SELF-CERTIFICATION
Self-certifications and personal sworn declarations can be used in dealings with the public administration and with the authorities who may provide public services. They are written on paper by the applicant and include status, events and personal skills. In dealings between private individuals, the applicant himself may decide if he/she needs self-certifications. They cannot, however, be used before a judicial authority acting in its jurisdictional capacity.
On 1st January 2012 new measures concerning certificates and personal sworn declarations were implemented, in accordance with article 15 of law n.183 of 12th November 2011. Starting from that date, certificates will be valid in dealings between private individuals, while Public Authorities will not be allowed to request or accept certificates that will need to be replaced by self-certifications.
All Italian and European Union citizens may produce self-certificates, including Non-European citizens who regularly reside in Italy with limitations to the verifiable and certifiable data by public authorities in Italy.
To download the requested documents, please refer to the Italian section ‘Modulistica’ of our website.
1. Dichiarazione sostitutiva di certificazione (art. 46 DPR 445/2000) (SELF-CERTIFICATION REPLACING A CERTIFICATE)
Self-certifications can be used in verifying the following data:
• date and place of birth;
• domicile;
• citizenship;
• enjoyment of political rights;
• marital status;
• family membership;
• proof of being alive;
• birth of a child, death of a spouse, ancestor or descendant;
• enrolment in associations or lists required by the public administration;
• membership of professional associations (e.g. ‘ordine dei giornalisti’, ‘ordine degli avvocati’, etc.);
• academic qualifications and university exams;
• professional qualifications, postgraduate qualifications, qualifying certificates, training course qualifications, updating courses qualifications and technical qualifications;
• income or financial status provided for the purpose of obtaining benefits and advantages of whatever type foreseen by specific laws;
• dispensation from specific tax obligations, with an indication of the amount;
• tax code, tax code and VAT number and any other data registered in the tax register;
• unemployment status;
• pensioner status and category of pension;
• student status;
• status as legal representative of physical or legal persons, guardian, trustee and similar;
• membership in social groups or associations of whatever type;
• fulfillment or not of military obligations, including those in the list of militaries; (serial number in the paper record of service)
• lack of criminal record. Moreover, the applicant must not be subjected to preventive, civil and administrative measures following the law currently in force;
• lack of ongoing penal sentences;
• status of dependency on someone;
• all the information directly known by the person concerned which figure in the Civil Registry;
• status of non-liquidation or non-bankrupt. The applicant must not have submitted an application for composition.
No stamp duty must be paid by the citizen if the law states that no stamp duty is required for the documents they need to show.
Self-certifications that replace certificates can be written on paper and signed under one’s own responsibility (it is not necessary to sign before an employee) or can be written by filling self sworn declarations.
The statements that must be submitted to this Embassy may be sent, together with an identity document, at fax number: 01 6766716 and to the following e-mail address: consolare.ambdublino@esteri.it
2. Dichiarazione sostitutiva di atto di notorietà (art.47 DPR 445/2000) (PERSONAL SWORN DECLARATION OF AFFIDAVITS)
The parties concerned may use self-certification for all personal states, facts and qualifications that are not certifiable by a public administration through a self-drafted affidavit.
Moreover, the self-drafted affidavit can also concern other persons of which the person making the declaration has direct documents stored or issued by a public authority, copies of publications, of academic or professional qualifications, copies of fiscal documents that must be kept by private individuals.
Validity of self-certifications and affidavits:
Self-certifications have the same validity as the documents they replace. Normally, these certificates are valid for six months from the date of issuance, except when laws or regulations extend the period of validity.
The validity of civil registry data is extendable if the person concerned signs the statement and declares that the data contained in the certificate have not been modified.
Affidavits and self-certificates have unlimited validity, when attesting to personal states that and facts are not subject to modification (birth and death certificates, academic qualifications, etc.).
Self-certification is never allowed for the following kinds of certification:
• medical;
• hospital-related;
• veterinarian;
• of national origin;
• EU conformity;
• labels and patents.
Sanctions for citizens who make false declarations
If the public administration doubts the truth of the self-certification, this Embassy is obliged to make the necessary investigations. Incorrect statements, falsified acts and use of false acts are punishable according to the penal code and laws concerning the matter (article of law 76 DPR 445/2000). Moreover, the person making the statement forfeits any benefits granted as a result of the provisions based on his/her untrue statements.
Cases in which the public administration may not require certification from citizens
In cases concerning certification of surname, name, place and date of birth, citizenship, civil status and residence, the public administration may not require certification and an identity document is sufficient. In cases concerning certification of surname, name, place and date of birth, citizenship, civil status and residence, the public administration can not require certification. Therefore, an identity document is sufficient. If the document is no longer valid, the person concerned must declare in the margins of the photocopy that the data contained in the photocopy have not changed since the date of issue.
Identity documents and cards
In all cases in which an identity document is required this may be substituted by an equivalent, in accordance with article of law 35 of DPR 445/2000, such as:
• passport;
• drivers license;
• sailing license;
• pension registration;
• license for the operation of heating plants;
• weapons permit;
• State employee’s ID card, on the condition that it has a photo and stamp or other equivalent signature.
Applicant may also show expired documents along with a declaration written by him/her on the copy of his/her identity document, stating that the data it contains have not changed since the date of issue.
For further information refer to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs