Authorities implement regulation that streamlines document recognition

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Italy has implemented the European Union regulation that removes cumbersome authentication procedures for documents issued in one EU country and submitted to another.

What does the change mean? Applicants in Italy who submit documents issued by an EU member state, such as records relating to birth, marriage, death, divorce and criminal background, no longer need to have them apostilled by the issuing authority. The regulation also abolishes the requirement of submitting a certified copy with an official translation.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate.
• Documents affected: Public records issued by an EU member country for purposes of recognition in Italy.
• Business impact: The rules reduce bureaucracy and ease requirements for applicants intending to work or reside within the EU.
• Next steps: Applicants may now submit documents issued by an EU country to authorities in Italy without obtaining an apostille stamp verifying that they are authentic. Additionally, documents that need to be translated no longer need a certified translation, and a standard EU translation form may be used instead. The full regulation including the list of affected documents may be viewed here.

Background: While the EU regulation that removes legalization requirements for documents issued by one EU country and submitted in another EU country took effect Feb. 16, immigration authorities in some EU countries have been slow to implement the regulation or have not yet fully implemented it.

Analysis & Comments: The rules simplify document-gathering procedures for applicants in Italy and apply to all foreign nationals, including EU nationals and third-country nationals, who are submitting documents that were originally issued by another EU country.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.