Hourly Fee – $90.00
The hourly fee includes preparation of a research plan, actual time researching, as well as time for the preparation of a research report. Expenses may apply, depending on your project. Included in all research reports is a description of the research performed, a detailed analysis, a calendar of records searched, and source-cited copies of any relevant documents.
Retainer
For projects that are estimated to be under 10 hours, prepayment in full is necessary. For projects that are estimated to be over 10 hours, a $900.00 retainer is required and will cover the first 10 hours of research time.
Document Requests from Italian Archives
$125 – one document request
$200 – two documents requested from the same office
Requests to multiple offices or for more than two documents requested from the same office – a quote will be given depending on the specifics of the project. Some civil record offices or provincial archives charge per family member when preparing a State of the Family Certificate. These fees are included within our document fee, up to a maximum of $50.00 in expenses.
We are very experienced in acquiring documents that other genealogical providers are unable to find. We often receive requests to finding missing documents that other Italian dual citizenship, Italian research firms, or professional genealogists were unable to find. Research to find out why a record has not been found in your Italian town of origin, or to find where your ancestors originated, will be charged at the hourly rate listed above.
Occasionally, an office in Italy simply refuses to provide the requested document, despite our best efforts. This is the exception, rather than the rule. The document request fee would still apply because the work was still performed. We have a 99% success rate and will make every effort possible [through every repository the record may be held in] in order to acquire the necessary document.
Italian Dual Citizenship Services
Applying at a Consulate – $90 per hour to provide guidance and/or help you prepare your dual citizenship application. Document and apostille fees are the responsibility of the client.
Applying in Italy at a Town Hall – $4,500 flat fee, all inclusive. Lo Schiavo Genealogica works with Bella Italia Genealogy to provide this expedited way to regain your Italian citizenship!
Please see the tab titled Dual Citizenship for more detailed information.
Mailing of Certified Documents Outside the U.S.
Mailing of certified Italian documents to a country outside of the U.S. can be very costly. The client would be responsible for the costs of mailing at the end of the project. Certified documents are sent in a manner which allows us to track the package, in case it does not arrive. This helps to assure that the document does not get lost.
Italian Document Translation Services
Translations are charged at my hourly rate of $90 per hour. We would be glad to provide an estimate of time needed, if you forward digital copies of the documents needing translation to Melanie@holtzresearch.com.
Most Italian civil and parish records follow a general format and do not take long to translate. Unless you request a word-for-word translation, we provide a translated abstraction of all genealogically pertinent information within the document. Formula wording is omitted to save the client time and money, unless necessary to understand the document in its cultural or historical context. If comments are needed to understand the contents of the documents, these comments will follow the abstraction.
Documents for dual citizenship are translated word-for-word, as requested by Italian consulates. If you would like to see an example of one of these translations, please email us at the address above.
On-Site Research in Italy
Please email for a quote. Prices will vary depending on the extensiveness of the project and the travel expenses involved. Expenses are kept affordable for our clients because we maintain an office in Italy and therefore can access records anywhere you need.
Payment Methods
Payment is accepted via personal check and PayPal. Personal checks need to be made out to Melanie D. Holtz.
If you are an international customer and/or wish to pay by credit card, you must pay using PayPal. Please contact us before using this option and an invoice will be emailed to you.