Notarising Immigration Documents for an Italy Visa Application from Australia

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Italian visas are issued by the Italian embassy and consulates in Australia, and each post publishes its own document lists. Check the list for your visa type at the post that covers the state you live in.

Australians do not need a visa for a short stay in Italy. The people searching for this are usually applying for a national (long-stay) visa: to study, to join family, to work, or to retire. For those, Italian consulates care about three things that an Australian notary can help with only in part. Those three things are apostilles, Italian translations, and a document most Australians have never heard of, the dichiarazione di valore.

The three things Italian consulates look for

An apostille on Australian public documents. Birth, marriage and similar certificates used for an Italian visa are generally expected to carry a DFAT apostille. Italy is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, but check its status against the HCCH status table on the day. Registry certificates may go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT before booking one.

A translation into Italian. Documents not in Italian generally need an Italian translation, and Italian consulates are specific about what kind. Ask the consulate:

• Will you accept a translation done in Australia, and by whom?
• Must the translation be certified as conforming by the consulate itself?
• Must the apostille be translated too, or only the document?

The order matters. If the apostille must be translated, the translation comes after the apostille. Translating first and apostilling second is the most common way to pay for translation twice.

Consistent names and dates. Italian authorities compare documents closely. A surname spelt differently on a birth and a marriage certificate, or a missing middle name, can stall an application. Resolve discrepancies before starting the chain, usually with an amended certificate from the registry or, where that is not possible, a declaration explaining the difference. Ask the consulate what it accepts.

Study visas: the dichiarazione di valore

Applying to study at an Italian university from Australia usually begins with pre-enrolment through Italy's central portal, Universitaly. The study visa is issued after that.

Your Australian qualifications may need to be formally evaluated. The traditional document is the dichiarazione di valore (declaration of value), issued by the Italian consulate in the country where the qualification was awarded. It describes what your Australian degree or school certificate is and what level it represents in the Italian system. To issue one, the consulate generally wants the original qualification or a certified copy with an apostille, and an Italian translation.

Many Italian universities now also accept a statement of comparability issued by CIMEA, the Italian centre for academic recognition, as an alternative. Ask your university which it wants before starting on either. They are different processes, and doing the wrong one wastes weeks.

Where an Australian notary fits: DFAT can apostille an original Australian degree or transcript once the university has verified it. If you would rather keep the original unmarked, a notary notarises a copy, recording that the university verified the original, and DFAT then apostilles the notary's signature.

Family reunification

Joining a family member who lives legally in Italy usually starts in Italy. The family member applies to the local immigration office for authorisation (the nulla osta), and the visa is then issued in Australia. The documents proving the relationship, such as marriage and birth certificates, are presented at the consulate. Australian certificates usually need an apostille and an Italian translation.

If your relationship documents were issued outside Australia, they are authenticated in the country that issued them, not here.

Work, self-employment and elective residence

Work visas generally follow an authorisation obtained in Italy by the employer. Self-employment and elective residence visas are assessed on documents the consulate lists: financial evidence, accommodation, and, depending on the category, qualifications or professional registration.

Much of this evidence, such as bank statements, pension statements and leases, consists of copies. Where the consulate wants something formally certified or sworn, ask whether a notarised document with an apostille is acceptable, or whether it must be sworn before a consular officer.

Citizenship by descent is a different process

Many Australians of Italian descent are not applying for a visa at all but for recognition of Italian citizenship. That process involves many of the same documents, including apostilled Australian certificates, Italian translations and naturalisation records. Italy changed its rules on citizenship by descent substantially in 2025, so check the current law with the consulate before ordering any documents. Advice from before the change may no longer apply.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to spend three months in Italy? Australians do not need a visa for a short stay. Check the current Schengen rules on how long a short stay may be.

Can a Justice of the Peace certify my degree for the dichiarazione di valore? No. A JP's certification is for domestic use and cannot be apostilled.

Should I get my documents translated in Australia or in Italy? Ask the consulate that will receive them. It decides whose translation it accepts, and whether it certifies the translation itself.

My consulate is in a different city. Can I apply anywhere? Italian consular jurisdiction in Australia is geographic. Apply to the post that covers the state or territory where you live.