how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Are you looking for an Italian surname? Do you need more information about your family heritage?
This is the right place to start your genealogy search.
Post Reply
User avatar
maddief
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 46
Joined: 04 Jul 2006, 00:00

how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by maddief »

I recently sent out a letter requesting a search for my grandfather's birth certificate to a commune in Calabria. Now, I don't expect a response overnight, but I was trying to get some sort of idea of how long something like this usually takes. Could someone please enlighten me?
User avatar
rfornal
Staff
Staff
Posts: 522
Joined: 04 Aug 2006, 00:00
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Contact:

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by rfornal »

I'm not sure about the communes, but I have documents I've sent for that have taken so long that I forgot I had sent them in the first place. It is possible that you might get no response.
Cathynap
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 241
Joined: 26 Aug 2006, 00:00
Location: Illinois
Contact:

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by Cathynap »

I think you would have a better chance at obtaining his birth record from the microfilm at your local LDS Family History Center.
Cathy
jcsm400
V.I.P.
V.I.P.
Posts: 2111
Joined: 31 Jan 2006, 00:00
Location: USA

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by jcsm400 »

I think by Italian law, they are required to respond within 30? or 60 days?
There are towns that don't reply, but you have a better chance of a response if your letter was in Italian & you included a self addressed return envelope, a copy of your photo ID & an international reply coupon.

jcsm
Researching in San Vitaliano, Napoli, Italy & Armento, Potenza, Italy.
User avatar
DonnaPellegrin
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 201
Joined: 16 May 2004, 00:00
Contact:

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by DonnaPellegrin »

I have had better luck apparently than others here. The longest I have ever had to wait for a civil record from Calabria was only three weeks. Recently I recieved a reply in less than two weeks. I always send a few Euros along with my request. I think that helps. In every case when a record has not been available, they have returned my Euros!

I have had far less luck in obtaining Catholic Church records by mail, however.
Donna Pellegrin
ricbru
V.I.P.
V.I.P.
Posts: 1874
Joined: 04 Feb 2004, 00:00
Location: TRENTO - ITALY
Contact:

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by ricbru »

jcsm400 wrote:I think by Italian law, they are required to respond within 30? or 60 days?
There are towns that don't reply, but you have a better chance of a response if your letter was in Italian & you included a self addressed return envelope, a copy of your photo ID & an international reply coupon.

jcsm
jcsm400 is right, from 30 to 60 days, follow her suggestion and you surely receive a reply somehow,
bye Riccardo :lol:
jcsm400
V.I.P.
V.I.P.
Posts: 2111
Joined: 31 Jan 2006, 00:00
Location: USA

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by jcsm400 »

Riccardo,

:D :D :D

Thanks for confirming the time frame.

:) jcsm
Researching in San Vitaliano, Napoli, Italy & Armento, Potenza, Italy.
User avatar
maddief
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 46
Joined: 04 Jul 2006, 00:00

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by maddief »

I had a native speaker write a letter in polite Italian and I included a self-addressed envelope and an international reply coupon. I even added my email address in case they needed some other information. No copy of ID and no euros. It has been a month and no word. I guess I'll keep crossing my fingers. My request was to the commune of Stilo -- Donna, what commune sent you such a quick response? (I'm jealous!)
User avatar
DonnaPellegrin
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 201
Joined: 16 May 2004, 00:00
Contact:

Re: how long does it take for a commune to respond?

Post by DonnaPellegrin »

Don't give up. You could receive it any day. Probably just a normal mail delay.

I have had good responses from the civil offices of Caccuri, San Giovanni in Fiore, and Santa Severina. The fastest response was from a tiny town called Stongoli. I couldn't believe my eyes when the letter came from Strongoli within two weeks of when I sent the request. I had requested a birth record and a death record. They sent me a xerox copy of the birth record and a note that they had searched through twenty years but were unable to find the death record. Twenty years! Now that was going above and beyond the call of duty!

Do let us know when you receive your letter!
Donna Pellegrin
Post Reply