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Bride and groom laughing during their civil ceremony in the frescoed hall of Volterra town hall

Wedding paperwork guide

Getting Married in Italy from the UK: Documents for British Citizens

Getting married abroad in Italy? A legal wedding here is fully valid in the UK. The paperwork is not difficult, but it is unforgiving: one missing middle name or the wrong town on a form can cost you weeks.

Paperwork, CNI and Apostille guide

Can British citizens get married in Italy?

Yes. If you are a British citizen getting married in Italy, this guide explains the paperwork, the legal requirements and the practical steps before a civil or legally recognised ceremony can take place.

The right procedure depends on where you live, whether you are both British, whether one of you has another nationality and whether either of you has been married before. As a wedding planner in Tuscany working across Italy, we support British couples from the first document check to the final certificate: sworn translations, interpreter, the registrar and the Comune.

The short answer

Quick overview
for British citizens.

  • Valid in the UK. A marriage celebrated according to Italian law is legally valid in the UK, with no need to register it again there.
  • Two documents for each British partner: a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) and a bilingual Statutory Declaration, both with an apostille.
  • Start in time: about 6 months before the wedding in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in Scotland, exactly 3 months and 25 days before.
  • Not living in the UK? A different procedure through the British Embassy in Rome, and about a month in Italy before the wedding.
  • An interpreter is required if one of you doesn't speak Italian, and at the ceremony also if one of your witnesses doesn't.

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Who does what

Most of it is in our hands.
Here is what only you can do.

What only you can do

  • Give notice at your local Register Office and collect your Certificate of No Impediment
  • Fill in the bilingual Statutory Declaration and sign it in front of a solicitor
  • Send us scans of everything before the apostilles
  • Apply for the apostilles and have them sent straight to us
  • If you don't live in the UK: attend the British Embassy appointment in Rome

What we do for you

  • Tell you the exact Comune to write on your CNI
  • Check every document before the apostilles
  • Prepare the sworn Italian translations
  • Book the Comune, the declaration, the interpreter and the date
  • Get the right marriage certificates and translate them into English
Groom kissing the bride with the Tuscan hills behind them

Recognition

Is a marriage in Italy
legal in the UK?

Yes. A marriage celebrated according to the law of the country where it takes place is valid in the UK and, under a general principle of international law, around the world. There is no legal requirement to register it again in the UK.

Since 2014 the UK no longer keeps foreign marriage certificates, so your Italian certificate remains your proof of marriage for passports, immigration, inheritance and more. That is why it matters which certificate you ask for: see your marriage certificate after the wedding.

Living in the UK

Documents British citizens need:
CNI and Statutory Declaration.

Certificate of No Impediment (CNI)

Each British partner needs one CNI, issued by your local Register Office after you give notice. CNIs issued in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are valid for 6 months, those issued in Scotland for 3 months. Each CNI needs an apostille. The Italian translation must be sworn at a court here in Italy: Italian authorities don't accept translations made in the UK or anywhere else in the world, so don't have it translated before it reaches us. We take care of it.

Bilingual Statutory Declaration

Each British partner also needs a bilingual (English and Italian) Statutory Declaration, so no translation is needed. You sign it in front of a solicitor, then it gets an apostille too. You can download the official form from the UK government.

In Italy you don't need birth certificates for this procedure, but your UK Register Office will ask for them when you give notice, together with proof of residence (such as a utility bill or council tax) and, if you are divorced or widowed, proof of it. For Italy, those details simply go in your Statutory Declaration and no decree is normally required: tell us before you start.

Living abroad

British citizens
not living in the UK.

Stop and contact us before doing anything. You will usually need the British Embassy procedure in Rome: plan to be in Italy about a month before the wedding (at least 20 days, we suggest 30), spending three nights here before the appointment. After the appointment you can leave Italy and come back a couple of working days before the wedding. The Embassy then issues a Nulla Osta in place of the UK CNI.

If you can re-establish residency in the UK for the required period, you may apply there instead. There is also a postal route through an Italian notary, but it still needs steps in Italy and notary fees can be very high, so we rarely recommend it.

Ask us first

Timing

When to start the paperwork.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland

The rule: your CNI is valid for 6 months.

Our advice: start about 6 months before, 4 months at the latest: the CNI takes about a month after notice, then come the declaration, our check, the apostilles and shipping. Under 2 months is too late.

Scotland

The rule: a Scottish CNI is valid for 3 months.

Our advice: start exactly 3 months and 25 days before the wedding, so it isn't issued too early, and never wait until less than about 2 months before.

Living outside the UK

The British Embassy procedure in Rome: be in Italy about a month before the wedding, with three nights here before the appointment, then you can leave and come back a few days before. Contact us first.

Ask us first: Living outside the UK

How it works

Step by step,
if you live in the UK.

  1. 1. The exact ComuneAsk us which Italian Comune will register your marriage: its name must appear on your CNI. Not "Tuscany", not the province, not the name of your venue.
  2. 2. Your CNIGive notice at your local Register Office. Before you leave, check every name and middle name, the spelling, your date and place of birth and the Comune.
  3. 3. The Statutory DeclarationDownload the official bilingual form, fill it in and sign it in front of a solicitor. Nobody should rewrite it or add anything to it.
  4. 4. Our checkSend us scans of all your documents and passports, and wait for our written OK before you get the apostilles.
  5. 5. The apostillesApply to the FCDO legalisation service and have the documents sent by courier directly to us in Italy: we give you the address. Allow from 25 to 40 working days, plus the courier. If time is really short, accredited agencies in the UK offer an almost same-day service, but it costs more than double the apostille.
  6. 6. In ItalyWe prepare the sworn Italian translations and everything the Comune needs. Usually 2 to 3 working days before the wedding, and in some towns even the same day, you declare your intention to marry at the Comune, with an interpreter.

Official references

Official forms
from the UK government.

These forms and services are published by the UK government and the Law Societies: always use the latest version from their websites. We suggest a solicitor rather than a notary because, for this simple witnessing, solicitors are usually cheaper and much less likely to alter the document.

Learn from others

Common mistakes
British couples make.

  • Starting too late
  • Missing middle names
  • Spelling errors and different hyphenation
  • The wrong Comune: a region, a province or the venue instead of the town
  • A solicitor or notary "improving" the form or adding pages
  • Getting the apostilles before we have checked the documents
  • Having the CNI translated outside Italy: the translation must be sworn at a court in Italy
  • Sending originals by Royal Mail: they can take weeks to arrive
  • Shipping with charges payable on delivery

Each of these can mean new documents, new apostilles and weeks lost. That is why we check everything before the apostilles.

Other situations

One spouse is British,
the other is not.

The British partner follows the procedure on this page, and the other partner the procedure of their own nationality, which may be completely different. In these cases the British partner often needs two copies of their documents: one for Italy, for the court and then the Comune, and one for the consulate or office of the other partner. Some countries also want to see the British documents first: see mixed couples and special cases.

If the other spouse is Italian

The Italian partner usually files the notice of marriage at the Town Hall where they live in Italy or, if registered with AIRE, at the Italian Embassy or Consulate where they live.

Dual citizenship

If one of you is also an Italian citizen, you must get married as an Italian, and this changes the whole procedure. Check it before you start, especially if you have Italian ancestry or an Italian parent.

Living in the UK but not British

Living in the UK doesn't make the British procedure apply to you: you follow the procedure of your own nationality.

Same-sex couples

Italy has recognised same-sex civil unions since 2016. British same-sex couples follow a very similar procedure, but some town halls ask for earlier appointments: see civil unions in Italy.

Bride and groom walking along a gravel path in a villa garden

After the wedding

After the wedding:
your certificates.

After the wedding you need the right Italian marriage certificates, in the right number, with their official English translation. Which ones to ask the Comune for, why Box 10 of the multilingual certificate matters and how many originals to keep: we explain it all in our guide for British couples, and we take care of it for you.

Your certificates after the wedding

Last reviewed: October 2026, by the Efffetti team. This page is for general planning and doesn't replace the instructions of GOV.UK, the British Embassy, the FCDO, the General Register Office or the Comune. Requirements can change.

Want to play it safe?

A 30-minute
consultation.

On Google Meet we look at where you live, your marital status and your wedding town, and tell you exactly what to do and when. It costs €50, deducted from our fee if you then ask us to take care of your paperwork. After the call, British citizens also receive our written guide: every step in the right order, the dates to keep in mind and the mistakes that cost couples weeks.

Book a consultation

More paperwork guides

Marrying someone of another nationality?

Bride and groom in the frescoed courtyard of Palazzo Pretorio, the town hall of Certaldo

American citizens

The affidavit at the US consulate, the Atto Notorio and the witnesses: the steps for American citizens, in the right order.

Read the guide: American citizens
Bride and groom embracing in a vineyard in Tuscany

Australian citizens

Australians prepare almost nothing at home: the Nulla Osta and the Atto Notorio are done in Italy, and we book everything.

Read the guide: Australian citizens

Reviews

What our couples say about us.

Laura & PatrickNew York City · October 2026
★★★★★

Wedding Magic!

Working with Francesca was a pleasure from start to finish. Her responsiveness, thoughtful recommendations, and attention to detail made the entire experience feel seamless. She guided us to wonderful vendors that perfectly…
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Elizabeth and DaleNew York, NY · September 2026
★★★★★

A dreamy wedding weekend

Francina made planning an international wedding so much less stressful! Her expertise and relationships with local vendors helped us to feel confident with our ultimate vendor decisions, and all the vendors absolutely delivered!…
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Marisol & JorgeOctober 2026
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We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding celebrant and day-of coordinator than Francina! 🤍 From the very beginning, she was amazing, and everything on our wedding day went perfectly. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and…
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Questions, answered

British citizens
getting married in Italy.

If we get married in Italy, is it legal in the UK?

Yes. A marriage celebrated according to Italian law is legally valid in the UK and, as a general principle of international law, around the world, and there is no need to register it again there. Keep your Italian certificates safe: they are your proof of marriage.

Which documents do British citizens need?

Each British partner needs a Certificate of No Impediment and a bilingual Statutory Declaration, both with an apostille, plus a valid passport. In Italy, birth certificates are not needed for this procedure, but your UK Register Office will ask for them when you give notice, with proof of residence and, if relevant, proof of divorce or widowhood.

When should we start?

About 6 months before the wedding in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with 4 months as the safe deadline; exactly 3 months and 25 days before in Scotland. If you don't live in the UK, contact us first.

How many days before the wedding do we need to be in Italy?

If you live in the UK, usually 2 to 3 working days, for the declaration at the Comune; in some towns it can even be done the same day. If you live outside the UK, you need to be here about a month before for the British Embassy appointment in Rome; after it you can leave and come back a couple of working days before the wedding.

We are British but don't live in the UK. What changes?

You need the British Embassy procedure in Rome: plan to be in Italy about a month before the wedding, at least 20 days, with three nights here before the appointment. Talk to us before booking anything.

One of us is divorced or widowed. Do we need extra documents?

Usually not: the details go in your Statutory Declaration. Tell us before you start, and ask us before obtaining anything extra a Comune might request.

Do we need an interpreter?

Yes, if one of you doesn't speak Italian, both at the declaration at the Comune a few days before and at the ceremony. Your witnesses are only needed at the wedding, not at the declaration: if one of them doesn't speak Italian, the interpreter is needed at the ceremony too. We arrange the interpreter for you.

Which marriage certificate do we need after the wedding?

The simple Italian "Certificato di matrimonio" on paper, with its official English translation, which we prepare. Which ones to ask for and how many originals to keep: see after the wedding for British couples.

Can you help only with the paperwork?

Yes. Many British couples come to us just for the paperwork, translations and interpreter, without a wedding planner.

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