Birth Certificate Translation for Italy

The multilingual formula copy (estratto plurilingue) as an alternative

Under the relevant international convention, civil registry offices in Türkiye can issue a birth record as a multilingual international document, a formula copy. Italy is a party to that framework, so the multilingual copy (estratto plurilingue) may be accepted in many transactions without a separate translation. This is Italy’s most practical difference where birth certificates are concerned: obtaining the multilingual copy from the civil registry office first can make the expense of a separate translation unnecessary. Some authorities may nevertheless ask for a full translation, so you need to confirm with the recipient which form is accepted; where the multilingual copy is accepted the process is shorter, since the Italian equivalents of the standard fields are already printed on the document.

Consistency in converting Turkish letters

Where a full translation is required, the most frequent difficulty in transferring names is how Turkish letters are to be shown in an Italian text. The governing principle is not to interpret the letters phonetically but to follow the official spelling in the person’s passport exactly; however the name is written there, the translation uses that spelling. Showing an “ş” or a “ç” in different ways creates an inconsistency within a single document and makes it harder for the authority to match the identity. Where a person has two or more given names the order of the names is preserved, and separate fields such as the mother’s maiden name are not conflated. Province and district names appearing as the place of birth are not translated but left in their original spelling. The date is likewise transferred as it stands; only where necessary is the name of the month written in Italian, and the day and the year are not altered. When the multilingual copy is used these fields arrive in standard form and the problem largely disappears; in a full translation, securing that consistency is the translator’s responsibility. When several documents belonging to the same family are submitted together, having every name look the same prevents needless questions in dealings with the comune or the Questura. Because the Italian administration reads the document as one link in a chain of identity, an exact match between the name on the birth certificate and the name in the passport, and in any residence document, is what allows the file to progress in a single pass; even a small difference of one letter can prompt a request for further documents. The translation therefore transfers names without interpreting them, taking the official spelling in the source document as its basis.

Transliteration of names, and when a full translation is required

If the multilingual copy is not accepted and a full translation is required, the most critical point is the transfer of personal and place names. Names containing special Turkish letters must match the passport spelling exactly; the place of birth and the names of provinces and districts keep their original spelling. The names of the mother, the father and the child, together with the date and place of birth, are transferred without interpretation. Italy operates a sworn translator system; a full translation submitted for official use may take the form of a sworn translation made before a court in Italy (traduzione giurata / asseverazione). Where the translation is produced in Türkiye, a sworn translator signs it, a notary notarises it, and an apostille is attached.

The difference between a birth certificate and a civil registry extract

A birth certificate and a civil registry extract are different documents; the first records the event of birth, the second the person’s current registration details in the civil register. Finding out at the outset which of the two the Italian authority wants saves you from having the wrong document translated and starting the process over. The translation shows the type of the document correctly in its title; where there are marginal annotations (marriage, divorce, acknowledgement of paternity), these too are translated in full, or appear with their equivalents on the multilingual copy, since they show the person’s marital status.

The apostille and the order of certification

Watch the following points before delivery:

• Confirm first whether the multilingual formula copy is accepted.
• If a full translation is required, establish whether it is to be an asseverazione or the Türkiye chain.
• Check that the marginal annotations have been translated; on the full translation route, obtain the apostille before the translation.

Italy is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other documents require on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document to request a quote. Translations are handled from our single office (Ankara Kızılay). The details can vary with the transaction, so check with the institution before you apply.