Quick answer
A Florida company buying property in Italy, holding shares in an Italian company or opening a branch (sede secondaria) needs an Italian codice fiscale, and a branch is entered in the Registro delle Imprese at the local Camera di Commercio. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), as a certified copy of the articles of incorporation or, for an LLC, the articles of organization.
- Florida state fee
- $10 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 1978
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- 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 articles of incorporation is used in Italy
A Florida company buying property in Italy, holding shares in an Italian company or opening a branch (sede secondaria) needs an Italian codice fiscale, and a branch is entered in the Registro delle Imprese at the local Camera di Commercio. The notaio handling the deed or filing checks that the company exists and who represents it, starting with its articles certified by the Florida Division of Corporations and apostilled. Expect an Italian translation, and ask the notaio whether it also wants a certificate of status and proof of the signer's authority.
Getting a articles of incorporation Florida will apostille
An original certified copy issued by the Division of Corporations; not a Sunbiz printout or photocopy, and not a notarized copy, since Florida notaries can't attest copies of public records. Add certified amendments, name changes or conversions if the company's current name or structure differs from the original filing.
Request a certified copy from the Division with the entity name, document number, document type and filing date. The Florida Department of State also accepts a certified-copy request filed together with the apostille request, paid with two separate checks, which we can file for you. The Division's own fee (listed at $8.75 for a corporation and $30 for an LLC at this writing) is not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the articles of incorporation 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 your document
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location.
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 articles of incorporations get rejected
- Sunbiz printout or photocopy
- Notarized copy of the articles
- Original articles only, with no amendments showing the current name
- Company inactive, so the foreign bank stops the file
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).