The Interior Ministry has issued two circulars allowing citizens to replace documents, certificates and official records with sworn declarations when the information is already held in state archives but cannot yet be automatically retrieved through interoperability between public services.
The measure, introduced under Law 5293/2026, is intended to reduce bureaucracy and end the practice of citizens acting as intermediaries between government agencies when documents cannot be located digitally.
Citizens who submit false declarations face fines ranging from €2,000 to €50,000. Administrative acts issued on the basis of false declarations will be revoked, improperly paid amounts will be recovered and prosecutors will be notified.
The regulation applies to 29 types of documents, including birth, death, marriage and civil partnership records, criminal record copies, university degrees and cadastral certificates.When no public spending is involved, authorities will issue administrative acts immediately and verify documents within three months.
When public expenditure is involved, documents must first be sought before the act is issued.Public agencies and local authorities must also publish operating and public service hours on their websites by July 7.
