{"id":3218,"date":"2022-12-18T23:24:23","date_gmt":"2022-12-18T15:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/servizi-consolari-e-visti\/servizi-per-il-cittadino-italiano\/servizi-notarili\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T16:07:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T08:07:46","slug":"servizi-notarili","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/servizi-consolari-e-visti\/servizi-per-il-cittadino-italiano\/servizi-notarili\/","title":{"rendered":"Notary services"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>NOTARIAL DEEDS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Consular Offices perform \u2014 <strong>exclusively for Italian citizens temporarily abroad or registered with AIRE<\/strong> \u2014 certain notarial functions such as the drafting of public deeds (general or special powers of attorney), wills, affidavits, authentications, and signatures on private documents.<\/p>\n<p>These are <strong>documents drafted in Italian<\/strong> for which knowledge of the language and the physical presence of the declarant are required, together with a valid identification document, at the Italian Consulate General in Canton.<\/p>\n<p><strong>POWER OF ATTORNEY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A power of attorney is a legal deed through which a person authorizes another person to act on their behalf and represent them in carrying out actions necessary to achieve a specific purpose (for example: selling, purchasing, administering, making donations, accepting donations, establishing or dissolving companies, requesting marriage banns, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>Powers of attorney are divided into two categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>General Power of Attorney:<\/strong> the declarant grants a chosen representative to manage all their affairs, both present and future. A general power of attorney is issued for an unlimited period.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special Power of Attorney:<\/strong> the person grants a chosen representative to manage only part of their affairs. A special power of attorney ceases to be effective once the specific task for which it was issued has been completed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING A POWER OF ATTORNEY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Given the complexity of the matter, it is recommended to consult a trusted notary public\/lawyer who will handle the document in Italy to properly draft the contents of the deed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The text of the power of attorney <\/strong>must be sent to the Consular Office email address: <a href=\"mailto:canton.consolare@esteri.it\">canton.consolare@esteri.it<\/a> \u00a0<strong>exclusively in Word format<\/strong>, and include the following information:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>PERSONAL DATA of the declarant<\/strong>: surname and first name, place and date of birth, place of residence (city, street\/square, house number), Italian tax code, details of the passport used for identification purposes (a copy must be sent by email);<\/li>\n<li><strong>PERSONAL DATA of the chosen legal representative<\/strong> (the person receiving the mandate\/power of attorney): surname and first name, place and date of birth, place of residence (city, street\/square, house number), Italian tax code;<\/li>\n<li><strong>SUBJECT OF THE <\/strong>DEED (all details concerning the tasks specified in the deed)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The document will be ready on the day of the scheduled appointment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>COSTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Consular fees must be paid only in local currency (RenMinBi):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>General Power of Attorney or Mandate<\/strong> \u2014 issuance, amendment, revocation (for each act): \u20ac 80 (the original General Power of Attorney remains in the collection of notarial deeds of the office; a certified true copy will be given to the declarant, \u20ac 16 for each certified copy requested);<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special Power of Attorney or Mandate<\/strong> \u2014 issuance, amendment, revocation (for each act): \u20ac 56.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>WILLS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Wills can be drafted in different ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A public will is a statement of the testator\u2019s wishes made before an official authorized to perform notarial functions, in the presence of two witnesses, and recorded in writing;<\/li>\n<li>A secret will means that its contents remain confidential and the notarial office is responsible only for formally receiving and storing the document;<\/li>\n<li>A holographic will (handwritten will), instead, is written directly by the testator and does not require the involvement of a notarial official. It may be kept anywhere or entrusted to any person. However, it is often deposited with a notarial office to reduce the risk of loss and to ensure that it can be promptly published after the testator\u2019s death.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Authentication Services<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Authentication services are generally carried out by a Consular officer, although they may also be performed by an official authorized to exercise notarial functions. These services include, in particular:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Signature Authentication<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Signature authentication is the official certification that a signature on a document was made by the person identified before the Consular officer.<\/p>\n<p>To obtain a signature authentication, applicants must appear in person at the Notarial Office and provide:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a valid identification document;<\/li>\n<li>their Italian tax code.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> Photograph Authentication<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Photograph authentication certifies that the photograph corresponds to the identity of the applicant.<\/p>\n<p>To obtain a photograph authentication, applicants must appear in person at the Consular Office and provide:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a valid identification document;<\/li>\n<li>three identical photographs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SELF-CERTIFICATION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSelf-certification\u201d refers to a declaration made by the interested party in place of an official certificate (Art. 2, Law 15\/1968). It allows citizens to provide information contained in public registers in a simpler way and with fewer formal requirements.<\/p>\n<p>The use of self-certification is available to all Italian citizens and citizens of other European Union countries.<\/p>\n<p>The right to make substitute declarations has also been extended to non-EU citizens legally residing in Italy, but only for data that can be verified or certified by Italian public authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Self-certifications and sworn declarations may be used in dealings with Public Administrations, as well as with operators of public services.<\/p>\n<p>However, they may not be used in relations between private individuals unless expressly accepted, nor before judicial authorities performing judicial functions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to write self-declarations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A self-declaration may replace an ordinary certificate and state personal facts under one\u2019s own responsibility. It may or may not be necessary to sign it in the presence of a public official. False declarations are punishable by law.<\/p>\n<p>It is possible to self-certify the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Date and Place of Birth<\/li>\n<li>Residence<\/li>\n<li>Citizenship<\/li>\n<li>Possession of political rights<\/li>\n<li>Marital status (single, married, widowed, divorced)<\/li>\n<li>Family status<\/li>\n<li>Proof of Being Alive<\/li>\n<li>Birth of a Child<\/li>\n<li>Death of spouse, ancestor, or descendant<\/li>\n<li>Military service status<\/li>\n<li>Registration in registers or lists held by public administrations<\/li>\n<li>Educational qualifications or professional qualifications obtained, examinations passed, specialization certificates, professional licenses, training, refresher courses, technical qualifications<\/li>\n<li>Income and economic situation, including for the granting of benefits and advantages provided by special laws<\/li>\n<li>Fulfillment of contribution obligations and taxes paid<\/li>\n<li>Possession and number of tax code, VAT number, and any data contained in the tax registry relating to the interested party<\/li>\n<li>Unemployment status; pensioner status and pension category; student or homemaker status<\/li>\n<li>Status as legal representative of individuals or legal entities, guardian, trustee, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Membership in associations or social organizations<\/li>\n<li>Compliance with military obligations<\/li>\n<li>Absence of Criminal Convictions<\/li>\n<li>All data directly known to the interested party contained in vital record registers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>NOTE:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Medical, healthcare, and veterinary certificates cannot be replaced with a self-certification.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AFFIDAVITS (DICHIARAZIONI SOSTITUTIVE DI ATTI NOTORI)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Interested parties may use self-certification for all statuses, facts, and personal qualities that cannot be certified by a public administration, by submitting a declaration in lieu of an affidavit pursuant to Article 47 of Presidential Decree 445\/2000.<\/p>\n<p>Such declarations may also concern facts relating to third parties, provided that the declarant has direct knowledge of them, as well as the conformity of copies to their originals.<\/p>\n<p>These declarations may be made before an authorised official, or before a notary, court clerk, municipal secretary, or another official appointed by the mayor.<\/p>\n<p>Where the information declared can be certified by another public authority and the administration considers verification necessary, it may request supporting documentation within 15 days of the declaration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Validity of self-declarations and affidavits<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Substitute declarations have the same validity as the documents they replace.<\/p>\n<p>Normally, certificates are valid for six months from the date of issue, unless laws or regulations provide for a longer validity period. The validity of registry and civil status certificates may be extended if the interested party declares that the information contained therein has not changed and signs such declaration.<\/p>\n<p>Certificates and substitute declarations certifying statuses and personal facts not subject to change (birth certificates, death certificates, educational qualifications, etc.) have unlimited validity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Penalties for false declarations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If administrations have doubts regarding the truthfulness of self-certifications, they are required to carry out the necessary checks.<\/p>\n<p>If false declarations are discovered, falsification of documents and use of false documents are punishable under the Criminal Code and relevant laws.<\/p>\n<p>The declarant also loses any benefits obtained through measures based on untruthful declarations.<\/p>\n<p>Further information is available on the institutional website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.esteri.it\/MAE\/IT\/Italiani_nel_Mondo\/ServiziConsolari\/AttiNotarili\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs \u2013 Notarial Acts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NOTARIAL DEEDS Consular Offices perform \u2014 exclusively for Italian citizens temporarily abroad or registered with AIRE \u2014 certain notarial functions such as the drafting of public deeds (general or special powers of attorney), wills, affidavits, authentications, and signatures on private documents. These are documents drafted in Italian for which knowledge of the language and the [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":3182,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3218","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3218"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5010,"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3218\/revisions\/5010"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/conscanton.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}