Citizens of the United States wishing to be married in Italy must appear before the Civil Registrar of the City Hall (“Comune”) where the marriage is to take place, bring two witnesses, and make a declaration of their intention to marry. Please, contact as soon as possible the chosen City Hall office for more detailed information and arrangements.
For religious weddings, please contact directly the marriage officiant in order to obtain specific information on the procedure.
The couple must also present the following documents:
- A valid U.S. passport;
- A certified copy of the birth certificate in “long form”, which includes the names of both parents, legalized with an Apostille from the Secretary of State of the State where the birth took place. The birth certificate must have an Italian translation that is certified by the competent Italian diplomatic or consular authorities;
- An affidavit (“Atto Notorio”), sworn to by four witnesses, before the competent Italian diplomatic or consular authorities. Such affidavit will state that the applicant is free to marry in accordance with the local laws and that there are no objections for the applicant to be married in Italy;
- A Declaration, sworn to by the U.S. citizens who intend to marry in Italy before an American Consular officer in Italy.
In case of previous marriages:
A final decree of divorce, legalized with an Apostille from the Secretary of State of the State where the divorce took place, and an Italian translation that is certified by the competent Italian diplomatic or consular authorities;
- A death certificate of the previous spouse, legalized with the Apostille issued by the Secretary of State of the State where the event took place, and an Italian translation that is certified by the competent Italian diplomatic or consular authorities.
For details about the Declaration sworn before the American Consular officer in Italy, please consult this web page of the United States Embassy in Rome.
Requesting an “Atto Notorio” for a marriage in Italy
For a marriage in Italy, applicants will need to come to the Consulate, with four witnesses (in total, NOT for each applicant), for the “Atto Notorio”. Both applicants need to prepare and send scanned copies of the following documents before scheduling an appointment:
1. Birth certificates in “long form”, with the name of the parents, legalized with the Apostille issued by the Secretary of State, with separate translation in Italian;
2. If previously married, the divorce certificate + certificate of “No Appeal” issued by the County Clerk where the divorce was registered. Both must be legalized with the Apostille and completed by a translation in Italian;
3. Signed Statements from the County Clerk – Vital Records Division indicating that there is no record of a current marriage for each applicant. These documents must each bear an Apostille stamp from the Secretary of State. These documents, however, will not need to be translated;
4. Copies of your United States passports and driver’s licenses.
Applicants who are members of the U.S. Armed Forces must also acquire a consent to the marriage from the Commanding office.
Applicants will need to provide information about four, non-family related, witnesses: names, places and dates of birth, addresses. The applicants (or the witnesses) should also provide scanned copies of their driver’s licenses.
Please, note that the “Atto Notorio” is only valid for 90 days.
Once all the documents are ready and complete with their translation and apostille, applicants should send scanned copies to legale.detroit@esteri.it. At that point, applicants can schedule an appointment for the reading and signing of the “Atto Notorio”.