Italy is a stunning and ever-popular location to tie the knot, with couples from around the world travelling to enjoy the fabulous sights and culture for their wedding. Whether you’re off to enjoy a beautiful beach wedding on the Amalfi Coast or you’re looking for a quiet city retreat in Venice, there are a few important requirements for getting married in Italy from the UK.
In this blog, we’ll talk you through all the documents and requirements to ensure your marriage is legal in both Italy and the UK.
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Applying to marry in Italy as a UK citizen is a fairly straightforward albeit lengthy process, and there are a few requirements you need to be aware of before you even apply to marry in Italy.
As with every wedding, you need to provide documents to prove your identity as well as your eligibility for marriage. If you’re getting married in Italy from the UK, there are a few extra documents you need for your destination wedding.
You and your partner need valid passports that are not due to expire within 6 months of your wedding date. As well as for documentation, you’ll need your passport to be able to travel to Italy for your wedding so it’s important there are no issues with this form of ID.
Couples will need to provide their original birth certificates (where possible) showing their date of birth, parents and destination of birth. This will help to prove that you’re a British citizen when applying for marriage in Italy.
A Certificate of No Impediment is a document that proves you’re legally able to marry. This is obtained in the UK from your local registry office in the UK and you need to apply for this document at least 28 days before the day of your wedding. Once a CNI has been issued it needs to be legalised by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office with an Apostille Stamp. This stamp is simply an official seal that proves a document has been legally approved.
A statutory declaration must be completed with a solicitor in the UK and acts as a statement confirming that you are legally entitled to marry. It’s important to remember that any documents handled by solicitors will require a fee.
If you or your partner have been married previously and are now divorced or their spouse passed away, you’ll need to provide the divorce decree or death certificate.
Once you have received all of your legal documents they need to be translated into Italian and sent to the authorities at the local town hall where you’re planning to marry. They can officiate your documents ready for when you arrive for our wedding.
The document application process can be lengthy and at times confusing, but when you hire a wedding planner they can take care of all this formal process. If you need any more advice for your Italian wedding, you can take a look at our top tips for planning a wedding in Italy.
If you want a Catholic wedding there are a few additional steps you need to take. If you want to legally marry, at least one partner in a couple must be Catholic and they need to provide documents from their church including Baptism and first communion certificates to prove you’re a practising member of the church.
It’s important to be aware of marriage laws in Italy before you decide where to marry. In Italy, same-sex marriage is not legal, but civil partnerships are instead allowed. A civil union allows many of the same rights as a marriage and you can also host a ceremony afterwards as you would with a normal wedding. The main difference is the paperwork that is signed and some legal limitations such as the right to adoption.
It’s important to research these laws in depth before you travel to Italy, as every country’s stance on same-sex marriage is different.
It’s essential to plan ahead for your wedding in Italy as the process takes time to sort. From booking venues to getting your documents sorted, there’s a lot to do before you walk down the aisle.
Our research at The Wedding Travel Company found that the average time people spend planning their destination wedding is around 1 year and 5 months. This gives you ample time to secure your dream venue and get all of your documents approved.
Not only will you need to save up for your honeymoon, venue and ceremony, but you’ll also have to pay to have your legal documents processed. Here’s a breakdown of the document costs for getting married in Italy from the UK.
Once you’re back in the UK after your wedding, you’ll need to take your authenticated marriage certificate to be translated into English. You’ll also need to register your marriage with the UK General Register Office. From here you’ve completed all your paperwork and you’re now officially married!
Now you know all the requirements for getting married in Italy from the UK, you should be able to start your application process. For an easy and stress-free process, our wedding planners at The Wedding Travel Company are here to help you with all the logistics from document preparation to venue setup.
If you haven’t decided on the right location for your big day, you can take a look at our range of wedding destinations. If you’re still unsure if you’re missing any documents or want to know more about the requirements in Italy, you can contact our experts for advice.
