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Italy Wedding

Welcome to our guide to getting married in Italy. Before you go into depth about the specifics for your wedding in Italy we have a couple of articles that we suggest you read first.

• Getting Married Abroad - Overview
• Getting Married Abroad - Legal Considerations

Getting married in Italy is possible, provided you allow yourself plenty of time to deal with all the legal bureaucracy.

Civil Ceremony

Civil Ceremonies are legally binding and will normally be performed in the local Register Office (Anagrafe) and last approximately 20 minutes. The ceremony will be conducted in Italian and you are legally obliged to have an interpreter present throughout the ceremony, even if you or your partner can speak Italian. The interpreter must be one that is legally recognised by the Italian authorities.

For a list of recognised interpreters visit the Italian Embassy website. 

Religious Ceremony

A Roman Catholic wedding is legally binding and recognised by the Italian authorities, because they contain a civil element within the service, therefore it will not be necessary to perform a separate civil ceremony. The ceremony will be performed in the local Roman Catholic Church, but first you will have had to contact your local parish priest in the UK to help you prepare. It would be very unlikely that any catholic church in Rome would permit the marriage of non-catholics.  As long as one or both are catholic that is OK.

There are a number of churches that can perform the marriage ceremony in English.

Visit the British Embassy, Italy website for a list. 

Other religious ceremonies

If you wish to have any other type of religious ceremony you will be required to have a civil ceremony first, otherwise the marriage will not be legally binding under Italian law. In such cases couples may wish to have a civil ceremony in the UK and have a blessing in Italy.

Residency Stay

Where both parties to the marriage are British nationals and living in Italy you will require residence in the Consular district for the 21 days immediately prior to giving  the notice of marriage, and the posting of this notice of marriage in the Consulate for a further 21 clear days.

Where both parties are British nationals and both are resident in the United Kingdom there is no requirement for a residency stay in Italy for getting married there.  As long as they are there to do the necessary pre-wedding declaration (compulsory) for civil marriages. You should contact your Registrar, in the town where you wish to marry, in advance of your wedding day, for further information. 

British nationals should first give notice of their Marriage, to the Superintending Registrar, in their local district, where they live in the UK. The couple will need to wait between 17 to 23 days whilst the banns are publicised. After which time provided there are no complications, the couple will be issued with a certificate of No Impediment.

This document along with your Basic Documents and the first five pages of your passport must be sent to the British Consulate in the Italian city where you wish to marry. Once the paperwork is with the Consulate it may only takes 3 -5 days to process (in Rome), possibly a few days longer in Florence which covers a larger area.  A Nulla Osta is then issued which must be taken to the Anagrafe (Registry office) in order to book a date for the wedding (this applies to Rome).  Some rural areas may allow a wedding date to be reserved and then finalised on presentation of the Nulla Osta. 

Consular Fees

You should allow plenty of time for your paperwork to be processed in Italy, in case there are any complications. Please be aware that the processing of your documents is subject to consular fees.

Visit the British Embassy, Italy website for a list of the consular fees.

Visit Rapidinsure.co.uk to get a quote for Travel Insurance >

Visit Amazon for books on Getting Married Abroad >>

Marriage Certificate

Once the ceremony has been performed you will be issued with a Marriage Certificate. You must then provide the Consular Officer in the town where the marriage was performed with a certified copy of the marriage certificate, having been duly authenticated by the local authority. You will also need to provide a translation of the marriage certificate in English.

The document can then be forwarded on your request to the General Registrar Office in the UK. Your marriage will not be registered in the UK, your marriage certificate will merely be deposited for their records, and consequently your original marriage certificate will not be returned to you. This in no way makes your marriage invalid. Should you both need your marriage certificate in the future the General Register Office can issue you with a certificate, should the need arise.

Basic Documentation

If you intend to marry in Italy you will need the following documentation:

• A full birth certificate.
• A valid passport.
• An affidavit declaring single status authorised by a notary or solicitor declaring eligibility for marriage.
• If divorced1 a Decree of Absolute and an affidavit declaring martial status and eligibility to marry.
• If widowed a spouses death certificate, previous marriage certificate and an affidavit authorised by a notary or solicitor declaring eligibility for marriage.
• Written consent from your parents or guardians (if either of you are under 18 years of age).
• If you have changed your name by Deed Poll or you were adapted, proof of this needs to be presented.

For further information:

Embassy of Italy in London
14, Three Kings Yard
London
W1K 4EH
Tel: 0207 3122200

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London
Tel: 0207 270 1500

• British Embassy, Italy
• General Register Office

IMPORTANT

Whilst every effort to ensure that the above information is correct, it may be subject to change at any time. Please always check with the official authorities before proceeding. If you notice some outdated information please let us know.