UK citizens need a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI), which is the UK equivalent of the Italian Nulla Osta, together with a bilingual statutory declaration.
Both documents must be apostilled before submission to the Italian Town Hall where the marriage will take place.
Last update: September 2026
Requirements for British Citizens getting married in Italy
A British citizen who wishes to legally marry in Italy needs a CNI (Certificate of No Impediment), legally translated and apostilled, together with an apostilled bilingual statutory declaration. Alternatively, if the applicant lives abroad or is temporarily abroad, they can obtain a Nulla Osta directly at the British Embassy in Rome.
Below, we outline which exact steps you need to take based on your situation.
📌 Case 1: You Live in the UK
If you are a British citizen residing in the UK, you must obtain:
1️⃣ Certificate of No Impediment (CNI)
You can obtain the CNI from the competent UK register office.
To get a CNI, book an appointment at a UK register office to give notice. Tell request a CNI to get married or celebrate a same-sex civil union abroad when you book your appointment.
Please note that the UK CNI is equivalent to a so-called ‘Nulla Osta’ in Italy although it is issued in the UK.
📍 What happens next?
- Your marriage notice (banns) will be displayed for 28 days.
- If no objections are raised, you can collect your CNI.
📍 CNI Validity:
- England, Wales, and Northern Ireland → CNI last six months as every standard Italian Nulla Osta.
- Scotland → CNI expires after 3 months.
📍 If you live in the Isle of Man, Jersey, or Guernsey, check with your local registry office for the CNI validity period.
Before being submitted to the Italian Civil Registry, your UK Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) must first be apostilled by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) before it can be legally used in Italy.
The translation the CNI is legally valid in Italy if it is:
- certified by an Italian Consulate in the UK, where the Consulate confirms that the translation conforms to the original document (certificazione conformità di traduzione), or
- sworn before an Italian Court in Italy (asseverazione), through a formal declaration by the translator.
Both procedures are fully accepted by Italian authorities and lead to the same legal result.
2️⃣ Statutory Declaration
You also need to sign a bilingual statutory declaration in front of a UK notary public, which will also need to be legalised (apostilled) .
How to Obtain a Statutory Declaration
📍 This document provides additional legal information.
📍 Process:
- Must be signed in the UK before a solicitor or public notary.
- Already bilingual, so it does not require translation.
📍 Once you have your CNI translated and legalized with the apostille and the statutory declaration legalized with the apostille, you must submit the CNI and the Statutory declaration to the Italian Town Hall where you intend to get married in Italy.
📌Case 2: You Are a British Citizen Living in Italy or Temporarily Abroad
If you are a British citizen residing in Italy, you do not need a CNI. Instead, you must obtain a Nulla Osta under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.
✅ How to Get a Marriage Nulla Osta at the British Embassy in Rome
📍 You need to schedule an appointment at the British Embassy in Rome for you to give notice of marriage.
You will need to provide proof that you have been in Italy for at least three full days before your appointment at the Embassy.
For example, if you arrive on Monday, your appointment must be no earlier than Friday.
You will need to show the British official proof of your stay, such as a hotel booking receipt.
📍 Your partner does not need to attend unless they are also a British citizen applying for a Nulla Osta.
📍 Alternative Process (If You Cannot Visit the Embassy):
- You can complete the Nulla Osta application pack.
- Sign the affirmation and notice of marriage before an Italian notary (“autentica di firma” procedure).
- Send the signed documents and supporting documents to the British Embassy in Rome.
Fees & Payment Options
£50 to give notice
£50 for the Nulla Osta
📍 Payment options:
- By card at the British Embassy in Rome.
- In local currency (euros) if paying cash
📜 Required Documents
–Your passport
–Copy of your partner’s passport
–Completed marriage notice & affirmation/affidavit forms
–Residency certificate (if you are an Italian resident) – issued in the last 3 months.
-Proof of being in Italy for 3 full days (e.g., boarding pass or hotel receipt)
📍 If previously married:
–Divorce decree, annulment certificate, or death certificate of former spouse
-If divorced outside the UK, you must also provide proof that you or your former partner were nationals or residents of that country at the time of divorce.
What the Municipality does after receiving your documents
The Civil Status Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) will first review and validate all the documentation you provided.
If the documents are correctly issued, legalized through the apostille procedure, and translated into Italian (CNI only), this phase is usually straightforward.
The “Declaration of No Impediment” before the Civil wedding
For non-resident foreign couples, Italian law requires a final formal step before the ceremony.
You will be asked to attend the Municipality to sign a declaration called:
👉 “dichiarazione di assenza di impedimenti al matrimonio”
In practice:
- this is done 1–2 days before the wedding (sometimes the same day, depending on the Comune)
- you must be physically present
- an interpreter is required if you don’t speak Italian
During this step, you formally confirm -before the Registrar- that During this process, the couple will confirm that there are no restrictions related to kinship, affinity, adoption, or affiliation, as outlined in Article 87 (points 1, 2, and 4) of the Italian Civil Code and there are no other legal impediments as specified in Articles 85, 86, and 88 of the Civil Code.
The Civil Wedding Day
On the day of the ceremony:
- the Mayor or their delegated official conducts the legal marriage
- an interpreter is present (if required)
- two witnesses must attend
At the end of the ceremony, you are legally married under Italian law.
Important exception
If at least one of the spouses is legally resident in Italy, the marriage must go through the marriage banns (pubblicazioni di matrimonio) process, regardless of nationality.
In practice:
- the banns are published at the Comune where the spouse is resident in Italy
- the publication lasts 8 days, followed by an additional 3-day waiting period (8+3)
- once completed, the marriage can be celebrated
Once the marriage banns have been completed, the couple may decide to get married either at the same municipality where the banns took place or in any other municipality in Italy.
📌 Case 3: Civil Union in Italy
How e to celebrate a legal Civil Union in Italy as a British Citizen
If you’re a same-sex couple looking to formalize your relationship in Italy, you can do so through a civil union (unione civile), a legally recognized partnership offering many of the same rights as marriage. This article walks you through the civil union process in Italy, especially if one or both partners are foreign nationals.
📝 Step 1: Submit the Request for a Civil Union
Both parties must jointly submit an application to register a civil union at the Civil Status Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the municipality where the union will be celebrated.
At the time of submission, you’ll also schedule an appointment to sign the official declaration (verbale di costituzione dell’unione civile), confirming your intent to proceed.
📅 Step 2: Wait for the Legal Timeframe
According to most municipal procedures, the civil union can be constituted no earlier than 30 days after signing the declaration and no later than 180 days. This period allows time for document verification and legal processing.
🌍 Additional Requirements for Foreign Nationals
If one or both partners are foreign citizens, the Italian municipality will normally require the Nulla Osta, issued by the competent authority of the foreign citizen’s country of origin (Consulate).
This document confirms that the foreign citizen is legally free to enter into a civil union in Italy.
However, if the foreign citizen’s country does not recognize same-sex civil unions, same-sex marriage, or a similar legal institution, Italian law provides an alternative solution.
In this case, the Nulla Osta may be replaced by a certificate or other official document confirming the person’s single status, or by a substitute declaration under D.P.R. 28 December 2000, no. 445.
That said, not every Italian municipality applies this rule in the same way. Some town halls may still be reluctant to accept a document other than a Nulla Osta or its formal equivalent.
For this reason, it is usually advisable to choose a municipality that applies the law through a constitutionally oriented interpretation, consistent with the secular principles of the Italian legal system and with the protection of same-sex civil unions under Italian law.
👥 Who Can Register a Civil Union in Italy?
Civil unions in Italy are open to:
- Two same-sex partners
- Both over the age of 18
- the couple is not subject to restrictions related to kinship, affinity, adoption, or affiliation, as outlined in Article 87 (points 1, 2, and 4) of the Italian Civil Code, and there are no other legal impediments as specified in Articles 85, 86, and 88 of the Civil Code.
📄 What You Receive
Once the process is complete, you will receive an official report of the civil union declaration, which will serve as your legal certificate for the recognition of the union abroad.
💰 Cost of the Procedure
Registering a civil union in Italy is free of charge it is not celebrated in a venue.
🇬🇧 Recognition of the Civil marriage /Civil Union in the UK
A civil marriage or a civil union celebrated in Italy is legally recognized in the United Kingdom.
Since Brexit, the UK has returned under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, which means the standard legalization and translation procedure applies.
The procedure is as follows:
- Marriage Certificate – We request the official estratto per riassunto dell’atto di matrimonio (summary certificate) from the Comune where the wedding took place or “Estratto per riassunto dell’atto di unione civile” if the civil union was celebrated.
- First Apostille – The original Italian certificate is legalized by the Prefettura.
- Sworn Translation – A professional translator with a legal background prepares the translation from Italian to English, which is sworn (asseverazione) before the Italian Tribunal.
- Second Apostille – We submit an inquiry to the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office (Procura della Repubblica) to apply the apostille even on the sworn translation.
Once completed, the documents are valid for all legal and administrative purposes in the UK, including immigration, pensions, tax, and name change procedures.
Written by Alessandro Pirrò
Alessandro is a former legal advisor to the Italian Government and has worked with top law firms in Rome, focusing on international marriage and recognition abroad. He now supports foreign couples getting legally married in Italy, offering expert guidance on paperwork, consular requirements and legal recognition in their home country.
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