Quick answer
Affidavits come up in Italian descent files when records don't agree: an ancestor recorded as Giuseppe in Italy and Joseph in Florida, or a surname spelled three ways. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- You, the affiant, swearing or affirming before a Florida notary, who completes a jurat.
- Florida state fee
- $10 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 1978
- Online notarization
- Available as an add-on
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Italy in Miami
- Translation
- Italian offices need an official Italian translation of English records, and the Miami consulate states that it does not translate documents.
How a Florida affidavit is used in Italy
Affidavits come up in Italian descent files when records don't agree: an ancestor recorded as Giuseppe in Italy and Joseph in Florida, or a surname spelled three ways. Consulates differ on whether a one-and-the-same-person affidavit is enough or whether the Florida record must be formally amended, and amendment is often the safer route. Ask the Miami consulate before you rely on an affidavit. If it accepts one, sign before a Florida notary with a complete jurat, then apostille and translate it into Italian. List every variant exactly as it appears.
Getting a affidavit Florida will apostille
A sworn statement with a complete Florida jurat (“sworn to (or affirmed) and subscribed” before the notary) showing venue, presence or online box, date, your name and ID type, plus the notary's signature and seal. An acknowledgment may still be apostilled, but a foreign office may treat it as unsworn. The statement can be in another language; the certificate must be in English.
Write the statement yourself or use the receiving office's wording; a notary who isn't an attorney can't draft it for you. Swear to it before any Florida notary or through our online notarization add-on: $40 for the first document ($10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee) and $20 for each additional document. Notarization is not included in the $220 apostille price.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the affidavit apostille page.
Who receives it in Italy — and translation
The Consulate General of Italy in Miami handles citizenship by descent and transcription of Florida births, marriages and divorces into the comune's civil records; applicants must live in its district. Citizenship by marriage is filed online with the Ministry of the Interior. Italian notai use powers of attorney and handle property and inheritances, the Agenzia delle Entrate receives inheritance declarations, and universities and CIMEA assess foreign degrees. Since Law 74/2025, citizenship-by-descent applications filed after March 27, 2025 face much narrower eligibility — confirm you qualify before preparing documents.
Italian offices need an official Italian translation of English records, and the Miami consulate states that it does not translate documents. Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a separate Florida notary and apostilled; ask the consulate whether it accepts that format or certifies translations itself. Courts and some comuni in Italy may instead require a translation sworn before an Italian court (asseverata). Translate after the apostille, including the apostille page.
Criminal-record certificates for citizenship by marriage are valid for six months from issue and must still be valid when you file. For descent files, the consulate wants every document in original in one complete submission, so order fresh vital records close to your appointment.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Italy in Miami.
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send it — or sign online
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location. Not signed yet? Add online notarization and there is nothing to ship.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why affidavits get rejected
- Acknowledgment used where a sworn statement was required
- Signed before the notary session instead of in front of the notary
- Notary related to the signer (spouse, parent or child)
- Notarized copy of a vital or court record attached as proof
What it costs for Italy
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to Italy is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).