizzazione

After the consular step, official instructions provide that the interested person has the certificate legalised at the competent Prefettura (the Prefettura legalises, among other acts, documents issued by foreign diplomatic or consular representations in Italy). The conversion application is then filed with the Motorizzazione Civile office, with the documents the MIT lists (form TT2112, original and copies, psychophysical fitness examination where required, payments). The definitive list is confirmed by the provincial office or the Portale dell’Automobilista.

ItaloDocs does not file documents, does not book appointments, does not act before the Prefettura or the Motorizzazione, does not represent the driver and does not carry out the conversion. For those steps: MIT — conversion of a foreign licence, Portale dell’Automobilista, Prefettura — legalisation.

Documents prepared for a sworn translation of a driving licence in Italy — A sharp scan, front and back, is enough to assess a translation quote; it is not the conversion file.

How ItaloDocs can help

If you already have your Argentine driving licence and you need a sworn translation into Italian, ItaloDocs can translate the document you already hold.

The translation does not replace the official conversion procedure or the certificates that the Consulate, the Prefettura or the Motorizzazione may require.

You send a clear copy or PDF of the licence (front and back, every field visible).
You state that it is an Argentine licence and, if you know it, who the translation is for.
You receive a translation quote, with no obligation.
If you confirm, the sworn translation is carried out according to the agreed requirements.

The starting point is the sworn-translation quote, choosing the document type «patente / driving licence», or the general request a quote page.

Common mistakes

Thinking a sworn translation replaces the Consular Certificate or the conversion.
Translating “just in case” without knowing whether the recipient asks for a translation, an international permit or a consular certificate.
Confusing an international permit (driving) with conversion (an Italian licence).
Turning to ItaloDocs to obtain the Certificate of Legality, the Consular Certificate, or an appointment at the Motorizzazione.
Sending an unreadable copy (missing reverse, a field, or the expiry date) and expecting an accurate quote.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to translate my Argentine licence to drive in Italy?

Not always. The MIT states that, with a valid non-EU licence and residence in Italy, you may need an international permit or an official translation together with the original. If you already have an international permit accepted on those terms, an official translation may not be necessary. Confirm your case on the MIT pages.

Can I use an international permit instead of a translation?

For driving in the non-EU framework the MIT describes, yes: the Ministry puts the international permit issued by the country of origin and the official Italian translation in the alternative, together with the original. It is not a substitute for conversion or for the consular certificate.

What counts as an official translation?

The MIT uses the wording official translation into Italian. It does not publish a closed list of formats. In Italy, when a body asks for a translation with formal effect, it often means a sworn (asseverata) translation before a court. Ask the specific office.

Is a sworn (asseverata) translation an official translation?

Often, in Italian practice, yes: asseverazione is the way the faithfulness of the translation is attested. That does not mean every Motorizzazione office or every recipient asks for it in every file. ItaloDocs offers this format only.

Can I ask ItaloDocs to translate my licence?

Yes, if you already have the document and you need a sworn translation into Italian. Request a translation quote.

Do I need to send a PDF or the original for the translation?

For an ItaloDocs quote, a clear copy or PDF of the licence you already have is usually enough to assess language and visible completeness. For asseverazione, the court office states which support must be produced. That file is not the conversion dossier.

Does a sworn translation let me convert an Argentine licence directly?

No, not by itself. Conversion follows the official procedure: consular certificate, Prefettura legalisation where required, application at the Motorizzazione, within the time limits of the agreement. A sworn translation does not replace those steps.

Does ItaloDocs carry out conversion at the Motorizzazione?

No. ItaloDocs offers the translation service. Conversion is filed with the competent Motorizzazione Civile office.

Does ItaloDocs obtain the Certificate of Legality or the Consular Certificate?

No. The first is requested from the competent Argentine authorities (ANSV or the municipality, as the case may be). The second is issued by Argentine consulates in Italy. ItaloDocs does not obtain them and does not replace them.

Official sources

Conclusion

If you already have an Argentine licence, the useful question is what the Italian-language document is for: driving, a recipient that asks for a translation, or the official conversion path. Only in the first kind of case, and when an international permit is not enough, may a sworn translation be needed.

If that is the translation you need, you can request a quote.