Getting married in Italy - Requirements for American Citizens

Requirements for American Citizens

Getting married in Italy

There are only 3 items that are necessary for US citizens to marry in Italy.
To marry in Italy an ATTO NOTORIO is required; this is an AFFIDAVIT done before the ITALIAN CONSULATE (or in Italy).
To obtain it, you must first have certain documents.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED to OBTAIN an ATTO NOTORIO:
1. US passport
2. Birth certificate
3. If previously divorced/widowed, your divorce decree or death certificate

Here are some clarifications for the most frequently asked questions:
1. ATTO NOTORIO (we can arrange for it to be done in Italy) - what it is.
It consists of a meeting in front of the Italian Consulate with witnesses in which a declaration relative to the civil status (single, divorced etc…) of the couple is made. An official document is then drawn up to present to us for filing purposes here in Italy. Please be sure that at the top of the page of the Atto Notorio the detail " Repubblica Italiana" and "Consolato Generale D'Italia" are specifically written, otherwise the Atto Notorio is not valid.

You need to set up an appointment yourselves with the nearest Italian Consulate to where you live and ask how many witnesses are required - it varies from location to location. Eventually if you choose to, the Atto Notorio CAN be done in Italy for a fee.

TRANSLATIONS REQUIRED
Your Birth and or divorce/death certificates must be translated into Italian and Apostilled through the Secretary of State's Notary Public of the state the document originated in. The translations are authenticated by the Italian Consulate. Our company does provide translation services.

2. APOSTILLE - (done via mail)
This peculiar word means that the original documents (birth and, if applicable, divorce) which need to be presented to the Italian Consulate have been:
• Sent to the Secretary of State's Notary Public of the state from which the document originally is from for authentication (or Apostille seal).
• The APOSTILLE is simply the seal of the Notary Public of the State in accordance with the Hague Convention, which means that the documents can be used officially even in a foreign country. It is NOT a regular Notary Public stamp!

When the Atto Notorio is done and the Apostille also, you must:

1. Fax us a copy in Italy so we can verify that everything is complete, at least 4 weeks prior the wedding.
2. After we give the OK, bring the originals of your documents with you when you come to Italy.
3. KEEP A COPY OF YOUR DIVORCE DECREE, IF APPLICABLE, TO TAKE TO THE US CONSULATE IN ITALY when you arrive.
4. TRANSLATIONS
All birth and/or divorce certificates must be translated into Italian. You must have the translations authenticated by the Italian Consulate in the U.S. when you go for your Atto Notorio.
We offer translation services for an additional cost.

3. NULLA OSTA and PREFECT'S OFFICE (done with our staff/coordinator in Italy)
We assist with this, it takes at most a few hours and must be done approximately 3 weekdays prior to the wedding.
The Nulla Osta is the final declaration to be made IN ITALY before the US CONSULATE or EMBASSY stating that you are free to marry.
Then this NULLA OSTA must be authenticated in the nearest Prefect's office (we do this for you, but you must come along!).

PAY ATTENTION, PLEASE!
It's really important that your full name is written in the same way in all the following documents, otherwise the wedding office will not accept the paperwork:
• PASSPORTS
• ATTO NOTORIO
• NULLA OSTA

IF YOU CANNOT DO THE ATTO NOTORIO IN THE US... we can help!

Here is a step-by-step explanation of what you must do:

1. Send us LEGIBLE copies of your passports, in addition to the following information for you, your future husband, your best man, and your maid of honor: full name, date and place of birth, current address (legal residence), and profession.
2. Order your birth certificates (and divorce decrees, if applicable) and request the Apostille from the state you were born in. The Apostilles can not be required earlier than 6 months before the wedding.
3. Once you have requested your birth certificates (and divorce decrees) make an appointment with the Italian Consulate for your Atto Notorio. This document can not be issued more than 3 months before the wedding otherwise it will expire.
You must bring several witnesses with you to the appointment. Some Consulates require only 2 witnesses per couple (not relatives) to witness the Atto, while others can require up to 4 per person to appear (a total of 8), so find out how many people must come with you. The witnesses that accompany you to the Italian Consulate don't necessarily have to be your best man and maid of honor; other people who know you can act as your witnesses at the Italian Consulate.
4. Get the birth certificates (and divorce decrees) translated before you go to the Italian Consulate. If you prefer, you can fax them to us for translation.
5. Go with the correct number of witnesses to the Italian Consulate in the US for your Atto Notorio. Bring the originals (with the Apostille) and the translations of your birth certificates (and divorce decrees) to this appointment. Make sure that the Consulate stamps the translations of your documents if the Consulate did not do the translations themselves.
6. Right after your appointment at the Italian Consulate, fax us copies of all of your documents. We will check everything and continue the paperwork on this end. Keep the originals and hand carry them when you come to Italy (don't check them at the airport).
7. IN ITALY: several days before your wedding (generally 3/4 working days prior), go with our local assistant to the US Consulate in to get the Nulla Osta (sometimes referred to as the sworn statement). Bring all of the originals of your documents and your passports with you. After the US Consulate visit, you will be accompanied with our assistant to the Prefettura, where a government official will authenticate your documents. Finally, our assistant there will take everything to the town hall where you will be married, so that they can finish the paperwork.
We will help you, since the procedure could change or be slightly different from one Consulate to another.

***

PAPERWORK EXPIRES AFTER 3 MONTHS

Please, take note that a woman who has been divorced less than 300 days from the proposed wedding date cannot have a civil ceremony but symbolic only.

***

RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES:

If a religious ceremony is performed by a Roman Catholic priest, a separate civil ceremony is unnecessary but the priest must register the marriage with the Ufficiale di Stato Civile in order for it to be legal. Because of the special Italian requirements applicable to marriage performed by non-Roman Catholic clergymen, the latter usually insist on a prior civil ceremony before performing a religious ceremony in order to ensure the legality of the marriage.

Source: U.S. Consulate General Florence, Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci 38, 50123 Florence
Tel. (011)(39)(55) 239-8276; Fax. (011)(39)(55) 284-088.