How long does it take for a Comune to issue a Birth or Marriage Certificate?

Ciao a tutti!

Today I’d like to clarify a very common question I get from clients who are requesting documents: how long does it take for a Comune to issue a birth or marriage certificate for Italian citizenship purposes?

And the answer to this question — just like many others related to the citizenship application — is: IT DEPENDS.

If we look strictly at what Italian law says, the Comune has a legal deadline of six months. Decreto Legge 4 ottobre 2018 n. 113 states the following in Article 14:

14. 2-bis. Il termine per il rilascio degli estratti e dei certificati di stato civile occorrenti ai fini del riconoscimento della cittadinanza italiana è stabilito in sei mesi dalla data di presentazione della richiesta da parte di persone in possesso di cittadinanza straniera.

Traduzindo:

"14. 2-bis. “The deadline for issuing civil status certificates required for the recognition of Italian citizenship is set at six months from the date the request is submitted by individuals holding foreign citizenship."

However, it's extremely rare for a Comune to actually take the full six months to issue the certificate. That’s because here in Italy, it’s quite common to either go in person to the Comune or call by phone to request a certificate — and often it’s ready on the spot or within just a few days.

Of course, when it comes to public offices, there are always some Comune officials who complain about their workload and claim they’re too busy to handle our request. That’s where hiring a professional document researcher makes all the difference — we know how to navigate these situations. After all, with time and experience handling many requests, you naturally pick up a few tricks for dealing with these cases, right?

That said, I recently had my very first case where a Comune official actually took the full six months to issue a certificate! And I’d like to share a bit of that experience with you below...

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WHEN THE COMUNE TAKES THE FULL SIX MONTHS: A REAL CASE!

The case happened in the Comune of Mogliano Veneto, located in the province of Treviso. As I always do, after sending the email with all the necessary information about the certificate — such as name, act number, book page, date of birth, and parents’ names — I called the Ufficio Stato Civile to confirm receipt of the email and/or to schedule a time to go in person and pick up the document.

The official promptly replied that she receives many requests like this every day and doesn’t have time to respond to all of them. She also told me “non ci sperare” — or, using an expression, “don’t hold your breath” — because she would definitely use the full amount of time allowed by the law mentioned earlier and wouldn’t deliver a single document before the six months were up.

Obviously, I wasn’t satisfied with that response and called again a few days later — and then again a few weeks later — but it didn’t make any difference..

We just had to wait. Finally, I managed to receive the document:

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WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM THIS?

Despite the unusual delay, the wait didn’t have a major impact on this particular client because, in this case, he wasn’t in a rush to come to Italy and everything was within his plans. However, knowing that this isn’t the situation for everyone, here’s an important tip:

DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE to request the document of your ancestor born here in Italy!

This document is the foundation of everything, and you will very likely need it if you have to make any corrections or amendments to your documents.

And now you might be wondering, “But if I get the document now, won’t it expire before I arrive in Italy?” The answer to that question is also: IT DEPENDS.

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DO ITALIAN BIRTH OR MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES EXPIRE?

While most documents are considered valid for 6 months here in Italy, if you choose the right Comune for your citizenship application, the official could accept the document even if it’s older — sometimes more than a year! But of course, it’s always a good idea to check first, okay?

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Having trouble getting a response from the Comune?

I can help. I’ve spent years working with Italian civil offices and know how to navigate delays and push things forward.

📩 Email me at contato@buonvento.com.br.