A guide to getting married in Italy with six key steps for UK citizens. Uk citizens can find here a simple and detailed to-do-list to get married in Italy with a legally binding ceremony:
1. GET A CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT (CNI)
Both the bride and the groom need to get their own CNI.
To get the Certificate of No Impediment you have to give a notice of marriage at your local register office or registrar in the UK, you can take an appointment through your local office or registrar in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. When you attend to give notice of marriage, you must be able to state the town, locality and country where your ceremony will take place.
Please note that a CNI issued in England, Wales or Northern Ireland is valid for 6 months. A CNI issued in Scotland is valid for 3 months.
2. GET A STATUTORY DECLARATION
This document can be prepared while waiting for the CNI to be issued.
Both the Bride and the Groom need to have their own Statutory Declaration document.
You have to download the form, that is the Bilingual Statutory Declaration of marriage in Italy in both languages. This document has to be undersigned before a solicitor or public notary in England.
3. HAVE THE STATUTORY DECLARATION DOCUMENT AND THE CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT LEGALISED
Once you have your CNI and Statutory Declaration signed by the solicitor, you need to have these documents legalised. You don’t need to go personally to the legalization office at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, just follow the instructions here and post everything to the relevant address.
4. SEND DOCUMENTS TO YOUR WEDDING PLANNER IN ITALY
Once all the documents are ready you have to post by courier the following items to your wedding planner in Italy:
-No Impediment Certificate issued by your registry office in England and legalised in England, two different documents one for the bride one for the groom
– Statutory Declaration, legalised in England, two different documents one for the bride and one for the groom
– Passports copies
5. DOCUMENTS OFFICIALLY TRANSLATED
Once your wedding planner receives your documents, she will take care of the translation issue.
The CNI have to be officially translated into Italian, this means that the translation has to be sworn in front of an Italian court.
6. ALL DOCUMENTS WILL BE SENT TO THE LOCAL TOWN HALL IN ITALY
Once all the documents are ready, your wedding planner will be in charge to post everything to the local town hall together with the passport copies of two witnesses. Usually these can be sent to your wedding coordinator by email. You have to choose among your wedding party two people that will sign as witnesses at the end of the ceremony. If you are going to elope just the two of you, your local wedding planner can assist you in finding two local Italian witnesses.
HOW TO GET MARRIED IN ITALY: IMPORTANT NOTICE
– Please check with your local wedding planner that your ceremony has been booked at the local town hall in Italy. A few popular places such as Positano or Villa del Balbianello have to be booked quite in advance.
– If have you been previously married you have to produce the decree absolute document to the local registry office when you give notice of your marriage
– The names, date and place of birth on all documents you provide must appear exactly as they do on your passports – if not, the authorities may refuse to allow the marriage to go ahead.
You may need to provide evidence if the name on your passport is different to your birth certificate (eg marriage certificate or deed poll).
