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Legal Requirements for US Citizens Getting Married in
Italy
MORE
INFORMATION
From
Italian
Consul in the United States
Persons
wishing to be married in Italy must appear with two witnesses before the Ufficiale
di Stato Civile ("Vital Statistics Registrar") of the city
or town where the marriage is to take place, in order to file a
declaration of their intention to marry. At which point, the couple
must present all required documents.
Following
the declaration, it is usually necessary for marriage banns to be posted
at the local Comune (City Hall) for two consecutive Sundays
before the marriage itself is celebrated. However, said banns
are usually waived by the Vital Statistics Registrar if neither party to
the marriage is an Italian citizen and neither is residing in Italy.
On
the fourth day following the second Sunday on which the banns have been
posted (or any time after they have been waived) the couple may be married,
either in civil or religious ceremonies.
The
following required documentation must be presented
to the Vital Statistics Registrar when filing a declaration of intention
to marry:
- American passport or, if
member of the Armed Forces serving in Italy, military identification
card and birth certificate;
- Certified copy of birth
certificate showing the name of both parents and bearing the required
"Apostille" certification from the Secretary of State of the
State which issued the document;
- Evidence of termination
of any previous marriage (final divorce decree, annulment decree, or
death certificate);
- Sworn statement of
consent to the marriage by the parents or legal guardian if the person
is under 18;
- A declaration sworn to
by the American citizen before an American consular officer in Italy,
stating that according to the laws to which the citizen is subject in
the United States there is no obstacle to his/her marriage. Evidence
of American citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization
certificate, passport) must be shown to the American Consul at the
time of making said declaration. Any member of the Armed
Forces must also present final approval of his commanding officer for
the marriage;
- A declaration (ATTO
NOTORIO)*, in addition to the sworn statement described in # 5
above, sworn to by two (2) witnesses before the Italian Consul in the
United States that has jurisdiction over your place of legal residence
[Click
here to find the appropriate Italian Consulate].
If you are already in Italy you may obtain # 6 at a Pretura
("Magistrate Court").
In
Rome the Atto Notorio is executed at the Pretura Civile, Ufficio
Atti Notori, Via Lepanto 4, tel. (06) 32.39.82.47. This
Office is open from 9:00am until noon, Monday through Saturday.
On Monday and Thursday, the office is open from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.
It is recommended that the interested party arrive between 8:15 and
9:30am to add their name to the waiting list posted on the office
door. Service is on a first come, first-served basis. No
appointments are given. It is necessary to buy two revenue
stamps of € 20,00 each, called "marca da bollo per uso
amministrativo". Revenue stamps can be purchased either at
a tobacco shop or inside the Pretura.
Two
witnesses over 18 years old and an interpreter are required.
The
first document requested by the Italian Authorities at the Pretura
in order to prepare the Atto Notorio is a Permesso di
Soggiorno ("Residency/Sojourn Permit") to stay in
Italy. Said document must be obtained upon arrival in Italy at Ufficio
Stanieri ("Foreigners' Office") of the Questura
("Police Headquarters"). In Rome said office is
located in Via Genova, 2. The requirement for a Permesso
di Soggiorno applies also to the two witnesses and the
interpreter, unless they are citizens of Italy or of other European
Union (EU) countries, in which case their national ID Card (carta
d’identità) is sufficient.
CIVIL
CEREMONY FOR NON-RESIDENT US CITIZENS:
Bring the two documents to the UFFICIO MATRIMONI at the ANAGRAFE
("Marriage Office"). The clerk will examine the
documents and will give the interested party an appointment to
return in a few days with two witnesses and an interpreter to file a
declaration of intention to marry (Promessa di matrimonio).
If the party applies for a marriage certificate at that time, it
will be received immediately after the ceremony. In Rome said
office is located in via Petroselli n.50, tel. (06) 6710-3066 and it
is open between 8:30am and 4:00pm, Monday trough Friday.
The
declaration of intention to marry is followed by the Civil Ceremony.
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