Jurisdiction
Civil marriage in Italy
The Italian registrar celebrates the marriage only after verifying the capacity to marry of both parties and the completion of the preliminary formalities. For foreign nationals and those resident abroad, the sequence of documents must be planned well in advance.
Which authority is competent
The ceremony takes place before the registrar (ufficiale di stato civile) of the chosen municipality. The banns, by contrast, are published in the municipality of residence of each party; for Italian citizens registered with AIRE, the competent office is the relevant consulate, which then forwards them to the municipality of registration.
Documents required from the foreign party
- Nulla Osta or certificate of capacity to marry issued by the authority of the country of nationality, usually through its consulate in Italy
- Birth certificate, with apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation where required
- Valid identity document or passport
- Evidence relating to previous marriages: decree of divorce or death certificate of the former spouse, with verification that foreign decisions are effective in Italy
Marriage banns
The banns are the preliminary formality provided for by Articles 93 ff. of the Italian Civil Code: they remain published for a set period, and the marriage may be celebrated once that period has elapsed and while the record of publication remains valid.
Where both parties are resident abroad, we assess case by case whether the formality must be carried out through a consulate, whether it is required in Italy at all, or whether an exemption applies. This is one of the first checks we make.
After the ceremony
The certificate is entered in the civil status records of the municipality where the marriage took place. For parties registered with AIRE we arrange transmission to the municipality of registration; where the certificate is to be used abroad we obtain a multilingual extract or an apostilled and translated copy.
Would you like to know which procedure applies to your case?
Tell us the nationality, place of residence and intended place of marriage of each party, and we will reply with a written assessment and the list of documents required.
Request an assessmentThe information on this page is provided for general guidance only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create a professional relationship. Every requirement must be confirmed with the authority handling the file in the individual case.