In order to be sent to Italy for transcription purposes, South African certificates* must be in original “Unabridged” or “Full” version and equipped with an Apostille of the Hague, to be obtained from:
South African Department for International Relations and Cooperation
Chief Directorate: Consular Services (Legalisation Section NE2A Ground Floor)
460 Soutpansberg Road, Rietondale, Pretoria.
For information on how to apply for the Apostille, please visit Consular Notarial Services – DIRCO.
* PLEASE NOTE: for divorce transcription purposes, the Apostille must be obtained from the competent High Court and not from DIRCO. Please refer to the dedicated page for further information.
The Civil Status concerns that complex of facts or manifestations of will inherent to the life of the citizen: citizenship, birth, marriage, civil unions, death, divorce. The registration of such facts falls within the competence of the Civil Status Officer, whose functions are exercised in Italy by the Municipalities and abroad by the Consular offices.
The civil status office of a Diplomatic or Consular representation deals with:
- the management of Civil Status Registers (which are five: citizenship, birth, marriage, civil unions and death) for the documents drawn up by the Consulate itself;
- the receipt of documents issued by foreign authorities and their transmission to the Italian Municipalities for transcription;
- the receipt of sentences and measures issued abroad (e.g. divorce, adoption, etc.) and their transmission to the competent Italian institutions;
- the transmission of requests for the change of name or surname to the competent Prefetture;
- drafting the marriage banns report and posting it online in the Consular Register;
- the celebration of the consular marriage, provided that local laws do not prevent this. The celebration can be refused when the parties do not reside in the consular district.
Italian citizens are required to declare all changes in civil status (producing the relevant documents or other documentation) that occur during their stay abroad to the consular office responsible for the place where the event occurred. Civil status documents relating to events that occurred abroad can be presented by the interested parties and by anyone who is interested either directly to the Italian municipality to which they belong (see art. 12, paragraph 11, Presidential Decree 396/2000) or to the competent consular office (that of residence of the interested party or that in whose district the documents were drawn up).
For information write to consolare.johannesburg@esteri.it.