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Same Name Certificate Apostille for Italian DOV in India

  • UPDATED A MONTH AGO

If your different documents show different names, Italian authorities may ask for the proof to show that all these name variations point to the same person. This proof is generally called a Same name certificate or one and the same person certificate. In this article, we will discuss in detail about the Same Name Certificate Apostille for Italy DOV including the process, requirement and timeline. 

4 Simple steps to get MEA Apostille on your Documents 

  1. Register on Apostille Portal 
  2. Collect all  Documents you want to Apostille 
  3. Submit the Original / Photocopies of documents
  4. Receive Documents with Apostille Directly to your home
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What is a Same Name Certificate?

You will have multiple documents with different versions of your name. Some of them may include your name with initials, some with the expansion of initials, some with maiden name, some with husband name etc. As part of your Italian DOV application, you may need to submit your birth certificate, degree certificate and many other personal and educational documents. Some of these may have mentioned your name differently from what is mentioned in the passport. 

Same name certificate is a certificate issued by competent authority stating that all the names mentioned in different documents are pointing to the same person, you. 

Same Name Certificate and Affidavit: Difference

Same name certificate and affidavit are used for the same purpose. However, Italian authorities do not accept the same name affidavit. Same name affidavit is a sworn affidavit stating that all the names mentioned in different certificates belong to the same person. This is usually prepared in a 100 rupees stamp paper and get it notarized. You can get an apostille to submit it to a foreign authority other than Italian. 

For Italy an affidavit is not enough. You need to get a certificate either from Tahsildar or Panchayat.

How to Get a Same Name Certificate for Italian DOV?

For DOV application, Italian consulates in India explicitly require the original “One & the Same” certificate to be Issued by the competent Tehsildar or Gram Panchayat. Thus, as mentioned above, unlike other foreign countries, an affidavit is not enough for Italy. 

The certificate should explicitly mention all the name variants and state that all these name variations belong to the same person. You can request the format of the one and same certificate format to the Italian consulate. This will make sure the certificate that you are going to get matches with the requirement of the Italian embassy. 

You can also check with authorized service providers dealing with Italian DOV applications such as Secure Apostille Services.  

Where to Apply for a Same Name Certificate in India?

The Tahsildar (also called Taluk Magistrate or Taluk Officer depending on the state) is the usual issuing authority. In some rural areas, the Panchayat / Village Officer or the Registrar of Births and Deaths can issue the certificate. However, in states (like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka), the District Collector’s office or State Revenue Department (Home section) can also issue the certificate.

Application Link for One and the Same Person Certificate in India

Procedure of Getting a Same Name Certificate for Italian DOV

  1. Submit Application to the office of Tahasildar

Submit a written application along with supporting documents such as passport, birth certificate etc (All documents where name discrepancies occur). You can also provide a draft statement or format along with the application.

       2. Verification

Local officials will verify the details. In rare cases, they may also ask you to submit an affidavit. 

       3. Issuance

The Same Name Certificate is issued on the official letterhead/seal of the Tahsildar (or competent authority).

What is the Same Name Certificate Apostille for Italian DOV?

Although a same name certificate is issued by competent authority in India, the certificate itself is not valid in Italy. As a foreign document, an Indian issued Same name certificate needs to get an attestation after verification procedure to be legally accepted in Italy. This attestation is known as Apostille. 

Since India and Italy are Hague apostille convention countries, any Indian documents submitted to Italian authorities need to get an apostille stamp from the ministry of external affairs. Thus, when you submit your same name certificate for Italian DOV an apostille from MEA India is a mandatory step. 

Process of Getting a Same Name Certificate Apostille for Italian DOV

In India, the ministry of external affairs located in Delhi alone can issue an apostille stamp on any document issued in India. However, the verification process involves other officials. Without getting an attestation from these designated government/judicial officials MEA will not accept documents for an apostille. There are two commonly accepted methods of verification for a document apostille process. They are: 

  1. State Attestation Method
  2. SDM Attestation Method

Although both methods are accepted by MEA for apostille, some countries make it mandatory to get attestation from state departments before an apostille. Italy is one such country where most of the documents submitted need to get an apostille with state attestation.

Steps to Get Apostille on Same Name Certificate for Italian DOV

Since documents submitted to Italian authorities need state attestation, we are not discussing SDM attestation here. Same name certificate is issued by the revenue department, thus the regional authentication centre for attestation is the state home department. The home department officials such as the under secretary is responsible for providing an attestation on your same name certificate. Follow below steps to get an apostille for Same name certificate apostille for Italian DOV using state attestation method:

  1. Notarization: A public notary verifies and attests your same name certificate.
  2. State home attestation: Home department of the state where the same name certificate was issued, will verify the authenticity of the document with the local authority. Then the officials will attest the same name certificate.
  3. MEA Attestation: Ministry of external affairs attests your same name certificate after verification.
  4. MEA Apostille: Finally, the ministry of external affairs affixes an apostille stamp on the backside of the certificate.

Documents Required to Apply for Same Name Certificate Apostille

To apply for an apostille for your same name certificate to submit for Italian DOV, you need to submit the following documents to secure apostille services: 

  1. Original government issued same name certificate
  2. Copy of the passport

Same name certificate apostille is mandatory for Italian DOV application, if there are discrepancies in the name mentioned in various personal and educational documents. Though some countries accept an affidavit for this purpose, Italy mandates submitting a certificate instead of an affidavit. Similarly, most of the countries will accept an apostille using the SDM attestation method. However, for Italy an attestation from the state department is mandatory. Thus, if you are applying for an Italian DOV, preparing the certificate earlier will make sure all your documents are in line with the requirements from the Italian Consulate. 

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Frequently asked questions

No. The Italian Consulate in India specifically states that they do not accept affidavits for the same name as valid documents even with an apostille. Hence, even if it takes time, you have to get a certificate from the office of Tahsildar and get it apostilled to make sure your visa applications are not rejected. 

To submit your documents in Italy an apostille stamp obtained after home department attestation is mandatory.

Yes. You need to get a certified Italian translation for your same name certificate after getting an apostille stamp. You need to translate the content of the apostille as well.