This article focuses on the part done in Georgia: which document, in what form and in what order. We cover the Italian side only as far as it affects the Georgian part.
One thing from the start: on the Italian route an apostille is not optional. Italy is a member of the Hague Convention, and every Georgian document must carry an apostille. Without it the package is not considered at all - however flawless the translation.
Nulla Osta - where it all begins
The process starts not in Georgia but in Italy. The family member living there must apply to the Single Desk for Immigration (Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione) and request a Nulla Osta - consent to family reunification.
To do so they must meet several conditions themselves: residence status, sufficient income for the number of family members, and housing that meets the suitability certificate.
Only after the Nulla Osta is issued can the family members in Georgia apply to the Italian embassy for a visa. This matters for planning: until there is a Nulla Osta you cannot file the visa application - but you can, and should, start preparing the Georgian documents already.
The Nulla Osta itself comes in Italian, and it is often worth translating into Georgian too - so you know exactly what conditions it sets and which family members it names.
Which documents are prepared in Georgia
The list depends on who is going: a spouse, a minor child, an adult child or a parent.
In every case
- Birth certificate - to prove the family link
- Passport
- A certificate of family status
- Photos and the visa application form
For a spouse
- Marriage certificate
- Divorce certificate, if there was a previous marriage
- A certificate that you are not in another marriage
- Criminal record certificate
For a child
- Birth certificate naming both parents
- The other parent's notarized consent, if one parent accompanies the child
- A court decision on custody, if one exists
- A school certificate, if enrolment in Italy is planned
The most common flaw is in a child's documents: the other parent's consent exists, but it either does not name the country, or its term is too short, or the powers are worded so narrowly that the Italian side cannot see a specific permission. Tell us exactly which procedure it is for, and we will adapt the text to it.
Apostille, translation, certification - the right order
On the Italian route the procedure has three stages, and their order does not change.
Stage 1: the apostille on the original. First you obtain the original document - a new extract, not an old certificate - and have it apostilled at the Public Service Hall. This stage is not done on the same day. Stage 2: the Italian translation. The document is translated with the apostille already on it, including the text of the apostille stamp itself. That is exactly why these two stages cannot be reversed. Stage 3: notarization. A notary certifies the translation. In some cases the embassy asks for the translation to be done by an accredited translator, but in most cases a notarized translation is fully sufficient. Check this requirement in the embassy's current instructions.Total time: several days for the apostille, one working day per document for the translation, half a day for notarization. For four or five documents, safely plan one to two weeks.
What you will need once in Italy
The visa is the midpoint of the process, not the end. After arriving, family members must register at the Comune and apply for a permesso di soggiorno.
At this stage the same documents are often requested - birth and marriage certificates - but now under the Italian side's rules. Some Comuni accept a notarized translation prepared in Georgia, others set their own requirement.
The practical conclusion is the same as on other routes: be sure to take the apostilled originals with you. An apostille is only issued in Georgia, and sorting it out from Italy is difficult and expensive - it takes a power of attorney, a trusted person and extra weeks.
If you are already in that situation, there is a way out: under a power of attorney we can handle obtaining the document, the apostille and the translation, and send you the finished package.
Names and surnames - where a package falls apart
The most common problem in a family package is not terminology - it is inconsistent names. And that makes sense: one package holds three or four people's documents, some issued decades ago, some yesterday, recorded differently by different offices.
The most typical case is a woman's surname. The birth certificate has her maiden name, the passport her husband's, the marriage certificate both. For the Italian side the link between these three documents must be clear, and in the translation each form must come over exactly as in the original - we merge nothing and correct nothing.
The second typical case: a child's name written one way in Latin letters in the passport and another way in an old translation of the birth certificate. Here the rule is strict - always the passport spelling, in every document.
That is why we ask clients to send the family package together, not piece by piece weeks apart. One translator sees every document at once and notices a mismatch immediately - while it is still easy to fix.
How to plan it
Wait for the Nulla Osta, but not for the documents
While the Nulla Osta is being prepared in Italy, you can already obtain new extracts in Georgia and have them apostilled. This runs in parallel and saves weeks.
Get new extracts
Instead of an old certificate, get a new extract from the Public Service Development Agency. Many offices ask for a document issued in recent months.
Apostille on everything, then translation
The apostille at the Public Service Hall, then the Italian translation of the apostilled document, finally notarization. This order does not change.
Take the originals with you
You will also need the apostilled originals in Italy, for the Comune registration and the permesso. Without them it will be much harder there.
Price and deadline
Italian is a permanent direction for us, so the deadline for a standard certificate is usually one working day. Translating the Nulla Osta or another Italian document into Georgian is faster, because it is usually short.
The price is set by agreement after we see the material and is fixed before the order starts. For a family package of five or six documents it is better to order everything together - one translator does it, the names are the same everywhere and the total cost is better too.
The apostille state fee must be counted separately: it is charged per document and adds up to a noticeable sum in a four- or five-document package. It is not our fee - it is set by the state. Guide figures: translation prices.
Planning family reunification in Italy? Send us the Nulla Osta and photos of your documents - we will tell you what gets translated, what needs an apostille and by when.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
Does every document need an apostille?
On the Italian route - practically yes, every official Georgian document. Italy is a member of the Hague Convention, and the embassy will not accept a document without an apostille. The exceptions are documents that are not official papers - private letters or photos, for example.
I have an old birth certificate. Will it do?
Often not. Many offices ask for a document issued in recent months, so it is better to get a new extract from the Public Service Development Agency. There is also a practical reason: putting an apostille on an old, damaged or worn document can itself become a problem.
I am taking the child alone. What should the other parent's consent look like?
Notarized, apostilled, and it must state specifically which country, for how long, with whom and for what purpose the child is going. Wording that is too general is as problematic as wording that is too narrow. Tell us the exact procedure and we will adapt the text to it.
Does the translation have to be done by an accredited translator?
In some cases the embassy sets that requirement, but in most cases a notarized translation is fully sufficient. The requirement changes over time, so check the embassy's current instructions before applying. If they contain specific wording, send it to us and we will match it.
The Nulla Osta is in Italian. Should I translate it into Georgian?
Formally it is often not needed, but it is very useful. The Nulla Osta states who is named, on what terms and for how long. If, say, it names one child and you have two, that shows up as soon as it is translated, not at the embassy.
I am already in Italy and found out I have no apostille. What do I do?
An apostille is only issued in Georgia, so there are two ways: come back yourself, or have someone do it under a power of attorney. Under a power of attorney we can obtain the document, the apostille and the translation and send you the finished package. The power of attorney must be notarized in Italy and needs an apostille.