At an Office

An official document in Italy is only regarded as valid after a specific stamp has been purchased, placed upon it, and then stamped with an ink stamp at the affiliated office. A marea de bolla stamp must be first purchased at the tabacchi , then brought to whichever office issues the document. There should be one stamp for each copy of the document, and one should always call ahead in order to find out exactly what kind of stamp to buy, how many are needed, and how much money to bring to the tabacchi when one makes the purchase. The stamps necessary to validate official documents are never available at the offices that issue the documents. One will save much time waiting in lines by arriving equipped with the stamps necessary for official documents such as a birth certificate, national identification, driver's license, certification of residency, or a university course of study, to name a few. Once one arrives with the proper stamp, it will be affixed to the document, then stamped again in ink by the appropriate clerk.