Legalising Malaysian Documents for Italy

Oct 18

Short answer: Italy uses apostilles, but Malaysia is not in the Apostille Convention, so Malaysian documents for Italy are legalised instead: first by Wisma Putra (Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs), then by the Embassy of Italy in Kuala Lumpur. Italian law also requires a foreign document to come with an Italian translation certified as conforming to the original, and the Italian Embassy certifies that translation when it legalises the document.

We handle the whole Malaysian chain for Italy: Italian translations by translators certified by ITBM, DBP and the Malaysian Translators Association, which are the bodies the Italian Embassy names, plus notarisation where needed and Wisma Putra attestation, and we prepare the set for the Italian Embassy. Send your document on WhatsApp for a quote.

Last reviewed: October 2026. For translation rules, see certified Italian translation of Malaysian documents.

Step by step

Get the right document. For a birth certificate, the Italian Embassy asks for the extract (cabutan) from JPN. A criminal record means the Certificate of Good Conduct; see Certificate of Good Conduct. Degrees need a certified true copy from the Ministry of Higher Education; see degree and transcript attestation. Other copies and private documents are notarised first; see notarisation.
Attest it at Wisma Putra. Wisma Putra charges RM 20 for civil-status and notarised documents and RM 10 for certified translations, true copies and school certificates; see the legalisation fees tracker.
Translate it into Italian, including the Wisma Putra stamp. This is the order the Italian Embassy gives for a Malaysian birth certificate. For a declaration of value, the Italian translation is also attested at Wisma Putra. See certified Italian translation.
Legalise at the Embassy of Italy in Kuala Lumpur. The embassy legalises the Wisma Putra signature and certifies the Italian translation. Fees follow the Italian consular tariff and are paid in cash in ringgit.
Hand the documents to the Italian office that asked for them: the comune, the prefettura or questura, a university, or the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione.

Embassy of Italy, Kuala Lumpur

Address: 7 Jalan Penggawa (off Jalan Ampang Hilir / Jalan U Thant), 55000 Kuala Lumpur. Consular office +60 3 4256 5122, ambkualalumpur.consolare@esteri.it.
Consular office hours: Monday to Thursday 9 am to 1 pm, Friday 9 am to 12 noon. It covers the whole of Malaysia.
Booking: legalisation is arranged by email with the consular office, so write before you go.
Fees (Italian consular tariff): EUR 11 to 12 to legalise a civil-status document, EUR 24 for other documents and signatures, and EUR 13 per page to certify an Italian translation. Paid in cash in ringgit at the quarterly exchange rate.

Which Italian offices ask for this

Universities and study visas: after Universitaly pre-enrolment, the study visa needs CIMEA statements of comparability and verification, or a declaration of value (dichiarazione di valore). Previous education records must be legalised and translated into Italian or English.
Declaration of value: the Italian Embassy issues it only for completed, MQA-accredited Malaysian qualifications. It asks for the original certificate and transcript, a certified true copy from the Ministry of Higher Education legalised by Wisma Putra, and an Italian translation of the front and back and the grading system, by ITBM, MTA/DBP or a Malaysian court translator and legalised by Wisma Putra. It can take up to 30 days. CIMEA statements (EUR 150, or EUR 300 with verification) are an accepted alternative at many institutions.
Family reunion and work visas: the nulla osta is valid for 6 months, and marriage certificates older than 6 months are not accepted.
Italian citizenship by marriage: the Malaysian birth certificate and criminal record must be legalised and translated into Italian; the criminal record must be no older than 6 months.
Comune registration: a foreign marriage certificate is shown in the original, translated and legalised.
Marrying in Italy: the foreign partner gives the registrar a nulla osta from their own country's authority. Malaysians ask the Embassy of Malaysia in Rome (mwrome@kln.gov.my). See marriage and divorce certificate translation.
Professional recognition: the Ministry of Labour asks for a declaration of value from the Italian mission in the country that issued the qualification.

What gets documents refused

An Italian translation that does not include the Wisma Putra stamp.
A translation without the "per traduzione conforme" declaration.
For a declaration of value: a copy whose stamp does not say "CERTIFIED TRUE COPY", a translation not made by ITBM, MTA/DBP or a court translator, or one that leaves out the back of the document or the grading system.
Certificates older than 6 months for visas and citizenship.
Degrees not first certified by the Ministry of Higher Education, or copies not notarised.

Italian documents for use in Malaysia

An Italian apostille is not recognised in Malaysia. Italian documents are legalised in Italy first: civil-status documents and university diplomas by the Prefettura, court and notarial documents by the Procura della Repubblica, and school documents by the regional school office before the Prefettura. They then need the Malaysian side; check with the Embassy of Malaysia in Rome or the Malaysian office that asked for them. Wisma Putra needs foreign documents translated into English, and we translate Italian documents into English or Malay for JPN, the courts and universities.

Informazioni in italiano

La Malesia non aderisce alla Convenzione dell'Aja sull'Apostille. I documenti malesi da utilizzare in Italia devono quindi essere legalizzati: prima dal Ministero degli Affari Esteri malese (Wisma Putra), poi dall'Ambasciata d'Italia a Kuala Lumpur, che certifica anche la conformità della traduzione italiana. Molti uffici italiani non accettano certificati più vecchi di sei mesi. Scriveteci su WhatsApp (+60 17-227 9378).

Common questions

Can I get an apostille for Italy in Malaysia?

No. Malaysia does not issue apostilles, so Malaysian documents are legalised by Wisma Putra and then the Italian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. See apostille in Malaysia.

Who can translate my documents into Italian?

The Italian Embassy names ITBM, MTA/DBP and Malaysian court translators, and then certifies the translation itself. Our team is certified by ITBM, DBP and the Malaysian Translators Association.

Is English enough?

Sometimes. Visa checklists accept documents in Italian or English, and many universities accept English diplomas. Comuni, prefetture and citizenship applications want Italian.

How much are the official fees?

Wisma Putra charges RM 10 to RM 20 per document. The Italian Embassy charges EUR 11 to 24 per legalisation and EUR 13 per page to certify a translation, paid in ringgit. Translation and courier are separate.

How recent must my documents be?

Italian law gives certificates on facts that cannot change, such as birth, unlimited validity, and other certificates 6 months. Visa offices reject marriage certificates older than 6 months, and citizenship applications need a criminal record no older than 6 months.

Related guides

Sources:

Zhihan Chew