Italy is one of the most romantic wedding destinations in the world. Between the culinary experiences, beautiful landscapes, and inviting culture, you can have a wedding and honeymoon in one! But, of course, you must follow the correct procedures to ensure you take advantage of this lifetime experience. We show you how to get married in Italy by outlining everything you should do before setting off for your nuptials:
How to Get Married in Italy As a U.S. Citizen
U.S. citizens can get married in Italy if they comply with all the prerequisites. And to make things easier for you, we have listed the steps below in point form so you can tick them off as you go. Moreover, we have outlined the steps in greater detail under the marriage requirements in Italy for U.S. citizens:
- Review the wedding ceremony options and choose one, ensuring you understand its requirements,
- Book a wedding location to ensure you do not miss out on the ideal venues,
- Reach out to the Italian consulate or embassy near you for document advice,
- Process the documents you need to get the go-ahead for the wedding,
- Plan a guest list, book a place to stay, and finalize the wedding details,
- Head to Italy and complete the documentation process, and
- File a Declaration of Intent to Marry at the marriage office where your ceremony will occur,
- Hold the wedding ceremony, sign your marriage license, and get a marriage certificate. You should verify the certificate at the town hall to complete the process.
Additionally, you will need to do the following per your wedding ceremony options:
- Civil marriage: You will need witnesses, a town hall, and an interpreter (if you don’t speak Italian)
- Religious ceremony: You must complete the pre-cana classes, get a declaration letter from your local priest, get a Nihil Obstat from your parish bishop, and fill in a prenuptial inquiry form. These processes can take up to six months per your church as you must send the originals to the Italian priest of the church where you will get married.
Getting married in Italy is lengthy due to the paperwork, but it is worth it. Of course, having help enables you to reduce the hours by relying on experts to deal with the most integral processes.
What are the Different Types of Marriage in Italy?
Besides knowing how to get married in Italy as a U.S. citizen, you must also understand the different marriage types in the country and how they affect your requirements. Italy has two wedding options: religious and civil. Religious weddings refer to Catholic weddings. While other churches can also hold weddings, they must complete the processes with civil ceremonies for the marriages to be legal. Same-sex partners can get married through a civil union. Below are the requirements and processes of these marriage ceremonies:
1. Civil Marriages
The people getting married in these ceremonies take their vows and are bound by the Italian civil code. While these weddings occur in the town hall, you can hold your wedding in many establishments, including villas. Thus, your civil marriage will not get in the way of picturesque photos. However, you must seek approval to hold the wedding outside the town hall.
These marriages have the following characteristics:
- They are performed in Italian by the mayor or a civil officer: You must have an interpreter if you do not speak Italian,
- You can personalize the ceremonies by adding songs, vows, etc., and
- They take 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
If you cannot get approval for your chosen venue, you can hold the civil ceremony in the town hall and a symbolic ceremony elsewhere.
2. Religious Ceremonies
These ceremonies take place in the church and are legally binding even without a civil ceremony. While mixed religion weddings are possible under a bishop’s approval, Catholic weddings are often synonymous with religious weddings. And they boast the characteristics below:
- One partner must be a Catholic,
- The priest leads the ceremony,
- They can be in English, where the people getting married do not understand Italian,
- They often take time to plan as the church must coordinate with your local church, and
- The bride must cover her shoulders during the ceremony, which typically takes an hour.
Note that the paperwork should arrive at the church at least two months before the wedding date.
3. Civil Unions
As of 2016, same-sex couples can get married in Italy through a civil union. People in these unions enjoy the same rights as married people, and the unions have the characteristics below:
- Only same-sex couples qualify,
- The couple cannot adopt children under the law,
- The couple does not need to abide by fidelity marriage laws, and
- The couple has the same rights as married people.
Civil unions are easier to dissolve than marriages.
Is a marriage in Italy recognized in the United States? Yes. Per U.S. laws, any marriage that is legal in the country where it has been performed is legal in the U.S. Thus, once you verify your marriage certificate, you can return to the U.S. happily married and enjoy the benefits of the legal union. Cohabitation agreements are also legal in Italy. However, these do not accord partners the same privileges as marriage.
Marriage Requirements in Italy for U.S. Citizens
All countries have a list of requirements foreigners must meet to qualify for marriage. So, what do you need to get married in Italy?
- You must be single: There should be no impediments to the marriage. Thus, any previously married person must have gotten a divorce or show proof that their previous spouse is deceased.
- Women should have been single for 300+ days: Any woman recently divorced must wait at least 300 days before applying for marriage. If she does not want to wait, she must prove she is not pregnant from the previous marriage.
- You must not be related to your intended spouse: Italian laws do not allow relatives to get married. Even if the relationship is through adoption, you cannot get married.
- You must have at least two witnesses during the marriage ceremony, and
- People aged less than 18 must have written parental consent.
Additionally, getting married in Italy for foreigners requires additional documents outlined below.
What Documents Do I Need to Get Married in Italy?
U.S. citizens getting married in Italy must obtain legal documents at various stages. Please ensure you follow all the steps below to complete all your paperwork:
1. Contact the nearest USA consulate regarding the documents you need
All U.S. citizens leaving to get married in Italy must obtain an Atto Notorio, essentially an affidavit claiming that you are free to marry and are the person you say you are. You cannot get married without this document. To get your affidavit, you will need the documents below:
- Your birth certificate and that of your fiance: The documents should be long-form, bearing all details, including parental data.
- Death certificates or divorce decrees: If you or your fiance have previously been married, you must present documents that show you are free to marry. Acceptable documents are original divorce decrees and death certificates. Note that women divorced in the last 300 days must obtain a waiver from the Italian District Attorney’s office to get an affidavit. Moreover, you may be subject to medical testing to ensure you are not with child from the previous marriage.
- Apostilles and translations: Italy uses Italian as the official language. Thus, all documents in English need translation to be acceptable to the Italian authorities. Moreover, you must authenticate your documents for foreign use by getting an apostille for Italy. You can do this by submitting your documents to the Secretary of State after notarizing them before a notary public. TVP deals with apostilles and translations and can help you complete this step in one go.
- Valid Passports: Before leaving the U.S., you and your fiance must present valid passports and their copies. The passports must be in good condition and valid.
- Witnesses: The Italian consulate will let you know how many witnesses you need. The witnesses should be present during the application and must have valid ID, such as a driver’s license or any other state-issued ID.
2. Get an Atto Notorio Appointment with the Nearest Italian Consulate
Once you have prepared the documents outlined in the first step, you can book an appointment at the nearest consulate. Not all states have Italian consulates, and you may need to travel out of state to complete this step. Your witnesses must be present during the appointment, during which you will swear an oath that you are free to marry and have provided authentic documentation.
You should get your affidavit three months before you get married. Else, it can expire by the time your wedding date arrives as there are many processes to complete after getting it.
3. Get a Nulla Osta Once in Italy
With the Atto Notorio, you can travel to Italy to get the Nulla Osta, a declaration that you are free to marry. This document is available at the USA embassy or consulate. You can look up the nearest location as the offices are all over Italy. Like the Atto Notorio, you must make an appointment before arriving and taking an oath. Moreover, you should provide all the documents you used to get the Atto Notorio.
You must get an appointment at least a month before your wedding date. Once the Nulla Osta is ready, you should use it within six months.
4. Legalize Your Nulla Osta
The last step in the marriage process is to get the Nulla Osta legalized at the local Prefettura (prefecture office) in the district where you will have the wedding. You may need to be present for this process.
5. File Your Declaration of Intention
You must present all the documents above to the Wedding Hall in the city where you will have the wedding hall. The Civil Registrar will accept the Declaration of Intention to Marry, usually two to three days before the wedding. After this, banns can be posted. Banns only apply when one of the parties is an Italian citizen or resident.
Given the complexity of the steps and documents, seeking help when planning a marriage in Italy is always advisable.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Get Married in Italy?
Many countries will not allow people aged less than 18 to get married. So, how old do you have to be to get married in Italy? Italian law requires people to be at least 18 to get married. However, if you can present written consent from your parents, you can get married if you are at least 16. Else, you must wait until you attain legal age to enter a marriage contract.
How Much Does It Cost to Get Married in Italy?
U.S. citizens arranging a marriage in Italy undergo many processes that attract different prices. So, how much does it cost to get married in Italy? The costs come down to the following factors:
- Renewing or applying for a new passport,
- Translating your documents,
- Getting an apostille for your documents,
- Applying for and getting a stamp for the Atto Notorio,
- Applying for and getting a stamp for the Nulla Osta,
- Booking a venue, getting accommodation, arranging for florists and caterers,
- Hiring a wedding planner, etc.
Most of these costs are relative as they depend on how much you want to spend. For example, venue costs vary greatly, as do wedding planner prices. Additionally, expediting official services like passport renewal and apostilles attracts processing costs. Thus, the best way to determine the overall costs is to list everything you need and where to get them before assessing the overall prices.
How to Choose a City and Wedding Venue in Italy
One of the key benefits of civil marriage in Italy is the venue choice, as you can hold the ceremony outside the town hall. Symbolic weddings also necessitate beautiful venues. And here is how you can find one:
- Decide what you want out of a venue, i.e., the non-negotiables,
- List all the suitable spaces that feature your key non-negotiables,
- Narrow down the list by selecting the options that suit your tastes the most,
- Consider the number of guests you will have and the preferred entertainment options and use these factors to narrow the list further,
- Add logistics to the mix and remove the venues that will be hard to access from your accommodation or those that are too far-flung for your liking,
- Review the venue rules and how they will affect your ceremony, and choose the locations with flexible policies,
- Look into the weather and whether this will necessitate an indoor or outdoor setting,
- Ask for referrals and consider other people’s experiences,
- Include your budget and determine the venues that will not dent your finances, and
- Listen to your gut – if a venue feels right, it probably is!
It also helps to work with a trusted wedding planner. They can review your chosen options and help you determine the one that best suits your preferences and budget. Plus, with their experience, they likely know the ones whose terms and conditions favor your wedding ceremony.
How to Find a Wedding Planner in Italy
Navigating the Italy marriage laws requires some expertise. And how better to reduce your workload and speed up processes than hiring a wedding planner based in Italy? Here is how a U.S. citizen getting married in Italy can find a good planner:
- Consider experience: The paperwork required to get married in Italy for foreigners necessitates a planner who understands the legal framework. Choose someone who has dealt with foreign marriages before.
- Get referrals: A good wedding planner should have positive reviews from past clients. Start by asking your friends or family for referrals. And if you can’t find any, consider going online and looking at reviews.
- Review their style: A wedding ceremony is intimate, and your planner should execute your wedding in a way that pleases you. However, this can be difficult when the planner has a different style from what you want.
- Understand their services: As a foreigner, you will need a lot of hand-holding. So, the planner should handle most things, including processing the paperwork so you can focus on getting your affidavits and declarations.
- Look into availability: A busy planner may not have the resources to help you follow up on crucial processes. Finding someone who can dedicate adequate time to your planning without being pulled in many directions is best.
- Add your budget: Wedding planning services can cost an arm and a leg. Find a planner who can work within your budget and deliver great results.
Finally, if you get married in Italy, is it legal in the U.S.? A resounding yes! Once you verify your marriage certificate, it will be valid in Italy and the U.S. You can use it to change your name and in other official processes too!
