In particular, the consulates receive acts emitted by foreign authorities and transmit them to Italian municipalities for registration.
The Civil Status department of a Consulate, in addition to handling the four registries, helps citizens residing in its jurisdiction to complete the following procedures:
· writing of marriage bans and posting them at the consulate;
· celebration of consulate weddings, as long as there is no local law preventing it;
· transmission of requests addressed to the authorised Prefecture to change a name (considered ridiculous or embarrassing);
· reception and transmission of separation and divorce rulings for registration in the authorised municipalities.
PREREQUISITES FOR CLAIMING THE RIGHT TO REQUEST THE REGISTRATION OF CIVIL ACTS AND/OR OBTAIN RELATED CERTIFICATES FROM THE CIVIL REGRISTRY
In order for Italian citizens who have established their residence abroad to register births, marriages and/or deaths (and to obtain related certificates), they must first be registered in the Registry of Citizens Residing Abroad (AIRE)
CHANGES IN CIVIL STATUS
BIRTH
Birth Registration Procedure:
To register a birth, please first notify the Consulate via email at consolare.hanoi@esteri.it, then submit the following documents:
- A duly completed and signed transcription request form (see the Forms section);
- The birth certificate issued by the competent foreign Civil Registry Office, legalized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and accompanied by an official Italian translation;
- A copy of the passports of both parents.
If the parents are not married, they must appear in person at the Embassy, bringing the above-mentioned documents, to proceed with the recognition of the child.
UPDATE
Registration of the Birth of a Child of an Italian Citizen Abroad
Decree-Law No. 36/2025, converted with amendments by Law No. 74/2025
Decree-Law No. 36 of 28 March 2025 (text), converted with amendments by Law No. 74 of 23 May 2025 (text), introduces significant changes to the rules governing the transmission of Italian citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis).
Specifically, under the amended Article 3-bis, paragraph 1, letters c) and d), of Law No. 91/1992, a person born abroad may acquire Italian citizenship iure sanguinis only if:
a) one of their parents (including adoptive parents) holds, or held at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship;
b) one of their grandparents holds, or held at the time of death, exclusively Italian citizenship;
c) they do not fall under the above categories, but one of their parents (including adoptive parents) had at least two years of continuous legal residence in Italy after acquiring Italian citizenship and before the child’s birth or adoption;
d) they do not fall under the above categories and do not hold any other citizenship.
The existence of the conditions listed in a) through d) must be proven by the applicant through appropriate documentation at the time of the birth registration request. Such documentation may include, but is not limited to: certificates issued by the relevant authorities of the country of emigration and any third countries of residence confirming non-naturalization of the ancestor; certificates of non-citizenship; and statements confirming non-registration in electoral rolls. Self-declarations or statements made by the applicant are not accepted.
To prove the parent’s continuous residence in Italy before the child’s birth, historical residence certificates issued by the relevant Italian municipality must be submitted.
Law No. 72/2025 also introduces the possibility for minors born abroad who do not automatically acquire Italian citizenship under the above rules to acquire it “by benefit of law”, provided that:
- either parent is an Italian citizen by birth; and
- both parents formally declare their will for the child to acquire Italian citizenship in person and before a civil status officer.
This declaration must meet one of the following conditions:
- It is submitted within one year of the child’s birth, or from the later date on which parentage (including adoption) from an Italian citizen is established;
- It is submitted after one year from the child’s birth (or recognition/adoption), provided that the minor resides legally in Italy for at least two consecutive years after the declaration is made.
Furthermore, minors who were under the age of 18 as of 24 May 2024 may acquire citizenship if their parents – both Italian citizens by birth and recognized as such before 28 March 2025 – submit a formal declaration of will by 11:59 PM on 31 May 2026.
This acquisition of citizenship is subject to the payment of a €250 fee to the Ministry of the Interior, payable by the declaring parent via the PagoPA portal or bank transfer.
The declaration must be made in person, by appointment (request via email to: consolare.hanoi@esteri.it), and is subject to verification of the above conditions and payment of the €250 fee per minor.
Required Documents for the Registration of a Birth:
To register the birth of a child, you must present the following documents to the Consular Office:
- Vietnamese birth certificate issued by the competent authorities;
- The certificate must be an official copy of the original (simple photocopies are not accepted), and must be legalized and translated into Italian.
- Birth registration request form, duly completed and signed by both parents (see the “Forms” section);
- Photocopy of both parents’ passports;
- Photocopy of the marriage certificate.
If the parents’ marriage has not yet been registered in Italy, but was celebrated abroad, the marriage certificate must also be submitted (duly legalized and translated into Italian) for transcription prior to the birth registration of the child.
Important: If the birth certificate was issued in a country other than Vietnam, the Italian citizen must ensure that the certificate is legalized and translated into Italian through the competent Italian Diplomatic or Consular authority in that country.
MARRIAGE
Marriage Publications and Registration for Italian Citizens
Italian citizens are no longer required to publish marriage banns when getting married abroad under the laws of a foreign country. However, publications are still required if the marriage is to be celebrated at the Embassy or in an Italian municipality.
Therefore, Italian citizens may get married in Vietnam by presenting to the local authorities the nulla osta (certificate of no impediment) issued by the Embassy, without needing to request the publication of banns.
Registration of Marriages Celebrated Abroad in Italy:
For a marriage celebrated abroad to be legally recognized in Italy, it must be transcribed at the competent Italian municipality.
If the couple chooses the separation of property regime, the Consular Office will prepare the agreement (usually on the same day), which must be signed by both spouses in the presence of consular staff.
DIVORCE
Registration in Italy of a divorce ruling pronounced abroad: first and foremost, it is necessary to realise that a divorce ruling pronounced abroad is not automatically considered valid in Italy.
The documentation required for transcription are:
self-certifying affidavit
photocopies of all the documentation presented
These documents need to be in certified copy bearing the authentic stamp of the court.
If the documents are valid according to the law of the country of issue, the Consulate sends the documents to the Italian municipality for the registration of the court’s verdict.
DEATH
Registering the death of an Italian resident abroad in Italy:
the death of an Italian citizen abroad has to be registered in Italy.
Documents necessary for registering deaths are:
All certificates denoting civil status issued by the local authorities have to be presented in original and, where necessary, authenticated and translated into Italian in order for the consulates to send them to the competent municipality.