In a succession with heirs or deceased abroad, almost all documents are the same as in an Italian case. Those that may come from another country are few but delicate: the death certificate if the death occurred abroad, a foreign will, the heirs' ID documents and, in some cases, civil-status certificates. Here is what is really needed for Agenzia delle Entrate and the Cadastre to accept them.
Three rules depending on the country
| Issuing country | Legalisation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Not needed: Regulation 2016/1191 removes apostille and legalisation for civil-status certificates | Can be avoided by requesting the multilingual standard form together with the certificate |
| Countries of the 1961 Hague Convention (e.g. United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland, Argentina, Brazil, Australia) | Apostille, affixed by the authority of the issuing country | Sworn translation in Italy or certified by the Italian consulate |
| Other countries | Legalisation at the Italian consulate in the issuing country | Sworn translation in Italy or certified by the Italian consulate |
The death certificate
If the deceased was an Italian citizen and died abroad, the simplest route is to have the death record registered in the Italian municipality through the consulate: from then on the certificate is issued by the municipality, in Italian, and neither apostille nor translation is needed. If the deceased was not Italian, the foreign certificate is used with the rules in the table.
A foreign will
A will drawn up abroad normally has to be published or enforced in Italy through a notary, with a sworn translation and, where needed, legalisation. It is one of the few steps that requires a professional other than us: we point you to one and coordinate the declaration with their timing.
Non-Italian ID documents
A valid foreign passport or identity card is fine for the succession declaration and for the tax code request. A legible copy, front and back, is enough; no translation.
Signatures: what is needed and what isn't
- For the succession declaration and the cadastral transfer no notarial power of attorney is needed: we transmit them as intermediary, with your engagement signed remotely in the client area or returned signed with a copy of your ID.
- For the tax code, the proxy included in form AA4/8, signed by you, is enough.
- A notary or the Italian consulate, which performs notarial functions for Italian citizens, is needed instead to renounce the inheritance, to accept it with benefit of inventory and to sign a power of attorney to sell the property.
Photos first, originals later
For the initial checks, photos or scans uploaded to the client area are enough. Originals, or copies with apostille and translation, are requested only for the documents that really require them, and we tell you beforehand.
Mind the timing of apostilles and translations
Between requesting the certificate, the apostille and the sworn translation, weeks can pass. If the 12-month deadline is close, start with these documents while we prepare the rest.
This guide's information is indicative and for information only. Every succession is unique: the final assessment is always on the specific case. We check your situation for free.