What is a Marriage Nulla Osta?

A Marriage Nulla Osta is the certificate of no impediment required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code for most foreign citizens who want to get married in Italy.

It confirms that the foreign citizen is legally free to marry under the law of their home country.

The Nulla Osta is normally issued in Italy by the consulate of the country of which the spouse is a citizen.

Countries where the Nulla Osta is issued in the country of origin instead

Some countries have a bilateral agreement with Italy allowing the Nulla Osta to be issued directly in the spouse’s country of origin:

• Norway
• Sweden
• Poland
• Finland
• Lithuania
• Mexico (Constancia de Inexistencia de Registro)
• United Kingdom (CNI plus a bilingual statutory declaration)

Countries that use an equivalent document instead of the Nulla Osta

Some countries do not issue a document formally called “Nulla Osta.” Italian authorities accept these equivalents:

• United States: Sworn Statement (dichiarazione giurata) at the U.S. Consulate, and the Atto Notorio, obtainable either at the Italian Consulate in the U.S. or before an Italian court
• Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry pursuant the Munich Convention of 5 September 1980.
  
  Countries how have adhered to this convention are Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

Belgium signed the Munich Convention but never ratified it, so it is not yet a full contracting state and may be treated differently. An inquiry to the Belgian authority is strongly recommended.

📍How to Obtain the Nulla Osta in Italy: The Standard Process

For most foreign nationals, the Nulla Osta is obtained through their Consulate or Embassy in Italy.

The general procedure works as follows: your Consulate in Italy will ask you to provide specific documents from your home country in the original language without apostille.

‼️In fact since your consulate in Italy is an authority of your home country, the documents issued in your home country should not need to be translated or legalized.

Once your Consulate has received the required documents, it will issue the Nulla Osta, which may then need to be legalized by the competent Italian Prefettura, unless the Nulla Osta is exempted from legalization or European regulation such as European Ruling 2016/1191.

Special cases

🇺🇸 United States

American citizens do not obtain a document formally called “Nulla Osta.” The procedure accepted by Italian authorities rests instead on two separate declarations, each rendered under the applicant’s own legal responsibility, confirming the absence of impediments to marriage under the law of the U.S. state where they live.

• Dichiarazione giurata (sworn statement): sworn before a U.S. Consular officer in Italy. Must be legalized at the competent Italian Prefettura once countersigned by the U.S. Consular officer.
• Atto notorio: rendered before an Italian authority, either the Italian Consulate in the United States or an Italian court. No legalization is required, as it is already issued by an Italian authority.

The distinction between the two is the authority before which the applicant swears: American for the dichiarazione giurata, Italian for the atto notorio.

Because both declarations are made under personal legal responsibility, no supporting documents from the U.S. are generally needed (birth certificates, divorce decrees, or similar civil status records) neither to be translated or legalized.

Once the dichiarazione giurata has been legalized and the atto notorio obtained, both documents are presented to the Italian Town Hall to initiate the civil marriage procedure, or to the Italian Consulate in the U.S. where the other partner is an Italian citizen residing in the U.S.

No translation is required: both documents are issued directly in Italian.

This procedure is grounded in Law no. 1195 of 13 October 1965.

🇦🇺 Australia

Australian citizens require two documents to marry in Italy: the Nulla Osta and the Atto Notorio. Australian government representatives cannot perform marriage ceremonies, so both documents must be obtained separately before the civil ceremony.

• Nulla Osta: a sworn declaration signed before an Australian Consular officer, at the Australian Embassy in Rome or the Australian Consulate-General in Milan, confirming no impediment to marriage. It must be legalized at the competent Italian Prefettura. Nulla Ostas sworn outside Italy, and Certificates of No Impediment, are not valid for this purpose.
• Atto Notorio (“atto di notorietà per uso matrimonio”): normally obtained from the Italian Embassy or nearest Italian Consulate in Australia before departure. If unavailable there, it can instead be obtained from a Tribunale Civile in Italy. It requires the applicant’s presence together with two adult witnesses (neither spouse may act as witness or interpreter).

The Nulla Osta is valid for 180 days from the date of issue.

If the applicant has been previously married, the original divorce certificate or the late spouse’s death certificate must be presented; photocopies are not accepted. A divorced woman intending to remarry within 300 days of her divorce must obtain special permission from an Italian magistrate, unless the 300-day period has already elapsed.

Once legalized, the Nulla Osta and the Atto Notorio are presented together to the Ufficio Matrimoni of the city where the marriage will take place.

This procedure is grounded in Law no. 233 of 27 February 2002.

🇭🇺 Hungary

Hungarian citizens must obtain the certification for the purposes of marriage in Italy issued by the Embassy of Hungary in Rome or by the Consulate General in Milan. This document replaces the Nulla Osta required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.

The current model has been in use since 9 April 2013 and was accepted by the Italian Ministry of the Interior with Circular no. 11 of 15 May 2013.

No legalisation of the consular signature is required. The exemption rests on two independent grounds: the Italian-Hungarian Convention of 26 May 1977, whose scope is broader than that of the EU rules and which Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 expressly leaves unaffected, and Article 3(1)(e) of that same Regulation, which classifies documents drawn up by consular agents of a Member State as public documents falling within its scope.

The certificate is issued in Italian, so no translation is required.

🇧🇷 Brazil

Brazilian citizens must obtain the Declaração para fins de matrimônio (“Nulla Osta”), issued by the Brazilian consular authorities in Italy. The document is drawn up in Italian under the heading Dichiarazione ai fini del matrimonio in Italia, and it replaces the Nulla Osta required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.

The current model was agreed between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Brazil, following guidance from the Central Directorate for Demographic Services, and was circulated to Italian municipalities by the Ministry of the Interior with Circular no. 1 of 8 January 2009. The Ministry stated that the wording substantially satisfies the requirements of Article 116 as to the absence of impediments to marriage under Brazilian law, and invited mayors to accept declarations conforming to the attached model.

The declaration records the applicant’s civil status on the basis of the documentation filed with the consulate, confirms that the Brazilian birth certificate carries no annotation of marriage or change of civil status, and refers to a statement made before the consulate by two adults attesting that no impediment exists.

Brazil is not an EU Member State, so Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 does not apply and the exemption available to EU citizens is not available here. As the document is issued in Italy by a foreign consular authority, the consul’s signature must be legalised by the competent Prefecture.

The declaration is issued in Italian, so no translation is required.

🇸🇰Slovakia

Slovak citizens must obtain the Certificazione ai fini del matrimonio in Italia, issued by the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Rome. This document replaces the Nulla Osta required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.
Following a reform of Slovak civil status legislation, Slovak consular representations became competent to issue this certification. The Italian Ministry of the Interior confirmed with Circular no. 29 of 28 November 2011 that the attached model satisfies in substance the requirements of Article 116 as to the absence of impediments to marriage under Slovak law, and invited mayors to accept certificates conforming to that model.
The Embassy issues the certificate on the basis of a self-declaration and of the supporting documentation filed by the applicant. It records name, date and place of birth, parents’ names, residence and civil status.
No legalisation of the consular signature is required. Slovakia is an EU Member State, and Article 3(1)(e) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 brings documents drawn up by consular agents of a Member State within the scope of the exemption from legalisation and apostille.
The certificate is issued in Italian, so no translation is required.

🏠The Nulla Osta issued in the Home Country

The procedure for obtaining the Nulla Osta is not the same for every nationality.

For certain countries, bilateral agreements with Italy the Nulla Osta is issued in the home country rather than through the Consulate in Italy, sometimes under a different name entirely.
Let’a see these exceptions

📍Munich Convention Countries

If you are a citizen of Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Moldova and Greece, the process is significantly simplified under the Munich Convention of 5 September 1980.

Instead of a Nulla Osta, you will need a certificate of legal capacity to marry, issued by your country’s civil status office.

This certificate is accepted by Italian civil registrars without further legalization and translation.

the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry is issued by the following countries: 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇩🇪 Germany,🇱🇺Luxembourg, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇪🇸 Spain,🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇲🇩 Moldova.

🇬🇧United Kingdom

British citizens who wish to legally marry in Italy must obtain a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) from their local Register Office in the United Kingdom and a bilingual Statutory Declaration before a solicitor or notary public.

The CNI replaces the Nulla Osta and must be legalized with an Apostille issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

The CNI can must be translated and follow the procedure of the “sworn translation” (asseverazione) before an Italian Court.

🇫🇮 Finland

Finnish citizens must obtain the certificate of capacity to contract marriage before a foreign authority (Todistus Suomen lain mukaisesta oikeudesta mennä avioliittoon ulkomaan viranomaisen edessä). This document replaces the Nulla Osta required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.

It is issued by the local register authority in Finland. The Italian Ministry of the Interior expressly accepted this substitute certification with Circular no. 1 of 17 January 2014, which attaches the approved model (form VRK 046.1(B)). The certificate is valid for four months from the date of issue.

No apostille and no legalisation are required. Finland is an EU Member State, and Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 exempts public documents concerning capacity to marry from these formalities when presented to the authorities of another Member State.

If the certificate is accompanied by the multilingual standard form introduced by the same Regulation, the Italian civil registrar is not entitled to require a translation. Otherwise, a certified translation made in Finland by a translator qualified under Finnish law must be accepted in Italy.

🇱🇹 Lithuania

Lithuanian citizens must obtain the Pažyma apie šeiminę padėtį, the civil status certificate confirming the absence of impediments to marriage. This document replaces the Nulla Osta required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.

The competent authority is the civil registry office (civilinės metrikacijos įstaiga) in Lithuania. This was confirmed by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, Circular no. 2 of 17 January 2014, which also approved the certificate model adopted by the Lithuanian Minister of Justice with decree no. 1R-293 of 22 July 2008, as amended by decree no. 1R-221 of 16 September 2011.

No apostille and no legalisation are required. Lithuania is an EU Member State, and Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 exempts public documents concerning capacity to marry from these formalities when presented to the authorities of another Member State.

If the certificate is accompanied by the multilingual standard form introduced by the same Regulation, the Italian civil registrar is not entitled to require a translation. Otherwise, a certified translation made in Lithuania by a translator qualified under Lithuanian law must be accepted in Italy.

🇳🇴 Norway

Norwegian citizens must obtain the Nulla Osta (Attest til bruk for ekteskapsinngåelse etter utenlandsk rett) issued by the Norwegian authority in their place of residence in Norway. Since 1 October 2004, this document is no longer issued by Norwegian consulates or by the Norwegian Embassy in Italy.

The change was communicated by the Royal Norwegian Embassy with note verbale no. 73/04 of 25 October 2004 and transmitted to Italian municipalities by the Ministry of the Interior with Circular no. 65 of 23 December 2004. The certificate is valid for four months.

An apostille under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 is required. Norway is not an EU Member State, so Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 does not apply and the exemption available to EU citizens is not available here.

The document may be issued directly in Italian or in Norwegian with a sworn translation made in Norway.

🇸🇪 Sweden

Swedish citizens resident in Sweden must obtain the Nulla Osta issued directly by the population registration office of their Swedish municipality of residence. This procedure replaced the certificate previously issued by the Swedish diplomatic authority in Italy, which remains competent only for Swedish citizens resident in Italy.

The procedure was introduced on 1 January 2010 and communicated by the Italian Ministry of the Interior with Circular no. 2 of 28 January 2010.

That circular required the document to bear an apostille under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. This requirement no longer applies. Since 16 February 2019, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 exempts public documents concerning capacity to marry issued by an EU Member State from legalisation and apostille.

The circular also required a translation into Italian by a sworn translator. Under Article 6(2) of the Regulation, a certified translation made in Sweden by a translator qualified under Swedish law must be accepted in Italy. Where the multilingual standard form is attached, no translation may be required at all.

🇵🇱 Poland

Polish citizens must obtain the certificate confirming that under Polish law there is no impediment to marriage. This document replaces the Nulla Osta required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.

The competent authority is the Head of the Civil Status Office (Kierownik Urzędu Stanu Cywilnego) of the applicant’s place of residence in Poland. This was clarified by the Italian Ministry of the Interior in its circular of 11 July 2005, transmitted by the Prefecture of Florence with note no. 201/2005 of 5 August 2005, which reproduced the text of the relevant Polish provision. The Polish consul is competent only where the citizen has never held residence in Poland, cannot establish their last place of residence there, or left Poland before the age of sixteen and permanently resides abroad.

No apostille and no legalisation are required. Poland is an EU Member State, and Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 exempts public documents concerning capacity to marry from these formalities.

A certified translation made in Poland by a translator qualified under Polish law must be accepted in Italy, and no translation may be required where the multilingual standard form is attached.

🇲🇽 Mexico

Mexican citizens must obtain a civil status certificate issued by the Civil Registry of a Mexican State. Where no marriage is recorded, the relevant document is the Constancia de Inexistencia de Registro, certifying that no registration exists in the applicant’s name. This document replaces the Nulla Osta required under Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code.

The Italian Ministry of the Interior, with Circular no. 11 of 22 September 2015, stated that Italian civil registrars may accept these certificates for the marriage of Mexican citizens in Italy. That circular followed Note Verbale no. ITA01138 of the Mexican Embassy, which reported that, since 14 May 2015, certificates issued by the Civil Registries of the Mexican States are the only documents attesting to a person’s civil status under Mexican law. The circular also refers back to Circular no. 24 of 4 December 2013, on the Council of State’s opinion concerning the interpretation of Article 116.

The Mexican consulate in Italy cannot issue this document. Competence rests exclusively with the Civil Registry of the Mexican State of birth or of last residence, and the name of the certificate varies from State to State.

An apostille under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 is required. Mexico is not an EU Member State, so Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 does not apply and the exemption available to EU citizens is not available here. The apostille must be affixed by the competent authority in Mexico.

The certificate must be translated into Italian. A sworn translation carried out in Italy avoids questions over the validity of a translation produced abroad.

🇸🇲 San Marino

Citizens of San Marino obtain a Nulla Osta from the Civil Status Office of the Republic of San Marino. This document is exempt from legalization and requires a full birth certificate or birth certificate with annotations.

🇸🇾 Syria

Syrian citizens must obtain a Nulla Osta from the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Vienna, legalized by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then again by the Italian diplomatic-consular office in Vienna. The Italian translation must also be legalized by the Italian Consulate in Vienna.

What If I Cannot Obtain a Nulla Osta?

There are situations where a foreign national is legally unable to obtain a Nulla Osta (India) because of political or religious impediments.

In these cases, Italian law provides a specific legal remedy: a court-based authorization procedure.

This is not a workaround. It is a recognized legal pathway established under Italian civil procedure law. Here is how it works.

📍Step 1: The Municipality Must Formally Refuse

You cannot go directly to court.
You must first apply to the Municipality where you intend to marry.

If you do not have the Nulla Osta, the Civil Registrar will stop the process and issue a formal written refusal.

This document is legally essential: it is the instrument that gives you standing to petition the court.

📍Step 2: Petition the Italian Court

With the formal refusal in hand, you or your legal representative files a petition before the competent Tribunale italiano (Italian Courthouse). This is not adversarial litigation.

It is a civil petition in which a judge reviews your situation and determines one thing: whether you are legally free to marry under the laws applicable to your case.

📍Step 3: Evidence Required

The court may require evidence including your passport or identity document, proof of civil status (single, divorced, or widowed), any available documents from your home country.
The objective is to establish the absence of legal impediments to the marriage, this time, according to the Italian law and constitutional principles.

📍Step 4: The Court Issues Authorization

If the Judge and the Public Prosecutor are satisfied that there are no legal impediments to your marriage (according to Italian Constitutional rules), they court authorizes the marriage even without the Nulla Osta.

In practice, when the applicant’s situation is clear and documented, Italian courts very frequently approve these petitions.

📍Step 5: The Municipality Must Proceed

Once the court order has been issued, the Civil Registrar is legally required to proceed with the marriage.

The prior refusal is overridden, hence the ceremony can then be scheduled normally.

‼️Important: This procedure is a very good chance to have your civil marriage celebrated but it may be not that fast.

Depending on the Court’s schedule the trial may not be fast.

This route, it is not suitable for couples with tight timelines or last-minute weddings.

If your situation requires this route, begin the process as early as possible.

How to Make Your Italian Marriage Valid Abroad

Once the civil wedding is celebrated in Italy, the marriage certificate must often be recognized in the spouse’s country of origin. The procedure depends on which international convention that country has signed.

Vienna Convention countries: no legalization, no translation

Countries that signed the Vienna Convention of 8 September 1976 can request the multilingual extract of the marriage certificate directly from the Italian City Hall. This standardized form is already drafted in French, German, English, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, and Serbo-Croatian, and Article 8(2) of the Convention exempts it from legalization entirely. No translation is needed either, since the form is already multilingual.

Countries party to the Vienna Convention: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

Hague Convention countries (not party to Vienna): Apostille required

For countries that are not party to the Vienna Convention but have signed the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, the marriage certificate must be authenticated with an Apostille issued by the competent Prefettura. The certificate must then be translated, either by the country’s consulate in Italy, if the consulate offers this service, or through a sworn translation (asseverazione) before an Italian Court.

If the translation is sworn in Court, a second Apostille must be obtained on the translation itself from the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office, since the sworn translation is a Court act. This is the same double-Apostille procedure used by U.S. citizens, and it applies to any Hague Convention country outside the Vienna Convention.

All other countries: consular legalization

For countries that are party to neither convention, the marriage certificate must be legalized by the country’s consulate in Italy instead of receiving an Apostille. The translation follows the same two options described above: through the consulate, or through a sworn translation before an Italian Court.

About the Author
Alessandro Pirrò is a former Italian lawyer and consular affairs specialist.
He assists foreign couples with the legal requirements for getting married in Italy, including Nulla Osta, Atto Notorio, marriage banns, Italian municipalities, courts, Prefettura, and the international recognition of Italian marriage abroad.