Italian birth certificate: certificate, extract or full copy?

What each one shows

• Certificate (certificato): names, date and place. The shortest version.
• Extract (estratto per riassunto): adds details such as the hour of birth and the notes recorded later. Parents’ names are left out unless you ask for them.
• Full copy (copia integrale): a copy of the whole original entry, including margin notes such as marriages or name changes. The most useful for genealogy and citizenship.

Which one consulates ask for

Requirements vary by consulate. The Consulate General of Italy in Chicago, for example, asks for the Italian birth record “in the extended version”. Check your own consulate’s list before you order.

Who can request a full copy

The person named in the record, their legal representative, a third party they authorize, or someone who files a reasoned request showing a legally relevant interest. Details about parents can be released to third parties only once at least 70 years have passed since the record was made. For a deceased ancestor, a descendant files the request, and can authorize someone in Italy to do it for them.

How the request works

• The request goes to the civil registry office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the town where the event was recorded.
• It must give exact names, date and place: town halls are not required to do genealogical research.
• Many offices issue records free of charge or for a small fee; some charge for records older than 100 years.