INFORMATION ON GETTING MARRIED

Non-Italians intending to marry in Italy, must contact their own Embassy/Consulate in Italy for instructions. Please visit www.esteri.it for a list of the foreign Embassies/Consulates in Italy.

FOREIGN BRIDE OR GROOM

• valid passport;

• Long form birth certificate translated into Italian and legalised by the Italian Embassy or Consulate in the country where the certificate was issued;

• “Notice of Search” issued by the “Office of the Registrar General” (check www.gov.on.ca);

• NULLA OSTA (Certificate of non – impediment), obtained through the Canadian authorities in Rome (please contact your Embassy in Italy). Although the Canadian Government does not issue this certificate specifically, it does assist Canadian citizens in meeting the requirements of the Italian authorities. It is therefore advisable to contact the Canadian Embassy in Rome, which will issue a declaration containing the relevant information;

INFORMATION FOR CANADIAN CITIZENS TO GET MARRIED IN ITALY

Italian law requires NON-ITALIANS wishing to be married in Italy to present a “Nulla Osta” (Certificate of non-Impediment) or equivalent documentation.

The Canadian Government does not issue “Nulla Osta”. However, to assist Canadians to meet the Italian requirements, the Canadian Embassy in Rome issues a declaration containing the relevant information.
Requests for the declaration can be made by appointment or by mail.

1. To obtain the declaration from the Embassy, a Canadian citizen must first complete and swear an affidavit to the effect that there is no impediment to the proposed marriage.
2. If the affidavit is to be made at the Canadian Embassy in Rome, an appointment is required. The applicant should fill out an Affidavit Form and present him- or herself in person with the following documents:

• Valid Canadian passport;

• Proof of Canadian citizenship (Canadian birth certificate or Certificate of Canadian Citizenship). (If you were born in Québec: Only birth certificates issued on or after January 1, 1994, by “Le Directeur de l’état civil” in the province of Québec are accepted);

• Complete details of the future spouse (full name, date and place of birth, residence, father’s name and mother’s full maiden name);

• Final divorce decree or death certificate of previous spouse (if divorced or widowed);

• Parents’ consent (if the person is under marriageable age).

The Embassy in Rome can be contacted by e-mail or fax. Fees are payable for the declaration in lieu of Nulla Osta, and for the affidavit as well, if it is to be done at our offices. The fees are non refundable.
The Affidavit can also be sworn in front of a notary public in Canada or a consular official at Canadian Embassies or Consulates in other countries. In this case the original Affidavit and the certified true copies of the above mentioned documents are to be sent to the Embassy in Rome.
3. You must then present the declaration issued by the Embassy to the competent “Prefettura – Ufficio Legalizzazioni” (provincial authority) to be formally authenticated.
4. Once the declaration has been obtained and legalized, you must present it to the Marriage Office of the Municipality in Italy. Banns are waived if neither party is Italian nor residing in Italy.
5. The Municipal authorities will request the couple to return (usually in 2 or 3 days) with 2 witnesses PLUS an interpreter (if one or both parties do not know the Italian language) to execute a declaration before the “Ufficiale dello Stato Civile” (Registrar of Vital Statistics) of the Municipality. Arrangements are then concluded and a date is fixed for the civil marriage ceremony. Two witnesses PLUS an interpreter (if necessary) must be present at the civil marriage ceremony also.
Although every assistance is usually extended by the Italian authorities to foreigners wishing to marry in Italy, a date for a civil marriage ceremony is generally NOT fixed unless the above mentioned declaration (see 5.) has first been executed by the couple. Your wedding coordinator can be of help on this respect

PLEASE NOTE: The waiting period (from the date the required documents are presented to the marriage office to the date of the civil marriage ceremony) may vary depending on the period of the year and on the number of requests received by the municipality. Also, some municipalities levy marriage fees for non-residents.

The Canadian Embassy in Rome can issue the required declaration in lieu of Nulla Osta, but cannot assist with marriage arrangements. If you do not have someone in Italy who can handle the arrangements with the local Municipality (or you cannot stay in Italy long enough to handle them yourself), you may have to use an agency to make the necessary arrangements.

ROMAN-CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES

In the case of a religious marriage ceremony to be performed at a Roman-Catholic Church, the document issued by the Embassy, duly legalized by the competent Prefettura, should be presented to the Parish Priest in Italy, in addition to all documents required by the Church. The Parish Priest shall arrange for the registration of the religious marriage with the competent Italian Vital Statistics authorities. The marriage must be so registered in order to have civil value in Italy.

NON ROMAN-CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS CEREMONY

To our knowledge, ceremonies performed at non-Roman Catholic churches require a civil ceremony as well. It is suggested that you contact the Minister, Priest or Rabbi as early as possible to obtain appropriate information.

This is an abstract taken from the Toronto consulate site