Vital statistics refer to the sum of acts and events concerning the life of a citizen: birth, marriage, death, divorce and citizenship, registration of which falls within the remit of the Office of Vital Statistics, whose function is carried out in Italy by municipal offices, and abroad by consular offices.
The Office of Vital Statistics of a diplomatic or consular mission is responsible for:
- registration of civil status (citizenship, birth, marriage and death), acts and variations formalised by the consulate itself;
- reception of acts issued by foreign authorities and their communication to Italian municipal offices for registration;
- reception of rulings and provisions issued abroad (e.g. divorce, adoption, etc.) and their communication to Italian institutions for registration;
- communication of requests for change of name or surname to the authorised Prefectures;
- drafting of verbal marriage bans and publication on-line;
- celebration of consular weddings, where not in opposition to local laws (which may be refused if the parties do not reside in the consular jurisdiction).
Italian citizens are required to communicate all variations in civil status (and to submit related documentation) that take place during their residence abroad to the local authorised consular office where the event takes place.
Acts regarding civil status events that take place abroad may be submitted by the parties concerned, or by anyone concerned, either directly to the office of the Italian municipality of residence (see art. 12, par. 11, DPR 396/2000) or to the authorised consular office (either that of the parties concerned or of the jurisdiction in which the act is formalised).
Acts issued by countries signatory to the Vienna Convention of 8 September 1976, which must be issued using multilingual forms, are exempt from legalisation and translation. Those countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.
Residents in the City of Ottawa, the Counties of Carleton, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott, Russell, and Stormont in Ontario and the Outaouais Region of Québec must apply at the Consular Office of the Embassy of Italy in Ottawa. You may make an appointment via the online platform Prenot@mi.