Italian Death Certificate
39,00 €
Request the Italian death certificate from any Municipality in Italy. We take care of everything: the request to the civil registry office, collection, apostille, sworn translation, and delivery.
✅ No queues, no counters, no SPID — request it from home or from abroad in a few clicks.
- 📄 Official document issued by the municipality, delivered as a PDF by email
- 📦 Paper original available by express courier worldwide
- ⏱️ PDF delivered in 7 or 15 working days from receipt of the authorisation form
- 🌍 Apostille and sworn translation available for use abroad
- 🏛️ Over 10 years of experience — we work in all 7,900 Italian municipalities, every day
- 🔍 Want to see what the document looks like? See example →
❓ Not sure which document to request? Contact us — we’ll point you to the right one.
How to get an Italian death certificate from abroad
When a family member with ties to Italy dies, the Italian death certificate is needed quickly: to open the estate, to release bank accounts, for a survivor’s pension, for a life insurance policy, or to transfer ownership of a property.
The document is held by the civil status office of the Italian comune (municipality) where the death took place — or, if the person died abroad, by the Italian comune where the record was transcribed. That office works in Italian, during Italian hours, and in many cases has no online service accessible from abroad.
The consulate can issue some documents, but only for people who were registered with AIRE in that district, and appointment waiting times in Latin America often exceed a year. In estate matters, where deadlines are running, that wait is rarely workable.
ClickCertificati requests the document directly from the comune on your behalf and delivers it to you as a PDF by email, wherever you are. If you need the paper original, with an apostille or a sworn translation, we handle the entire process and send it to you by tracked express courier.
You don’t have to travel back to Italy. You don’t have to wait for the consulate. You don’t need SPID or any Italian digital identity.
Which comune issues the death record: death does not occur where you live
This is the most common mistake with this document, and the most frequent reason why requests come back unfulfilled.
The death record is registered in the comune where the death physically occurred, not in the comune of residence. If the person lived in a village but died in hospital in the nearby city, the record is held by the comune where the hospital is. If they died while travelling, it is held by the comune they were in at the time.
The comune of last residence does keep a record of the death and can sometimes issue the certificate, but not always: if you’re unsure which office is the right one, give us both comuni and we’ll identify the correct one.
If the death occurred abroad, an Italian record exists only if it was transcribed in Italy. In that case it is held by the person’s AIRE comune, or by their Italian comune of last residence or origin. If the transcription was never carried out, there is no Italian record to request: the transcription has to be started first, through the consulate responsible for the place of death. This step is often necessary precisely in order to open the estate in Italy.
Not sure where to look? Write to us with whatever you know — last residence, comune of origin, hospital, city where the death occurred: in most cases we can identify it.
Certificate, extract or full copy: which Italian death record to request
The four documents have similar names but different contents. In estate matters the difference matters, because banks and notaries normally ask for the document that also shows the deceased’s date of birth and last residence.
Death certificate
The short version. It sets out the first name, last name, date and comune of death, and the registration details of the record.
Suitable for: routine notifications, straightforward insurance matters, and situations where you simply need to confirm that the death occurred.
Extract of the death record (estratto per riassunto)
It contains everything set out in the certificate, plus the details drawn from the original record: the deceased’s date and place of birth, last residence, marital status at the time of death, and any annotations.
This is the document required in the vast majority of estate matters, as well as by banks, notaries, pension bodies and insurance companies. The reason is practical: the birth details and last residence are what identify the deceased with certainty and establish which office has jurisdiction over the estate.
If you have simply been asked for “the death record”, in almost every case this is the one.
International extract (multilingual)
The extract issued on the multilingual form provided for by the Vienna Convention of 1976. Because it is already drawn up in several languages, it does not require a sworn translation in signatory countries: it removes both the cost and the delay of a translation.
It is often the most efficient choice when the estate or the insurance claim is being handled abroad and the authority receives the document in its own country.
Full copy of the death record (copia integrale)
A complete reproduction of the record as written in the civil status register: the full text, the time of death, the details of the informant, references to the death notification, and all subsequent annotations and transcriptions. This is what is known in Brazil as a certidão em inteiro teor and in the United States as a long form.
It is the most complete document, but it is not what is needed in most cases. It is requested in specific situations: legal proceedings, contested inheritance disputes, verification of corrections or inconsistent details, genealogical research, and cases where a lawyer, a notary or a judge specifically asks for it.
Order it if you have been told to in writing. If you’re unsure, send us the request before proceeding: we’ll save you an unnecessary expense.
Which document you need for probate, the bank or a survivor’s pension
After ten years of handling these requests, this is the table that settles almost every question.
| You need it for… | Document normally required |
|---|---|
| Inheritance tax declaration in Italy | Extract (estratto per riassunto) |
| Notarial estate proceedings | Extract |
| Releasing bank accounts and deposits | Extract |
| Transfer of property ownership in the land registry | Extract |
| Survivor’s pension | Extract |
| Life insurance or insurance claim | Certificate or extract |
| Probate or estate proceedings abroad | International extract, or extract plus translation |
| Closing utilities, subscriptions and administrative accounts | Certificate |
| Citizenship by descent application | Extract |
| Genealogical research | Full record copy |
| Inheritance dispute or legal proceedings | Full record copy |
| Correction of the record | Full record copy |
If the notary, the bank or the authority gave you a written checklist, send it to us on WhatsApp: we’ll read it and tell you exactly which option to select in the form.
How many copies you need for an estate
In estate matters the document is not shown: it is handed over and kept. Every organisation wants its own copy, and anyone who orders just one ends up placing the request again two weeks later, when deadlines are tight.
An ordinary estate in Italy generally requires one copy for:
- the notary handling the estate
- each bank where the deceased held accounts, deposits or safe deposit boxes
- INPS or the relevant pension body, for the survivor’s pension
- each insurance company with an active policy
- the Italian Revenue Agency, for the inheritance tax declaration
- any land registry or ownership transfer matters
You can specify the number of copies in a single request in the form: they cost considerably less than ordering them separately at different times, and they arrive together. If you don’t know how many you’ll need, write to us: starting from the situation of the estate, we’ll give you a realistic estimate.
The same applies to the apostille and the translation: if the estate is being handled abroad, every copy intended for a foreign authority has to be legalised and translated individually.
Who can request an Italian death record
Compared with birth and marriage records, the rules here are more open.
The death certificate and the extract can be requested by anyone who knows the deceased’s personal details: first name, last name, date and comune of death. You do not need to be an heir or to demonstrate any family relationship. This reflects the purpose of the document, which is to make the death effective as against third parties.
The full record copy follows stricter rules and may require proof of a legitimate interest: status as an heir, legal proceedings, a citizenship application, or documented research.
In all cases, in order to act on your behalf with the comune we need a signed authorisation form together with a copy of an identity document. You sign the authorisation as the applicant: no document belonging to the deceased is needed. It does not have to be an Italian document — your passport or the identity card of your country of residence is fine — and it can be signed from your phone, with no printer, no notary and no certification required.
Apostille and sworn translation of an Italian death record
The document issued by the comune is written in Italian and is fully valid in Italy. To use it abroad, two further steps may be required, depending on the country and the receiving authority.
Apostille. The legalisation affixed by the Prefecture (Prefettura) that makes the document valid in countries party to the Hague Convention of 1961. It can only be affixed to the original paper document and requires coordination between the comune and the Prefecture. We take care of this.
Sworn translation. A translation certified at Court by a registered translator, accompanied by a record of the sworn statement. In estates and probate proceedings abroad it is almost always mandatory, because the document enters a formal process.
International extract. In countries party to the Vienna Convention, the multilingual form replaces the translation. In estate matters handled abroad it is often the fastest and most economical solution.
Two practical points. The apostille and the translation both require the original paper document and extend timeframes compared with simply obtaining the certificate: if you have an estate deadline to meet, tell us before you order. And if you need several copies for foreign authorities, each one has to be apostilled and translated individually.
Historical death records and genealogical research
We also request death records going a long way back, including those held in the historical archives of Italian comuni.
In genealogical research and in citizenship by descent applications, the ancestor’s death record serves a specific purpose: it closes the documentary line and allows the generations to be connected, confirming dates, places and last residence. It is often the document that reveals which comune to search for the rest of the family’s records.
Older records require a manual search through the registers: they carry a surcharge, shown in the order form, and take longer than average. If you only know the approximate year of death, tell us anyway: in historical searches a range of years is often enough.
⚠️ For older records, some comuni apply their own administrative fees, which in rare cases can be substantial. If the comune requires them, we contact you before any charge is made: no additional cost is applied without your consent.
How the request works, step by step
- Choose the document in the form. Type of record, comune of death or of transcription, date. Specify the number of copies and whether you need an apostille, a translation and shipping of the paper original.
- Complete your order. Secure card payment, immediate confirmation by email.
- Sign the authorisation form. We send you a pre-filled form: you sign it and send it back with a copy of your identity document, straight from your phone.
- We handle everything. We submit the request to the civil status office, follow the case, collect the document and take care of the apostille and translation if requested.
- Receive your document. PDF by email and, if requested, the paper original by tracked express courier.
Processing times run from receipt of the signed authorisation form, not from the date of the order.
Delivery times and worldwide shipping
- Standard: 15 working days
- Express: 7 working days
These timeframes refer exclusively to the PDF issued by the comune and sent by email. They do not apply to searches in historical archives, to apostille procedures or to sworn translations, which follow their own timeframes. Timeframes cannot be guaranteed, as they depend on the comune concerned.
If you have an estate deadline to meet, tell us when you place your order: we cannot speed up the comune, but we can tell you in advance whether the timing works and, where necessary, chase the office.
Standard delivery is by PDF via email, anywhere in the world. The paper original is available as an option, by tracked express courier worldwide. If you have requested an apostille or a sworn translation, the package contains the complete documentation.
Why request an Italian death record through ClickCertificati
Ten years, doing only this. We are not a general agency: we request Italian civil and vital records every day and we know the procedures, the real timeframes and the working habits of individual municipal offices.
We know where to look. With death records the difficulty is not requesting the document: it is identifying the right comune, which is almost never the comune of residence. That is where our experience makes the difference.
An official document. What you receive is the original document issued by the civil status office, with full legal validity. We do not issue documents and we are not a public authority: we are the intermediaries who request, collect and deliver them on your behalf.
A real person to talk to. Every case is handled by an operator reachable by email and WhatsApp in Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese. If the comune causes difficulties, you hear it from us.
Request an Italian death record now
Fill in the form. We’ll take care of the rest.
The document is issued by the relevant Italian comune. ClickCertificati manages the request, collection and delivery on behalf of the client on the basis of a formal authorisation.
Which comune should I request the death record from?
The one where the death physically occurred, which is often not the comune of residence — typically the comune where the hospital is. If you're not sure, give us both and we'll identify the right office.
The death occurred abroad. Is there an Italian death record?
Only if it was transcribed in Italy, usually in the AIRE comune. If the transcription never took place, there is no Italian record: it has to be started first, through the consulate responsible for the place of death. This step is often necessary in order to open the estate in Italy.
Do I have to be an heir to request the document?
No. The death certificate and the extract can be requested by anyone who knows the deceased's personal details, without proving any family relationship. Only the full record copy may require a legitimate interest.
How many copies do I need?
It depends on the estate. An ordinary estate usually requires several: the notary, each bank, the pension body, insurance companies, the Italian Revenue Agency, and any land registry matters. You can order them all together in the form, at a lower cost than placing separate requests.
The bank is asking for the death record to release the account. Which one do I order?
The extract (estratto per riassunto). Banks normally want the document that also shows the deceased's date of birth and last residence.
I need it for a survivor's pension. Is the standard certificate enough?
Usually not: pension bodies ask for the extract, which shows the marital status at the time of death. If you have the authority's written request, send it to us and we'll check it.
Do I need to provide the deceased's identity document?
No. You sign the authorisation form as the applicant, using your own identity document. From the deceased we only need the personal details.
Is the deceased's Italian tax code needed?
It isn't required, but include it if you have it: it speeds up the search in the archives, particularly where there are people with the same name or where the date of death is uncertain.
I only know the approximate year of death. Can you still search?
Yes, provided we know the comune. In historical searches a range of years is often enough. If the comune is uncertain too, write to us before ordering and we'll assess whether it's feasible.
I need an ancestor's death record for a citizenship application. Is it the same document?
Yes, with the same procedure. For historical records timeframes are longer and a manual search through the municipal registers may be required.
Do I need SPID or an Italian digital identity?
No. You don't need SPID, an Italian electronic ID card or any account on Italian public administration portals. We handle the procedure with the comune on the basis of your authorisation form.
I don't have an Italian identity document. Is that a problem?
No. For the authorisation form, your passport or the identity document of your country of residence is fine.
Do I need an apostille?
It depends on the destination country and on the receiving authority. It is needed in countries party to the Hague Convention where the authority requires a legalised document. If the estate is being handled abroad, every copy intended for a foreign authority has to be apostilled individually.
Does the death record expire?
The record itself does not expire. Many authorities, however, only accept certificates issued within the last three or six months: check the requirement before ordering, particularly if the estate has already been running for some time.
How long does it really take?
15 working days as standard, 7 for the express option, from receipt of the signed authorisation form. Historical records, apostilles and translations require additional time. Timeframes depend on the comune and cannot be guaranteed. If you have a deadline to meet, tell us and we'll let you know straight away whether it works.
What language can I write to you in?
Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese, by email or WhatsApp, during Italian office hours (9:00–13:00 and 15:30–17:30 CET, Monday to Friday).
