Divorce
To obtain the registration in Italy of a divorce decree issued in Australia, you must appear at the Consulate on Tuesday or Thursday between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. (no appointment necessary), bringing the following documents:
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completed and signed application for registration;
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a copy of your passport or equivalent identity document, preferably Italian;
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the original divorce decree (Divorce Order or Decree Nisi of Dissolution of Marriage, both issued by the WA Family Court), duly apostilled by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and translated into Italian (reference translators available HERE). As a general rule, apostilles must not be translated, and translations must not be apostilled. The original certificates cannot be returned but must be kept in the family file in the Consulate’s archives.
Applicants are also reminded that, alternatively, they may:
send all of the above-mentioned documentation by post (either regular or registered) to:
P.O. Box 1894, West Perth WA 6872.
Documentation may only be submitted or sent in original form. The original certificates cannot be returned but must be kept in the family file in the Consulate’s archives.
No copies of any kind can be accepted.
Please note that the simple “certificate of divorce” is not accepted by the Italian Authorities.
There are no agreements for the automatic recognition in Italy of divorce decrees issued in Australia. Before proceeding with registration, the competent Municipality may therefore request additional documentation.
CERTIFICATES FROM THIRD COUNTRIES
For certificates issued by countries other than Australia, it is recommended to obtain the necessary information to complete them (by apostille or legalization, depending on whether the issuing State has ratified the 1961 Hague Convention), by visiting the website of the competent Italian Representation for the territory.
If the certificates are accompanied by sworn translations (for example, documents issued in Brazil), these must not only be apostilled but must also clearly and legibly bear the wording “translation conforms to the original”, prepared by the same professional who carried out the translation. Otherwise, both documents will be deemed inadmissible and returned to the applicant, who will need to have them corrected.