An Apostille is a standardised international authentication certificate attached to a public document, making it legally recognised in any of the 125+ countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention. For your Italian marriage certificate, the Apostille is issued by the Italian Prefettura (Prefecture) of the province where the marriage was registered. You must first obtain a certified copy of your marriage certificate (estratto dell’atto di matrimonio) from the Comune where you married, then submit it to the relevant Prefettura with the Apostille request form. Processing times range from a few days to several weeks depending on the province.
The Apostilled Italian marriage certificate is then legally valid for use in your home country without further legalisation. If your country is not a Hague Convention signatory, full consular legalisation is required instead of an Apostille.
