Getting married in Italy as a UK citizen is possible, provided you allow yourself at least 4 months to deal with all the legal bureaucracy, paperwork, and especially to secure the most sought after venues. British Nationals can get married in Italy, and the wedding will be valid in the UK. The different options are:

-Catholic Wedding

-Civil Ceremony

-Symbolic Wedding

The first 2 options require paperwork and planning. If you do not want to go through the hassle of the paperwork in Italy, you have the very popular option of a religious or symbolic wedding. Let me explain in details:

-Catholic Wedding

Catholic weddings in Italy are possible for British Nationals, but require due preparation, which consists of several documents and authorizations that are issued by the couple’s local priest, their Bishop and the local Bishop of the church where they will be getting married in Italy. This procedure requires at least 9-12 months of preparation. Be advised that not all Bishops in Italy will allow weddings of non-residents. We can assist you by guiding you through the complex procedure of a Catholic Wedding in Italy and by suggesting venues where the Bishop will raise no objections to your Catholic wedding in Italy.

-Civil Ceremony

Civil Ceremonies are legally binding and are typically performed in the local Town Hall by the mayor or another officer appointed to celebrate the wedding. The ceremony lasts about 20 minutes and must be conducted in Italian by law. If you, your spouse, or one or both of the witnesses do not speak Italian, you are legally required to have an interpreter present throughout the ceremony. You or your partner are not permitted to act as an interpreter. A professional interpreter must be present and sign an oath to translate the ceremony correctly.

5-steps guide to get all documents needed for British Citizens to get married in Italy - Civil Ceremonies

-STEP 1

If you live in the United Kingdom, the first step is to obtain a certificate of no impediment, also known as a CNI, as well as a statutory declaration to prove your eligibility to marry. If your partner is British, they will also need a CNI and a statutory declaration. You can make an appointment at your local register office to give notice of your marriage and obtain a CNI.

PRO-TIP: Bring your passports, as the name on the CNI must be exactly the same as the one on the passport, or your documents might be rejected.

Your notice (banns of marriage) will be displayed in the registered office for 28 days. If no one objects, you can collect your CNI. To be valid in Italy, present your CNI to the municipality in Italy no later than six months after its issuance.

-STEP 2

While waiting for the Certificate of No Impediment, you should make a Statutory Declaration in the UK before a solicitor or public notary. The declaration is required by Italian authorities. Please do not sign or date the document until you have met with the solicitor/notary, and make sure that when you write your name, it is exactly as it appears on your passport, and if you have never been married, exactly as it appears on your birth certificate. For this service, the solicitor or public notary will charge a fee. Fees will vary, so it's worth shopping around and paying directly.

-STEP 3

After you have obtained both the certificate of no impediment and completed the Statutory Declaration, you send both documents to the FCO Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes (on line) to be legalised with a Hague Apostille. This will be charged by the Legalisation Office.

-STEP 4

After legalising both of these documents, you will need to have the Certificate of No Impediment translated. Because it will be used as an Italian legal document, it must be translated by an Italian official translator and sworn before Italian courts or an Italian Justice of the Peace. The Statutory Declaration does not need to be translated because it is already in both languages,.

-STEP 5

When all of these documents are completed, they should be delivered to the Town Hall where the couple will be married. Please keep in mind that in some parts of Italy, the Town Hall may request the wedding couple sign the Declaration of Marriage at least two or three days before the wedding. Following the ceremony, the Italian Town Hall (Comune) will issue the couple a multilingual marriage certificate.

That sounds like a lot of work doesn't it?

Symbolic Ceremony

Luckily, there is a 3rd option which is a life-saver for many couples: a symbolic ceremony. A symbolic ceremony (which might or might not be religious), is a ceremony that is NOT legally valid, but that plays out just like a genuine marriage service. The best part about this ceremony is that it is written specifically for you, so it is very personal and bespoke.