Criminal Record Certificate (Police Clearance Certificate) in Italy

A criminal record certificate from Italy, also searched as a police clearance certificate, a certificate of good conduct, a police certificate or a criminal background check, is in Italian the certificato del casellario giudiziale, usually shortened to certificato penale. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Police Clearance Certificate / Criminal Record Check”. English-speaking lawyers in Italy handle the two different requests behind those words: a certificate issued in Italy, and foreign certificates that an Italian office asks a foreigner to bring.

A certificate from Italy

Former residents, students and workers who lived in Italy need it for a visa, a job or a residence permit elsewhere. It is issued by the criminal records office (ufficio del casellario) at the Procura della Repubblica, and any of these offices can issue it whatever the person's place of residence. The Ministry of Justice runs an online booking for many offices, with collection at the counter, but not a fully online issue. Italian embassies and consulates do not issue it. People abroad therefore use a representative in Italy with a written delegation (delega), or a postal request where the office accepts one.

Foreign certificates for Italian procedures

For a citizenship application and several residence routes, such as the elective residence visa, Italian offices ask for the certificate of the country of origin and of the countries of residence, legalised or apostilled and translated into Italian. Which countries, how recent and in what form is decided by the receiving office, and the rules have changed more than once, so a lawyer confirms the current list before anything is ordered.

Things that cause confusion

• Casellario and carichi pendenti are two certificates: the first lists final convictions, the second open criminal cases. Employers and offices sometimes ask for both; whether a case is open is covered under arrest warrant check.
• Use abroad: inside the EU a multilingual standard form can accompany the certificate; elsewhere it usually needs an apostille, which for judicial documents is added at the Procura.
• Tax certificates also called carichi pendenti, issued by the tax office, are unrelated.

What the lawyer does

Books or files the request, collects the certificate under a power of attorney or delegation, arranges the apostille and a certified translation, and checks a foreign certificate against what the Italian office expects. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions and answers

Can I get an Italian criminal record certificate online?

The request can be booked online for many offices, but the certificate itself is collected in person or by a delegate.

Is certificato penale the same as casellario giudiziale?

In everyday use, yes: certificato penale is the common name for the certificate drawn from the casellario, the criminal records register.

Can a foreigner who lived in Italy obtain one?

Yes. Anyone can request their own certificate with an identity document, and a delegation covers people who are no longer in Italy.

How long is the certificate valid?

Italian certificates have a limited validity, and many receiving offices also want a recent one, so the date of issue is planned around the application.

Can an Italian consulate help?

Not with this certificate. Requests go to an Italian Procura, directly or through a representative.