We provide extracts from the commercial register of Italy with translation and an apostilled.
When is an extract from the register required?
An extract from the commercial register is the primary document confirming the legal status and authority of an Italian company's management. It is required to verify legal data during any official interaction with public and financial institutions.
Main use cases:
- Transactions and contracts: verifying signatory authority and the legal standing of a counterparty.
- Banking operations: opening accounts, securing loans, and passing compliance checks.
- Notarial procedures: executing real estate transactions or corporate charter amendments.
- Tenders and licensing: verifying registration to participate in procurement procedures and obtain permits.
- Litigation: filing claims and proving plaintiff or defendant legal standing.
- Investment audit: verifying ownership and shareholding history (Due Diligence).
- Immigration processes: applying for a work visa.
What is the Italian commercial register?
The Italian Commercial Register (Registro delle Imprese) is a public state information database. It is maintained by local Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture (CCIAA) under the supervision of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT). All legal entities, partnerships, individual entrepreneurs, and foreign branches operating in Italy are required to register.
The register contains records on over 6 million companies and sole proprietorships. Register documents are primarily issued in Italian; however, basic company details can be accessed in English via the EU Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS).
The register is operated by InfoCamere, the IT consortium of the Italian Chambers of Commerce, connecting 105 chambers of commerce and their 300 branch offices across Italy under a unified network. The institutional function of InfoCamere is the management and technical operation of the Italian commercial register.
The commercial register consists of two sections:
- Ordinary Section (Sezione Ordinaria): contains data on joint-stock companies, limited liability companies, and partnerships (S.p.A., S.r.l., S.n.c., S.a.s.);
- Special Section (Sezione Speciale): dedicated to sole proprietors, agricultural businesses, small enterprises, and innovative startups.
The Italian Commercial Register was established in 1993. Today, it is fully digitized. Data retrieval is carried out via the Telemaco system, providing instant access to electronic extracts.
All documents from the Italian registry, apart from the extract itself, are issued in Italian. If necessary, they can be translated into English or any other language.
An extract from the Italian commercial register (Visura Camerale) is an official document issued by the Chamber of Commerce containing publicly available information about an enterprise.
Using the extract, one can verify a prospective business partner or employer in advance, confirming whether the company exists, its incorporation date, whether insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings are underway, whether required tax and financial reports are filed, as well as reviewing its financial performance and identifying owners and directors.
Information from the Italian commercial register is provided in electronic PDF format with translation into English. If necessary, hard copies can be dispatched by post in notarized form or with an apostille.
Specifics of Obtaining a Paper Extract
If you require an official paper document bearing an ink stamp (for instance, to obtain an apostille), a standard electronic extract will not suffice.
Obtaining paper extracts signed by an authorized official (Visura camerale certificata) requires an application to the relevant Chamber of Commerce (CCIAA) where the company is registered. The certificate is issued on dedicated security paper with anti-counterfeiting holograms, authenticated with an official's signature and a wet ink stamp.
This process takes from several business days up to two weeks if original document shipping is required. The statutory fee for issuing a certified paper copy is higher than for a digital extract. This format is required for international legal proceedings and cross-border use, where subsequent legalization by the Prefecture (Prefettura) or Public Prosecutor's Office is necessary to affix an apostille.
Current Extract (Visura Ordinaria) — contains up-to-date information on an Italian enterprise. The document can be obtained in Italian or English. It serves as the standard commercial register extract.
A current extract from the Italian commercial register contains:
- company name;
- registration number;
- legal form;
- registered office address (Sede Legale);
- incorporation date;
- business activities;
- share capital;
- information regarding corporate officers with signing authority;
- information on liquidation or insolvency status.
* Certain details may not be available for specific legal entities or may require an additional statutory fee.
Order processing time — from 30 minutes.
Cost of extract with apostille: 250 €
Historical Extract (Visura Storica) — in addition to the data in the current extract, it includes a complete record of corporate amendments and changes, such as:
- name changes;
- changes of registered office address;
- changes in legal form;
- appointments of directors;
- termination of directors' powers;
- insolvency, bankruptcy, or corporate restructuring records.
Order processing time — from 30 minutes.
Cost of extract with apostille: 250 €
Company Dossier (Fascicolo) contains an up-to-date company profile and all current corporate documents filed with the register, including articles of association and charter documents.
Order processing time — from 30 minutes.
Cost of extract with apostille: 250 €
Historical Dossier (Fascicolo Storico) — contains the historical extract for the company along with all documents ever filed with the register, including incorporation and constitutional filings.
Order processing time — from 30 minutes.
Cost of extract with apostille: 250 €
Annual Financial Statements (Ultimo Bilancio) — this document contains the balance sheet, income statement (P&L), auditor’s report, and directors' management report. It provides a complete assessment of the company's financial status. Issued in Italian.
Order processing time — from 30 minutes.
Cost of extract with apostille: 250 €
A company search by individual in the Italian commercial register is performed using an individual’s full name. This search identifies which companies the person is an officer, director, or shareholder in, their ownership percentage, and core corporate details.
Order processing time — from 30 minutes.
Cost of extract with apostille: 250 €
Searching and ordering an extract is possible using the following criteria:
- full company name;
- partial company name and registered address;
- tax code (Codice Fiscale) or VAT number (Partita IVA).
Main Legal Forms of Enterprises in Italy
Legal entities with separate corporate personality (corporations):
- Società per azioni (S.p.A.) — joint-stock company;
- Società a responsabilità limitata (S.r.l.) — limited liability company;
- S.r.l.s. — simplified limited liability company;
- Società in accomandita per azioni (S.a.p.a.) — partnership limited by shares.
Entities without separate corporate personality (partnerships):
- Società semplice — simple partnership;
- Società in nome collettivo (S.n.c.) — general partnership;
- Società in accomandita semplice (S.a.s.) — limited partnership.
Italian Register of Beneficial Owners
In 2015, Italy established a committee to implement the Fourth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive. Legislative Decree No. 90/2017 took effect on July 4, 2017. Under this regulation, legal entities must submit beneficial ownership information to the Italian Commercial Register (Registro dei Titolari Effettivi), where it is maintained in a dedicated section. In addition to statutory public authorities, private parties may access this data subject to a fee. However, the law restricts grounds for disclosure to private applicants: access is permitted primarily when the information is required for legal defense in judicial proceedings or where substantiated, documented evidence indicates that the registered owner diverges from the actual beneficial owner.
What Other Important Registers Exist?
- REA (Repertorio Economico Amministrativo): contains economic and operational information (warehouses, local branches);
- Albo delle Imprese Artigiane: register of craft enterprises;
- Registro del Terzo Settore (RUNTS): single national register of non-profit and voluntary organizations.
Documents for Liquidated Companies and Companies in "Penalty" Status
Records of liquidated Italian companies remain archived in the Business Register (Registro delle Imprese) under the status "Cessata" or "Cancellata". To prove the loss of legal capacity in judicial proceedings, a historical extract (Visura Storica) or a certified certificate of strike-off with an apostille is used.
The Italian equivalent of a "penalty" status involves blocking certificate issuance and initiating compulsory strike-off proceedings when an entity fails to file financial statements for three consecutive years or lacks a valid certified email address (PEC). In such circumstances, obtaining documents for an apostille is barred until non-compliance is resolved, which is flagged in the registry as an indicator of bad standing. Procuring archived records for such entities enables creditors to substantiate claims against former directors under secondary liability.
Apostille on Extracts from Italy
Italy acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on December 13, 1977, and it entered into force on February 11, 1978. Official documents issued in Italy are apostilled by the local Prefecture (Prefettura).
As a rule, obtaining an apostille on a registry extract takes approximately two weeks.
Comparison of Extract Types
| Feature | Electronic extract | Extract with apostille |
|---|---|---|
| Format | PDF file | Original paper document with apostille |
| Processing time | From 30 minutes | 2–3 weeks (issuance by the Chamber of Commerce + legalization) |
| Legal validity | Informational certificate | Official document for public authorities and courts |
| Legalization | Not possible | Possible (Apostille) |
| Application | Counterparty screening, contract preparation | Courts, opening bank accounts, notarial transactions |
| Cost | from 20 € | from 250 € |
Validity Period of an Italian Register Extract
The validity period depends on the requirements of the requesting body. In Italy, an extract is generally considered current for 1 to 3 months.
- Electronic extract: recommended to use documents issued within the past 7 days.
- Extract with apostille: for courts, the 30-day limitation is calculated from the date the apostille is affixed. The extract itself must be issued within a reasonable timeframe prior to legalization.
Translation of Italian Documents
Extracts and additional corporate documents from the Italian commercial register can be translated into English or any other language. Schmidt & Schmidt provides professional document translation services with subsequent legal certification. Pricing is determined on an individual basis depending on the volume of the specific document.
Document Delivery
Once a register extract is issued and apostilled, the physical original often must be forwarded abroad. In these instances, swift transit and shipment safety are paramount.
Schmidt & Schmidt arranges international courier delivery of documents from Italy worldwide. We employ reliable logistics partners and end-to-end tracking systems, ensuring full shipment visibility and prompt handover to the recipient.
Commercial register extracts are retrieved and provided in strict compliance with Italian law and personal data protection regulations.
Orders are processed within one business day. Courier delivery of an apostilled extract is charged separately in accordance with courier service tariffs.
You can verify company presence in the Italian commercial register free of charge by submitting an inquiry on our website.
