Italian banks, notaries, and institutions often require that foreign documents — such as passports, corporate records, or trust deeds — be notarised and apostilled. Many must also be translated into Italian by a sworn translator. These requirements can cause delays if not anticipated, especially when dealing with tight transactional deadlines.

While you may expect communications with advisors to be confidential, Italian rules on legal privilege are narrower than in common law jurisdictions. Italian professionals may be under a duty to report suspicious transactions, even if they are acting as legal advisors. AML obligations may override client confidentiality in practice.

Italian AML compliance is highly formalistic. Documents must be complete, correctly formatted, and submitted through the appropriate channels. A minor error — such as an expired certificate, a missing tax code, or an uncertified copy — can result in the entire process being halted. Patience and precision are vital.

Italian professionals and authorities may be unfamiliar or sceptical of foreign legal structures such as discretionary trusts, nominee arrangements, or family foundations. These can trigger requests for further documentation or explanations to assess compliance and prevent perceived risks of tax evasion or concealment.

Information submitted to Italian institutions for AML purposes may be shared with the Italian tax authority (Agenzia delle Entrate), especially if it reveals undeclared foreign assets or income. Even if you are fully compliant abroad, inconsistencies in your Italian declarations can trigger audits, penalties, or further investigations.