Document Search
Ready to take the first step towards recognition of your Italian citizenship and reconnecting with your roots? Querido Antenato specializes in retrieving essential Italian documents – such as birth, marriage and baptism certificates – directly from archives in Italy. We are here to simplify this crucial step in your journey, offering security, transparency and expert guidance.
We have two types of search: Traditional and In-Person.
Below we explain more about them.
What is our Traditional Document Search process like?
It happens like this:
Request
Fill in the details for your request on our website.
Confirmation of the Need for Apostille
If you were not sure about the need for an apostille at the time of your request, this is the time to confirm whether you will need it. If you have already requested it, this is the time to apostille the document.
Delegate
Within 5 business days, you will receive via email the “Delega”* (the equivalent of a power of attorney in Brazil) to print, sign and send back to us.
Customer Payment Request
With the apostilled document in hand, we request payment. Payments can be made in Reais (via Pix) or in Euros (via bank transfer - IBAN).
Receipt of Documents Requested by Our Team
Once the documents are in our hands, you will receive a preview with our watermark.
Shipping to Customer
After payment, we will send you the PDF document without the watermark and the physical version will be sent by DHL within 3 business days after payment.
Deadlines
Generally, the deadline for delivery of the documents in your hands is 3 months. However, officially, the deadline we commit to is 6 to 8 months. This is from the date of your request until the delivery of your documents in your hands.
According to Italian law, the Comunes may request up to 6 months to deliver the requested documents. For any other request related to this type of process and documents in other instances, these deadlines are also generally applied. There are exceptional cases in which this deadline may be longer.
Thanks to a precise work schedule and hundreds of requests made, we have managed to reduce the average to 3 months, although this also depends on the work dynamics of each Comune, Town Hall, Diocese and Parish.
It is important to highlight that the reduction in time depends not only on our work, but also on the dynamics and demand of each Comune, Prefecture, Diocese and Parish.
Support after completion of our services
At Querido Antenado, we specialize in Document Search in Italy and Apostilles. However, because we have been in this field for a long time, we have the best recommendations for professionals who can help you! Professionals that we have been recommending for a long time and we only have positive feedback and recommendations from new clients. This proves the quality of the network of professionals that we are creating!
Shipping
We have chosen to ship only with DHL. We have worked with other carriers before and, in fact, the German carrier DHL has never given us any problems! Of course, things can happen in the future. But so far, this service has never let us down.
DHL delivery time is usually 3 to 7 business days. We will inform you of the tracking code at the time of posting.
At most, if you are in Europe and want to save a lot, we can send it to you by registered mail. However, we would like to point out that DHL is the best delivery service currently on the market, in our experience.
We do not request payment for services in advance.
Although we do not make it a practice to ask for advance payments, we do have one request to make. Once your order has been placed with us, we kindly ask that you:
-The request must not be redone with other consultancies;
-If you or someone else has already tried to request this document, please let us know as this may impact our services when dealing with Italian authorities. Believe me, we have been asked more than once about duplicate requests for documents from the same ancestor.
The only case in which we will ask you for advance payment refers to the new fees that are being charged by the Comune (since January/2025) when implemented, contributions that continue to be requested by the Diocese, or when requested by the Parish.
What is our In-Person Document Search process like?
It happens like this:
Request
Fill in the details for your request on our website. In this case, you must already be sure whether or not you will need an apostille.
Scheduling and Initial Payment
Within 7 calendar days after the start of the planning, we will inform you of the exact date of the in-person pick-up. At this time, we request payment of 50% of the total value of the service. This amount is non-refundable, as it covers the logistical and operational costs of the preparation.
Delegate
Within 5 business days, you will receive via email the “Delega”* (the equivalent of a power of attorney in Brazil) to print, sign and send back to us.
Delivery and Final Payment:
Se o documento for entregue a nós no mesmo dia da busca, você receberá uma cópia digital em PDF com marca d’água para conferência. Após a sua confirmação, será solicitado o pagamento dos 50% restantes.
Planejamento da viagem
At Querido Antenato, each in-person search is carefully planned to ensure that all details are aligned with the local comune's procedures for the visit to be efficient.
Shipping to Customer
The physical shipment of the document will be made within 3 business days after confirmation of final payment.
Deadlines
The total time from the start of the in-person search to the document being posted to you is usually approximately two weeks, up to posting: 1 week for organization and planning and 1 week for execution and sending. However, this time may vary:
-Depending on the availability and operation of the public bodies where the search will be carried out, and any changes will be communicated in advance;
-According to the seeker's schedule.
Support after completion of our services
At Querido Antenado, we specialize in Document Search in Italy and Apostilles. However, because we have been in this field for a long time, we have the best recommendations for professionals who can help you! Professionals that we have been recommending for a long time and we only have positive feedback and recommendations from new clients. This proves the quality of the network of professionals that we are creating!
Shipping
We have chosen to ship only with DHL. We have worked with other carriers before and, in fact, the German carrier DHL has never given us any problems! Of course, things can happen in the future. But so far, this service has never let us down.
DHL delivery time is usually 3 to 7 business days. We will inform you of the tracking code at the time of posting.
At most, if you are in Europe and want to save a lot, we can send it to you by registered mail. However, we would like to point out that DHL is the best delivery service currently on the market, in our experience.
We request 50% of payment in advance
Once the search date is confirmed with you, we request payment of 50% of the total cost of the service. This amount is non-refundable, as it covers the logistical and operational costs involved in the preparation. The remaining 50% is only paid when we have your document in hand, ready to send it. First, you will receive a digital copy in PDF with a watermark for review; after confirmation of the final payment, we will send the file without the watermark, in addition to the physical version,
