The “certificato penale” is a document which contains the summary of a person’s previous criminal convictions that are no longer subject to appeal. The “certificato penale” can be requested by the applicant or by a person specifically authorised to act on their behalf. The request can only be made in Italy, at the local Court Records Office of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in any town (Ufficio Locale del Casellario presso la Procura della Repubblica), regardless of the place of birth or residence of the applicant. The relevant application forms can be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Justice (click here).
The “certificato dei carichi pendenti”, on the other hand, is a document that shows a person’s pending criminal proceedings. This certificate can be requested in person by the applicant or by a person specifically authorised to act on their behalf. The request can only be made in Italy, at the Court Records Office of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ufficio Locale del Casellario presso la Procura della Repubblica), in the town of residence or previous residence of the applicant. The relevant application forms can be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Justice (click here).
Please note that this Consulate General cannot request the above certificates on your behalf.
Some UK authorities will require the above certificates to be legalized by means of Apostille and translated into English. The Apostille, if required, can be obtained at the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Italy.