When a Power of Attorney is Required to Buy Real Estate in Italy
Congratulations, you’re ready to buy a vacation home in Italy! You’ve made an offer, it was accepted, you signed the preliminary agreement, and now it’s time to sign the deed of sale. Everything you’ve been waiting for and working towards for months is nearly complete.
But wait… did you know you must be present in Italy to sign the deed of sale? Did you know it is also required to have a full comprehension of the Italian language? We’re breaking down some important requirements and what you can do to make life easier.
Can the Deed of Sale be drafted in a Foreign Language?
In Italy, in order for your property’s deed of sale to be drafted in a foreign language a few conditions must be met:
- Neither party, buyer nor seller, speaks Italian;
- Both parties speak a common foreign language;
- The foreign language must also be known by the witness(es) and the notary.
While German is a common language spoken in the north of Italy, specifically in the bilingual region of South Tyrol, it’s not as common for documents to be drafted in English since one of the parties, the witness, or notary himself is unlikely to be fluent.
While there may seem to be a few hiccups preventing you from signing the deed of sale on your new home, there are some solutions. You may either hire a certified translator designated by the courthouse, or grant your real estate agent a power of attorney to sign all documents of your behalf.
Spadafora Realty works with a number of international clients, and meeting their diverse needs in a timely manner is of the utmost importance.
How do you Grant a Power of Attorney Abroad?
If you plan ahead of time, you may grant a power of attorney from the comfort of your home country. Approximate timeline: 2 months for the documents to be certified, apostilled, and mailed.
- Your agent will prepare the PoA in Italian and send you a digital copy via email.
- You sign it before a notary who will certify your signature and mail it to the appropriate apostille office (which can take a few weeks to complete).
- When you receive the documents back, mail the certified and apostilled original PoA to your Italian agent, who will then take it to the notary on closing day.
How Much Does it Cost to Grant Power of Attorney in Italy?
If the closing on your new property is scheduled to take place in less than a month, you will still need to fly to Italy to meet with your agent before a notary and sign the power of attorney a few days prior to closing. Notaries generally charge €150 to €200 for this service.
Your agent should arrange a sworn translation (or “traduzione asseverata” in Italian) into English via a certified translator of the court, who will charge €110 to €150 according to the number of pages.
If you’re planning to buy an investment property or home in Italy and need a bilingual real estate agent to assist, don’t hesitate to contact us. We recently traveled to Puglia to sign the deed of sale on a property for a client overseas and can do so for you too!