Visa on powers of signature

What it is about

The visa on powers of signature is a legality check on the signature that a business’s legal representative has affixed on a document.

In some foreign (especially non-EU) countries, customs offices require exporting businesses to submit a number of stamped documents such as invoices, price lists, declarations on the composition of certain products, translations, freight invoices, etc.. Requests for stamping such documents can be submitted to the competent Chamber of Commerce, which is located where the business’s registered office/branch is.

 

 Read how to obtain the special declaration for Algeria and Nigeria.

 

How to request it 

The request for a visa must be issued and paid online via Cert'O platform, preferably selecting the print-it-yourself mode (read the step-by-step guide).

If the foreign counterpart has explicitly requested that the Chamber sign and stamp the documents in original, the print-it-yourself option must not be selected (for instance, when submitting the Exporter Registry Form for exports to Turkey). Once the application procedure is completed, the documents can be collected, after sending an email, at the Chamber of Commerce where the request was sent.

Here are the relevant addresses:

In order to use the Cert’O system, it is necessary to:

 

Costs and terms of payment

To obtain a visa on powers of signature, you must pay an administrative fee of € 3.00.

Payment must be made online according to one of the following methods:

  • prepaid "Diritti" account on registroimprese.it, rechargeable by credit card (consult the relevant guide). When sending your request, select “Conferma e invia” and the system will automatically charge the sum on registroimprese.it;
  • prepaid iConto account Infocamere, rechargeable by bank transfer. When sending your request, select “Conferma e Invia” and the system will automatically charge the sum on iConto;
  • via PagoPA service, with a single payment for each application by credit card/ bank transfer/ PayPal/Satispay.
Da sapere

 Things to know

 

Visas on powers of signature can be affixed on a declaration of origin only if the relevant request is submitted together with the request for a certificate of origin concerning the goods covered by the declaration. This obligation does not concern either simple declarations of production, provided that the content of the declaration can be extracted from the Business Register, or declarations of preferential origin (i.e., concerning goods covered by trade agreements between the EU and third countries, which can benefit from an exemption from or a reduction in customs duties).

Invoices reporting the origin of the exported goods are to be considered as declarations of origin. Therefore, requests for visas on such invoices will have to be accompanied by the relevant request for a certificate of origin. By contrast, there is no obligation of this kind if the invoice shows the preferential origin or the place of production of goods.

 

Visas will not be affixed on:

  • discriminatory declarations, which are incompatible with international conventions and national laws, such as declarations stating that the goods do not contain products from countries subject to discrimination or that such goods are not transported by blacklisted ships;
  • letters of invitation to Italy issued for third-country nationals.

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The stamping which certifies the adequacy of prices on invoices is no longer carried out. To obtain a visa of conformity, certifying that the prices shown on accounting documents are the same as those on business price lists, consult the page on price services.