How to Get Married in Italy as a Norwegian Citizen: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re a Norwegian citizen planning to marry in Italy, recent changes to the procedures have simplified the process.
Here’s everything you need to know to navigate the legal steps and ensure your marriage is recognized in both Italy and Norway.
1. The Nulla Osta Issuance for Norwegian Citizens
Under the updated agreements between Norway and Italy, Norwegian consulates and diplomatic missions in Italy no longer issue the nulla osta (certificate of no impediment).
Instead, the nulla osta is issued by the Norwegian municipality where the Norwegian citizen resides.
The nulla osta will be provided directly in Italian, ensuring compliance with Italian legal requirements.
Additionally, as per the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, the Apostille must be affixed to the nulla osta by the competent Norwegian authority — namely the County Governors (Statsforvalteren / Fylkesmannen) in Norway, or alternatively by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. Sending the Nulla Osta to your Counselors in Italy
Once you have obtained the nulla osta with the Apostille, you can send it to us.
We will liaise with the Italian town hall where you plan to marry and take care of the necessary steps:
- Submitting the nulla osta.
- Booking two appointments: one for the declaration of no impediments provided by Article 109 of the Italian Civil Code and to Articles 10–12 of D.P.R. 3 November 2000, n. 396 (Regulations on Civil Status) and the second for the civil wedding ceremony.
3. Declaration of No Impediments
The first appointment involves a declaration of no impediments (dichiarazione di assenza di impedimenti), which is required for non-resident foreign citizens.
During this step, the couple will declare:
- There are no impediments related to kinship, affinity, adoption, or affiliation as per Article 87 (numbers 1, 2, and 4) of the Italian Civil Code.
- There are no other impediments as per Articles 85, 86, and 88 of the same code.
Key points about this appointment:
- Witnesses are not required.
- An interpreter must attend if one or both spouses do not have sufficient understanding of Italian.
4. Civil Wedding Ceremony
The civil wedding ceremony can typically be held one or two days after the declaration of no impediments. During the ceremony:
- Two witnesses must be present.
- An interpreter is required if needed.
5. Special Cases: Marriage Banns for Residents in Italy
If one or both spouses are formally residents in Italy, an additional step—marriage banns (pubblicazioni di matrimonio)—is required.
- The couple must appear at the town hall to submit the nulla osta and any additional documents.
- A waiting period of 11 days is required to allow for any opposition to the marriage. If no opposition is made, the wedding can proceed.
6. Recognition of the Marriage in NorwayAfter the wedding is celebrated in Italy, additional steps are required to ensure the marriage is recognized in Norway:
The Italian marriage certificate will be translated into Norwegian by a professional translator appointed by our team and sworn before an Italian court.
Both the original marriage certificate and its translation will then receive an Apostille: the certificate will be apostilled by us at the competent Prefettura, and the sworn translation will be apostilled by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Once completed, the documents will be couriered to you for submission to the relevant Norwegian authorities to officially register your marriage.
7. How We Assist You
Our team handles all legal and bureaucratic requirements, including:
- Communicating with the town hall.
- Booking appointments.
- Assisting with translations and obtaining Apostille.
- Ensuring compliance with Italian and Norwegian laws.
- Ensure the recognition of your marriage in Norway
Final Thoughts
The process for Norwegian citizens marrying in Italy has been streamlined to ensure ease and compliance with both Italian and Norwegian regulations.
With our guidance, your dream wedding in Italy can be legally recognized in your home country.
For further assistance or to start your legal arrangements, contact us today!
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.
Who will be your Legal Counselors for your Civil Wedding in Italy?
Due to our experience in law firms and the foreign offices of the Italian public administration, we gained significant expertise in Consular affairs, and we are trained to solve the most complicated procedures such as:
- Marriage Nulla osta process, legalization procedure, Court hearings for the refusal of the town hall when documents are missing, legal translation, apostille procedure, emergency procedure for legalization.
- Immigration law services and consular support for non-EU citizens applying for a Schengen visa.
- Family reunification and family cohesion.
- Same-sex couples that want to celebrate a civil union in Italy when in their country the union is forbidden.
- Couples from countries where divorce is not allowed.
- Italians living abroad registered at A.I.R.E. who need to recover their documents to start the marriage banns in the Italian Consulate.
- Assistance for people from countries that do not issue a nulla osta.
- American and Australian couples who need assistance with the “atto notorio” in an Italian Court or the Italian Consulate in the USA or Australia.
- People with refugee status who have requested asylum in Italy.
- International divorce cases, including recognition and enforcement of foreign divorce decrees in Italy, legal support for binational couples facing jurisdictional challenges, and assistance in cases involving different legal systems.
For all other matters, please visit our FAQ section.
