# How to translate an Italian document to English

To translate an Italian document to English, upload the PDF or a photo of it to LoreAI, choose English and download an editable Word file. A scanned diploma's 110/110 e lode comes back as 110/110 with honors, and 21 novembre 1998 as 21 November 1998. Google Translate's document tab leaves scanned pages untranslated[1].

## How to translate an Italian PDF to English

1. **Get the clearest copy you have.** Use the PDF the università or the comune sent, or scan the paper. A flat phone photo of each page also works.
2. **Create a free account and upload.** Your first document is free, up to 3 pages and 3 MB. LoreAI detects Italian on its own.
3. **Choose English.** LoreAI reads the scan with OCR and translates it.
4. **Download the Word file.** Headings, tables and the signature block come back in the order of the original.

## How an Italian diploma comes back in English

The example above shows a scanned diploma di laurea next to the English Word file LoreAI returned, and you can download both. This is how each line comes through.

- **Name and birthplace**: Giulia Martina Rinaldi, born in Bologna, unchanged
- **Degree**: Laurea magistrale becomes Master's degree, with the class code LM-31 kept
- **Grade**: 110/110 e lode becomes 110/110 with honors
- **Dates**: 21 novembre 1998 and 18 luglio 2023 become 21 November 1998 and 18 July 2023
- **Register number**: 55128 kept as written
- **Signature block**: Comes back at the foot of the page, in the order of the original

## Italian terms and how to present them

Some Italian words have no exact English twin. LoreAI picks the closest English term, and some receivers also want to see what the original said.

- Laurea and laurea magistrale are Italian degree levels. Keep the Italian name in brackets after the English, so an evaluator sees which degree it is.
- The grade out of 110, with or without lode, is the Italian scale. Leave it as it is, and do not convert it to a GPA in the translation.
- Classe followed by a code, such as LM-31, names the degree class. Keep the code exactly.
- Estratto, certificato and copia integrale are different kinds of civil records. Translate the name of the record you actually have.

## Old Italian civil records and handwriting

Many people translating Italian records are tracing a family line. Older atti di nascita and church registers are often handwritten, in old-fashioned script and abbreviations. LoreAI reads handwritten Italian along with print, so an old atto di nascita or a register page comes back as English text in a Word file.

For a citizenship file, the recent typed estratto from the comune is the version an Italian consulate asks for.

## Italian dual citizenship: which way do the translations go?

Mostly into Italian, not into English. The Consulate General of Italy in New York asks for the Italian ancestor's birth record as an estratto dell'atto di nascita, issued by the comune within the last six months[2]. The US birth, marriage and death certificates of every descendant go in long form, legalized and translated into Italian[2].

So the Italian records do not need an English version for the consulate. Translate them into English to understand what they say and to check that names and dates match your US documents. Rules differ between consulates, so read the page of the consulate for your area before you order anything.

## Using an Italian document in the US

For USCIS, a foreign document comes with a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, plus a statement that the translator is competent to translate from Italian into English[3]. A diploma for a credential evaluation usually needs a translation the evaluator accepts. Check their rules first.

LoreAI is not a certified translation service and does not sign translations. Its Word file is a draft. Someone fluent in Italian and English reviews it and signs the certification. The [diploma translation guide](https://www.loreai.org/diploma-translation) explains how to name the degree, and the [certificate of translation template](https://www.loreai.org/certificate-of-translation-template) has wording to start from.

## Questions people ask

### Can I translate an Italian PDF to English for free?

Yes. LoreAI translates your first document free, up to 3 pages, scans included. Google Translate's document tab is free for typed PDFs up to 10 MB and 300 pages, but it leaves scanned pages untranslated[1].

### Does the Italian consulate need my Italian documents translated into English?

No. The New York consulate asks for the Italian estratto as issued, and for US records translated into Italian[2].

### Can LoreAI read a handwritten Italian record?

Yes. LoreAI reads handwritten Italian entries along with the printed text and returns them as English in the Word file.

### How should a translation show 110 e lode?

Keep 110/110 and add with honors, as LoreAI does. Leave any conversion to the evaluator.

## Sources

1. [Google Translate Help: Translate documents and websites (computer)](https://support.google.com/translate/answer/2534559?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), accessed November 3, 2026
2. [Consulate General of Italy in New York: How to apply for citizenship by descent (iure sanguinis)](https://consnewyork.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/servizi-per-il-cittadino-straniero/cittadinanza/how-to-apply-for-citizenship-by-descent-iure-sanguinis/), accessed November 3, 2026
3. [8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Translations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2), accessed November 3, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 3, 2026