Getting Married in Italy: Civil, Religious or Symbolic

Key facts

Nulla osta

The Italian term for a certificate of no impediment. The UK government says a Nulla Osta and a CNI are the same document, and British applicants can apply to the British Embassy Rome by post

Civil ceremonies

Under the Civil Code a civil marriage is celebrated in the town hall (casa comunale) before the civil registrar. A comune can designate other places as separate civil registry offices

Symbolic ceremonies

They have no legal effect and can be held wherever the venue allows

The three kinds of ceremony

• Civil: legally binding, celebrated by the civil registrar (the mayor or a delegate) at the town hall or at a venue the comune has designated
• Religious: held in a church or chapel, with its own paperwork through the parish or the relevant religious authority. Your celebrant explains how the marriage is then registered
• Symbolic: a ceremony with no legal effect, held in a garden, on a terrace or in a villa. Some couples complete the legal marriage at home and hold the symbolic one in Italy

Who decides where a civil ceremony can be held

A couple cannot marry legally wherever they like. A comune can set up separate civil registry offices in other places, such as gardens or villas, and a civil ceremony is only valid at a location the comune has formally authorised. The comune may charge fees for moving the registrar and the records to that place.

Not every venue is on a comune's list. If a villa appeals to you, ask the comune, not only the villa, whether civil ceremonies are allowed there. If they are not, the usual solution is a short legal ceremony at the town hall and the celebration at the villa.

The paperwork, in outline

A foreign national who wants to marry in Italy has to show that there is no legal impediment under the law of their own country. That document is the nulla osta or its equivalent. For British citizens it is the certificate of no impediment.

Many comuni also ask for other documents, such as a sworn declaration, an apostille and Italian translations. The requirements depend on your nationality and on the comune, and the comune's civil registry office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) is the authority that confirms them. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Witnesses and language

A civil ceremony normally needs two witnesses. If you or your witnesses do not speak Italian, ask the comune early whether an interpreter is required and who may act as one.

Questions to put to the comune

• Which documents do we need for our nationalities, and in what form (originals, apostille, translation)?
• How far ahead must the file be submitted, and how long do you need to process it?
• Is our chosen venue designated for civil ceremonies, and what fee applies?
• How many witnesses do we need, and is an interpreter required?
• On which days and at what times can the registrar attend?

What a planner does and does not do

When we plan a wedding, we map the paperwork steps and deadlines with the comune early and coordinate the ceremony with the venue and the officiant or church. We do not give legal advice: the comune and your embassy or consulate confirm what applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Nulla osta application pack for marriages in Italy (GOV.UK)
• Where can a civil marriage be celebrated? (La Legge per Tutti)