How to register your marriage in Italy (UK guide)

Food, culture, stunning scenery and balmy weather – there’s a lot to love about Italy. No wonder it feels like the perfect destination for couples who choose to get married in Italy, and for the ones who stick around permanently.

If you’re planning a wedding in Italy, or a whole new life with your beloved, make sure you understand the legal requirements for marriage registration in Italy.

In this guide, we show you what you need to do to have a legal wedding and register a foreign marriage in Italy, so you can move past the paperwork and into the next stage of your lives together.

And while you’re getting organised, it’s a good time to get your overseas finances in order too. With a Wise account, you can hold multiple currencies – perfect for moving between the UK and Italy.

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Registering your marriage in Italy

The system for registering a marriage in Italy is precise, but easy to manage with good preparation. Much of this is about gathering the right documents, getting translations, and having these items legalised before submitting them to the registry office.

Here, we look at two specific scenarios: getting married and registering in Italy, and registering an existing marriage in Italy.

Scenario 1: Getting married in and registering in Italy

Let’s take a look at the legal requirements if you’re planning your wedding ceremony in Italy.

Check residency and eligibility

Italy doesn’t have strict minimum residency requirements for getting married. But you will need to visit the local town hall where you plan to celebrate the marriage a few days before the wedding, and make a Declaration of Intent to Marry (Dichiarazione Giurata) for the wedding to be legally binding.¹

Obtaining a Nulla Osta

The most important document for getting married in Italy is your Nulla Osta – this is the same as a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) in the UK.

A CNI can be obtained from your local registry office in the UK. You’ll need your passport, proof of address, birth certificate, and divorce or death certificates (if relevant). This is the first part of the legal Nulla Osta process.

Next, you need to have your CNI and supporting documents legalised with an Apostille stamp from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The CNI and apostilled documents then need to be officially translated into Italian.

Finally, you need to make a sworn statutory declaration for marriage in front of a UK notary. Once you’ve completed these steps, all documents and translations need to be shown at the local town hall (comune) where you plan to marry.

Document checklist

Specific locations have their own requirements, but at a minimum, you can expect to provide the following documents:

• Valid passports
• Birth certificates
• Proof of address
• Your CNI
• Death and divorce certificates (if relevant)
• A statutory declaration for marriage

Submitting the paperwork

Once you’ve gathered everything, the complete file with all original documents, Apostilles, and translations, must be submitted to the marriage office (Ufficio Matrimoni) of your chosen town hall (comune).

After the ceremony, the marriage is officially registered by the comune.

Registering your Italian marriage in the UK

If you wed in Italy, you don’t need to register the marriage in the UK. Overseas marriages are generally recognised in the UK, providing they meet the legal requirements of a marriage. You may need to get it translated if you need to use it for legal purposes in the UK, though.

Scenario 2: Registering a pre-existing UK marriage in Italy

If you’re a UK citizen who’s already married, and are planning to relocate to Italy, here’s what you need to do to register the marriage.

Why you must register your UK marriage in Italy

Registering your marriage is non-optional for residents. For UK nationals, registering your marriage allows you to apply for a residency permit.

It can also help you with accessing healthcare, and means you’re recognised as the legal spouse for tax and inheritance purposes. It’s a prerequisite for obtaining Italian citizenship if that’s something you’re aiming for in the future, too.

Transcription process to register a marriage in Italy

To register the marriage, you’ll need to contact the Italian consulate and fill out a marriage certificate registration form.²

The process involves submitting documents that have been Apostilled and translated to your local comune – namely your original marriage certificate, birth certificates, and passports.

You must get your UK marriage certificate apostilled by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The marriage certificate also needs to be translated into Italian by a sworn translator.

Then, you’ll be able to submit it to the Civil Status Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the comune where you’re registered as a resident. The marriage will then be transcribed into the Italian civil records.

Can you register a marriage in two countries?

If you marry in Italy and return to the UK, the marriage will be recognised as legal in the UK without you needing to register it.

If you’re settling in a different country from the one you married in, registering the marriage will typically support your application for residency and access to public services, property, and inheritance.

Be Smart, Get Wise

Navigating a foreign legal and marriage registry system can be complex, whether you’re getting married or moving to Italy permanently.

Be sure to review UK government guidance on getting married in Italy, and check the rules of your desired wedding or residence location. Ensure you have original birth certificates for you and your partner, as well as valid passports and the marriage certificate (if you’re registering it in Italy).

Travelling to Italy, translating documents, and getting them apostilled can come at a cost. Don’t get caught out if you need to switch between currencies. Opt for a Wise account, where you can hold multiple currencies and use your Wise card to pay in 150+ countries.

With Wise, you always get the mid-market exchange rate. And you can hold euros if you want to pay in Italy and avoid exchange fees altogether. Whether your trip to Italy is for exchanging vows, or for forever, take Wise with you into married life.

Sources used in this article:

1. Italian consulate - marriage in Italy
2. Italian consulate - how to register a marriage

Sources last checked: 12th Sep 2025