Wedding
informations for Religious and Civil Ceremony - Legal marriage requirements
A
romantic wedding in Italy... the stuff that dreams are made
of! If you are going to pull this off, there are several legal hoops
to jump through. The key to success, as always, is good research and
preparation.
Always check with your embassy well in advance for up-to-date
requirements. Many embassies recommend that you arrange your Italian
wedding through a professional agency, but here are some guidelines
if you choose to do-it-yourself.
Apply For a Marriage License
Appear at the Ufficiale di Stato Civile (Civil Registrar) of the
locality where the marriage is to take place, accompanied by two
witnesses, to file a declaration of intent to marry and all required
documentation. Depending on the locality, you must file the
declaration two to five days prior to the wedding.
Submit Documents
Submit the following documents to the Ufficiale di Stato Civile (Civil
Registrar) at the same time as the declaration of intent to marry:
- Passports
- Birth certificates -- long form including names of parents
- Evidence of termination of all previous marriages -- certified (notarized
by a lawyer or notary public) copies of final divorce decrees,
annulment decrees or death certificates
- Affidavit of consent to the marriage from the parents or legal
guardian of anyone under the age of 18
- Certificates of no impediment (see nationality-specific
requirements below)
All documents issued outside of Italy must be accompanied by
certified translations into Italian, affixed with an Apostille and
authenticated by an Italian Consular Officer.
A woman may not remarry, without special authorization, until at
least 300 days have passed since the dissolution of her previous
marriage.
Certificates of No Impediment - U.S. Citizens
Two sworn affidavits are required from U.S. citizens.
1. An affidavit by the applicants, declaring that there are no
impediments to their marriage under U.S. law. The affidavit must be
sworn before a U.S. Consular Officer in Italy. Contact the U.S.
Embassy for an appointment before departing the United States.
Parties must present the following documents to the U.S. Consular
Officer:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate, passport or
naturalization certificate)
- U.S. Armed Forces personnel must submit consent to the marriage
from their Commanding Officer
2. An affidavit (Atto Notorio) by two witnesses, declaring that
there are no impediments to the marriage under U.S. law. The
affidavit must be sworn before either:
- An Italian Consular Officer outside Italy (recommended) or
- An authorized agency in Italy - Pretura, mayor, local public
registrar or notary
U.S. citizens planning a wedding in Italy are encouraged to obtain
the Atto Notorio before leaving the United States in order to avoid
problems locating two witnesses to perform this function.
Click here for more
information on the Legal Requirements
for US Citizens Getting Married in Italy
Certificates of No Impediment - Citizens of Austria, Switzerland and
Germany
A certificate of legal capacity to marry issued by the applicant’s
local Register Office. This certificate need not be authenticated.
Certificates of No Impediment - Other Foreign Citizens
An authorization (Nihil Obstat) stating that there are no marriage
impediments according to the laws of the applicant’s country.
If the authorization is issued by a competent authority of the
applicant’s own country, it must be authenticated by the Italian
Consul or Ambassador.
If the authorization is issued by the applicant’s Consular Authority
in Italy, the Consul’s signature must be authenticated by the
Prefettura (Ufficio Legalizzazioni):
- Florence: Via Giacomini 8, Second Floor, Firenze (9:30 a.m. to
11:30 a.m.)
- Rome: Viale Ostiense 131L, Roma (9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Authentication is not required for applicants from Austria, Cyprus,
France, Germany, Greece, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta,
Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland or
United Kingdom.
Legal Requirements
For British Nationals Getting Married in Italy
-
Do not obtain documents and certificates more than six months prior
to wedding
date or they expire.
To get the necessary Certificate of Non Impediment:
Publish the Banns at your local registry office in England. Your
Certificate of
Non Impediment will be released after 23 days.
Bring this original document to Italy for the Nulla Osta (sworn
statement) to be
done at the British Consulate.
To get the Nulla Osta in Italy - Present to the British Consulate in
Italy:
Certificate of Non Impediment
Originals of Birth Certificates, which must include names of both
parents
Passports
Divorce Decree Absolute if you are divorced
Consulate fee of £70.
After a couple of days the Consulate will release the necessary
documents for
you to marry
Announce the Marriage
Traditionally, marriage
announcements (banns) are posted at the local city hall for two
consecutive Sundays prior to the date of the wedding. The posting of
the banns is often waived when neither party is an Italian citizen
or resident.
The ceremony may take place after the fourth day following the
second Sunday of the posting or at any time after the posting is
waived.
Ceremonies
Civil ceremonies are
performed in Register Offices (town halls) – often beautiful,
historic buildings.
Religious ceremonies performed by Roman Catholic clergy do not
require a separate civil ceremony. Reality check: it is becoming
increasingly difficult to secure religious ceremonies for foreign
citizens. Be prepared to spend time and money. The Catholic Church
also requires baptismal and confirmation certificates.
Other religious ceremonies are not recognized by the Italian
authorities. To ensure the legality of the marriage, a valid civil
ceremony is required prior to the religious ceremony -- either in
Italy or at home.
Legal Requirements
Ceremonies
Civil ceremony:
· Requirements for
US citizens
· Requirements for
British citizens
· Requirements
for Australians citizens
· Requirements for
Irish citizens
· Requirements for
Russians citizens
· Requirements for
Chinese citizens
· Requirements for
Japanese citizens:
· Requirements for
Germans
