In short: yes, foreigners can marry legally in Italy, and two foreigners can marry each other there. The official pages we read set no residency requirement, and Canada’s page says the banns (the public notice of a marriage) are waived when neither of you is Italian or lives in Italy. You prove you are free to marry with a document from your own country (called a nulla osta, a statement that nothing stops you marrying), then the town hall (comune) takes your declaration a few days before a civil ceremony with two witnesses. The document, fee and timing depend on your passport, so check the table below and confirm with your embassy and the comune.
As of November 2026, this guide uses the official pages of the Canadian, Irish, Australian and UK governments, two Italian consulates in the United States, Italy’s Ministry of Justice and the text of Italy’s civil union law. We could not open the U.S. Embassy’s own marriage page, so for U.S. citizens we rely on the Italian consulates and tell you to confirm. Fees and forms change, and every comune adds its own rules, so the embassy and the comune have the final word.
Can foreigners get married in Italy
Yes. The Government of Canada’s page for Canadians in Italy says banns are waived if neither of you is an Italian citizen or lives in Italy, and that the comune declaration for foreigners is meant for people who do not live in Italy. The page also says a Canadian who is also an Italian citizen must marry as an Italian. Italy’s Ministry of Justice sets the general rule: a foreigner gives the registrar a declaration from their own country’s authority that nothing prevents the marriage. Two foreigners of different nationalities each use their own country’s process. For visas, we do not advise: ask the Italian consulate in your country what applies to your passport.
the documents expire (90 days for the U.S. atto notorio, six months for Canada’s nulla osta), so do not order them too early, and do not leave them until the last month.
Corey & Niky · Sorrento · see the full wedding →What documents do I need to get married in Italy, by nationality
| Passport | Document and where from | What we confirmed, and whom to ask |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Sworn statement (dichiarazione giurata) before a U.S. consular officer in Italy, plus an atto notorio sworn with witnesses, per the Italian consulates in San Francisco and Chicago | Confirmed: the atto notorio is valid for 90 days. Witness rules differ by consulate. Fees: ask the Italian consulate for your state and the U.S. Embassy |
| United Kingdom | Certificate of no impediment (the nulla osta) from the British Embassy Rome, applied for by post with a notice signed before a notary, per the gov.uk application pack | Confirmed: the consular fees list sets £50 for a notice of marriage and £50 for the certificate. Timing and legalisation: ask through the gov.uk service |
| Canada | Marriage nulla osta from the Embassy of Canada in Rome, then legalised at the Prefettura, per the Government of Canada | Confirmed: CAD 50 per nulla osta, CAD 50 per affidavit sworn at the embassy; normally 5 business days; valid 6 months |
| Australia | Certificate of no impediment from the Australian Embassy in Rome, per its fee schedule | Confirmed: AUD 177 for the certificate, AUD 88 to witness a signature, by appointment in Rome or Milan. Steps and legalisation: ask the embassy and the comune |
| Ireland | Certificate of freedom to marry, posted to the Embassy of Ireland in Rome, per ireland.ie | Confirmed: €60 per applicant (another €60 within 28 days of the wedding); apply at least 4 months before; declarations dated no more than 6 months before |
Everyone also brings a valid passport, and anyone who has been married before needs proof it ended. The Italian consulate in San Francisco lists a divorce decree, annulment or death certificate with an apostille (an international stamp that authenticates a document) and a certified Italian translation, and a birth certificate if the comune asks for one. The Irish embassy asks for an original long-form birth certificate, a divorce decree if divorced, and certified translations of any document not in English or Irish.
How to get married in Italy as a foreigner, step by step for your passport
How to get married in Italy as a US citizen
The Italian Consulate in San Francisco lists these steps for U.S. citizens in its area: ask the comune what it requires, book an atto notorio appointment where you declare before the Italian consul with two witnesses per spouse (friends or cousins are fine, close family is not), get the dichiarazione giurata from a U.S. Embassy or consulate in Italy, then attend the comune’s marriage office, which gives you an appointment two or three days later. It says to contact it no earlier than 90 days before the wedding. The Italian Consulate in Chicago describes the same two documents but asks for four witnesses who are over 18 and unrelated to either of you, and says the atto notorio can also be sworn before an authorised office in Italy. It also says to book the U.S. consular appointment in Italy before you leave home. Each consulate serves its own states, so follow the one for your place of residence.
How to get married in Italy as a UK citizen
UK nationals apply for the certificate of no impediment, which Italy calls the nulla osta, by post to the British Embassy in Rome. The gov.uk pack gives a notice and an affirmation, and you take the notice to a notary so they can witness your signature. There is an opposite-sex and a same-sex version. The gov.uk consular fees list (last updated April 2025) sets £50 for receiving a notice of marriage and £50 for issuing a certificate of no impediment or its local equivalent. We found no processing time. The gov.uk guide to proving you are free to marry abroad links to the online service where you apply and pay, so start there and ask the embassy about timing.
How to get married in Italy as a Canadian
The Canadian route is the best documented. Per the Government of Canada:
- Swear a marriage affidavit before a notary in Canada, or at the embassy in Rome by appointment.
- Send the affidavit, supporting documents and fees to the embassy. It normally issues the nulla osta in 5 business days from a complete application.
- Have the nulla osta legalised at the Prefettura (the local state office) so it is valid in Italy.
- Take it to the comune where you will marry and sign a declaration a few days later.
- Marry with two witnesses and, if needed, an interpreter.
How to get married in Italy as an Australian or an Irish citizen
Australians use the notarial services of the embassy in Rome or the consulate-general in Milan, in person and by appointment only, according to the embassy’s page. That page lists the certificate of no impediment fee but does not describe the steps or use the word nulla osta, and the embassy’s marriage page did not load for us, so ask the embassy how to apply and ask your comune which document it accepts. Irish citizens complete an online questionnaire on the embassy marriage portal, have the declarations witnessed, and post everything in; originals come back after inspection.
How to get married in Italy as a Filipino, or on another passport
We could not confirm the process for other nationalities. The Italian consulate in San Francisco tells non-U.S. non-EU citizens to email the consulate for guidance. Ask your own embassy in Rome what it issues, and ask the comune what it will accept.
Steps in order, and when to do each
| When | Step | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9 to 12 months before | Choose the comune and ask about rooms, dates, fees and waiting times | Our suggestion; comune waiting times vary by season, says Canada |
| At least 4 months before (Ireland) | Start the embassy application | ireland.ie |
| Within 6 months before | Sworn declarations or nulla osta must still be valid | Ireland (6 months), Canada (6 months) |
| Within 90 days before (US) | Atto notorio appointment | Italian consulate |
| 2 to 3 days before | Declaration at the comune, with two witnesses and an interpreter if needed | Same consulate page |
| Wedding day | Civil ceremony with two witnesses | Canada page |
One wedding site, BeachBride, quoting another blog, says the nulla osta process takes 4 to 8 weeks when all goes well. That is not an official figure, but it is a reason to start early. We suggest arriving in Italy at least three working days before the wedding so the comune appointment does not squeeze the schedule.
Kevin & Sara · Lake Como · see the full wedding →Can you get married in Venice, Sicily or Sardinia
Yes. Venice, Sicily and Sardinia follow the same national steps as the rest of Italy: the document for your passport, then the declaration at the comune. What differs is the comune’s own rooms, days and fees. If you are British and marrying in Venice, you use the UK route above and book with the Comune di Venezia. Ask the comune’s civil registry (Stato Civile) for its foreign-couples information. We found no town-specific legal requirements beyond the national ones.
Civil, religious and symbolic routes
A civil ceremony at the comune is the simplest legal route. The Government of Canada says for a Catholic ceremony the comune issues a power of attorney to the parish priest, who handles the civil registration, and that weddings in non-Catholic houses of worship need a civil ceremony as well. Our guide to church versus civil ceremonies in Italy covers timing and light.
Symbolic wedding in Italy
A symbolic ceremony has no legal effect, so it needs no embassy documents and can take place anywhere the owner of the place allows it. Many couples marry legally at home and hold the symbolic ceremony in Italy. Read our guide to symbolic versus legal weddings and our guide to eloping in Italy.
Where the ceremony can take place
A legal civil ceremony takes place at the comune’s marriage office or in a room or venue the comune offers. Wezoree’s Florence guide lists civil hall fees in Florence from about $670 for a simple hall to about $5,400 for the most famous hall, covering the room and the officiant only. Ask the comune whether your villa or terrace can host a legal ceremony before you book it.
Same-sex couples
Italy’s route for two people of the same sex is a civil union (unione civile), not a marriage. Law 76 of 2016 created it: two adults of the same sex form a civil union by a declaration before the civil registrar in the presence of two witnesses. Foreign partners can form one: the civil registry of the Comune di Perugia states that a foreign citizen presents a declaration from their own country’s authority that nothing prevents the union, and the Ministry of Justice says impediments based on the partners’ sex do not count for that declaration. Canada issues a civil-union nulla osta for each Canadian partner, legalised at the Prefettura in the same way, and the gov.uk pack has a same-sex version. For other passports, ask your embassy which document it issues for a civil union, and ask the comune’s civil union office for its steps.
Is the marriage recognised at home
For Canadians, the government says foreign marriages legally performed are usually valid in Canada and do not need registering there, though some provinces do register them, so ask your province’s vital statistics office. For a civil union, Canada’s page says to ask the same office. For other passports we did not confirm a recognition rule, so ask your own government before you rely on one.
What it costs
The official fees we confirmed are small: CAD 50 plus CAD 50 for Canadians, £50 plus £50 for UK citizens, AUD 177 plus AUD 88 per witnessed signature for Australians, and €60 per Irish applicant. Add translations, apostilles and the comune’s room fee. For the rest of the budget see our wedding in Italy cost guide.
Pete & Riley · Positano · see the full wedding →FAQ: getting married in Italy as a foreigner
Can foreigners get legally married in Italy without a visa?
Visa rules depend on your passport and are outside what we can advise. Ask the Italian consulate in your country.
Can two foreigners get married in Italy?
Yes. Each partner brings the document of their own country, and banns are waived if neither is an Italian citizen or resident. Two foreigners of the same sex can form a civil union.
What are the legal requirements for guests?
Guests need no legal documents. You need two witnesses at the ceremony. U.S. citizens also need witnesses for the atto notorio (two per spouse in San Francisco, four in Chicago), and the San Francisco consulate asks for scans of their passports.
How can I marry in Italy on a budget?
Marry civilly in a plain comune room, invite only the two witnesses, and hold a symbolic celebration. The official fees are small.
Are there different rules in Sicily or Sardinia?
The national steps are the same. The comune sets rooms and fees, so ask the one where you marry.
How many months ahead should I start?
Ireland asks for four months. We would start six months ahead, and see our planning timeline. Our overview of where foreigners can marry in Europe compares countries.
Planning yours?
We are a team of six photographers and filmmakers with one documentary style. Photography and film packages from €1,390, with no extra travel fees, and you can book any package and change it later. See our Italy wedding photographer page, prices, or check your date (we reply within 24 hours).