You need to have a notary deed done in Italy, even if you're not Italian. It may seem like a formality—until you realize that the system works differently than you're used to, that your documents won't be recognized without proper verification, and that finding a notary for foreigners in Italy who actually works in English is a whole different story than finding any other notary.
Buying a house, starting a company, managing aninheritance: in Italy, all of this goes through a notary. The key is knowing who to trust.
Why foreigners in Italy struggle to find the right notary
It's not a question of will. It's structural.
The Italian notarial system is solid and reliable, but it is built around the Italian language, Italian procedures, and a bureaucracy with its own internal logic. Those arriving from abroad—whether a private individual looking to buy an apartment in Rome or a German company opening a branch—almost always encounter the same obstacles.
Foreign documents must be verified, often legalized or accompanied by an apostille. Communications between the parties are technical, full of legal jargon that can't be improvised. Timings depend on intermediate steps that no one explains unless you explicitly ask. And the regulatory differences between your country and Italy—on inheritance, taxation, and corporate forms—can have concrete consequences if not considered from the outset.
The result? What seems simple on paper turns into something slow, stressful, and sometimes stalled.
What happens when you choose the wrong notary
It's worth saying this clearly, because it's often underestimated.
A poorly handled notarial deed isn't a glitch that can be resolved with a phone call. A foreign document that isn't properly validated can suspend or cancel the entire deed. An error in the tax return opens the door to fines. An unrecognized foreign identity document can block everything on the very day of the signing—after weeks of preparation.
Then there's an aspect that goes beyond the technical: signing something you don't understand is a problem, not only practical but also legal. Italian law requires that the parties be fully aware of what they're signing. The notary is responsible for this. Relying on someone who lacks the tools to ensure this—in terms of language, international experience, and the ability to explain—means exposing oneself to risks that only emerge later, when it's difficult to remedy.
Notary services for foreigners in Italy: What it's really like to work in English
The Federica Spinaci Notary Office, located at Via Antonio Bertoloni 27 in Rome (Parioli district), works with foreign clients and foreign companies who need to execute deeds in Italy. Assistance is provided in English throughout the entire process—not only during the signing process, but from the first request for information onward.
Working in English, in this context, doesn't mean having a translator in the room. It means managing the entire process with an awareness of its international implications:
- Verification of foreign documents: birth certificates, company deeds, powers of attorney drawn up abroad, documents with apostilles — everything is checked before, not on the day of the deed
- Detailed explanation of each step: what is signed, what it produces, what alternatives exist
- Coordination with banks, professionals and offices, both Italian and foreign, to keep the threads of the practice together
- Analysis of tax implications from both an Italian and international perspective, right from the start
- Time management without unexpected events, with clear planning
The firm works in three phases—information gathering, preliminary verification, and closing—to ensure everything is under control when signing.
The most common procedures for foreign clients in Italy
Those who turn to a notary for foreigners in Italy usually face one of these scenarios:
- Real estate purchase: deeds for houses, apartments, commercial premises
- Company formation: LLC, SPA and other forms with foreign shareholders or directors
- International successions: inheritances with assets in Italy and beneficiaries abroad
- Donations and transfers of assets involving individuals or assets in multiple countries
- Powers of Attorney and Delegation for Those Who Cannot Be Physically Present in Italy
- Corporate transactions: share sales, statutory amendments, cross-border mergers
In all these cases, the difference between a firm with international experience and one without is noticeable—in terms of time, problem management, and the final result.
A study that didn't hold back
Rome is one of the Italian cities with the highest presence of foreign buyers, international companies, and cross-border transactions. And it's here that Studio Spinaci is based.
Notary Federica Spinaci has an uncommon profile in the Italian notary landscape: a PhD in European private law, a university professor, and the author of publications on civil law. Her expertise goes beyond the confines of a library—it translates into a precise, up-to-date approach, capable of interpreting complex situations without getting bogged down in details.
It is no coincidence that one of the firm's clients wrote in his reviews: “the only one, out of a dozen notaries contacted between Rome and Milan, to have responded and worked in English.”
Do you have a transaction to complete in Italy?
Whether you're a foreign individual, a company based abroad, or an Italian dealing with international clients, the first step is to understand exactly what you need —and do so with someone who has already handled similar situations.
Fill out the form below: Notary Federica Spinaci will respond to you in Italian or English, assess your case, and guide you through the necessary steps.
Book your consultation: from document verification to signature, every step is carefully monitored.
