Italian Citizenship Document Legalization

Summary

The U.S. Does not issue apostilles for federal documents like Naturalization certificates. Instead, these documents can be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State. This authentication is generally accepted in place of an apostille. For more information, refer to the U.S. Department of States guidelines on document authentication.

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I am applying for Italian citizenship. I have my great grandfathers official copy of Oath of Allegiance (Naturalization). I was told that it needs to be "legalized" however this is the official copy. I was told they can't apostle it. Is it true that according to US law they dont' hand out official documents and that this formalized copy is the most legal form of it
Hello ****, it's true that the U.S. doesn't 'apostille' federal documents. However, you can get a certification from the U.S. Department of State for your great grandfather's naturalization record. This is usually accepted instead of an apostille.
- You can request this certification via mail.
- The process typically requires a fee and a few weeks to complete.

This should satisfy the Italian authorities' requirement for legalization.
They are saying that it does not, are there any legal statutes that I can show them attesting to this
Hello ****, the U.S. Department of State's website provides clarification on this matter. According to their guidelines:
- Federal documents, such as Naturalization certificates, can't be apostilled.
- They can only be authenticated by the U.S Department of State.
You can refer them to the U.S Department of State's website for this information. They might find the official explanation useful.
Can you link that official explanation here
I'm sorry, but as per our policy, I'm unable to provide direct links. However, you can find the necessary information on the official website of the U.S. Department of State. Please search for 'Authentication of American Academic Credentials for Use Abroad' on the site.