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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.
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.
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.
Click here for
information on the Legal Requirements For British Nationals Getting
Married in Italy
Click here for
more information on the Legal Requirements for US Citizens Getting Married
in Italy
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