When at least one of the future spouses is an Italian national residing in this Consular jurisdiction and registered with AIRE, and is planning to get married in Italy, marriage banns, to be requested at this Consulate, are compulsory, be they civil or religious occasions.
Those who intend to enter into a civil partnership between persons of the same gender (Legge 20/05/2016 n.76)in Italy do not need to request the bans from this Consulate.
PLEASE NOTE: Opposite-sex couples who have already entered into a civil partnership in the United Kingdom cannot apply for marriage bans to get married in Italy.
To carry out the marriage banns it is NECESSARY to book an appointment at this Consulate – Registry Office via the portal Prenot@mi (Individual booking). A copy of the required documentation must be sentat least two weeks before the appointment (see below under “Procedure”).
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In the event of difficulties of a purely technical nature in using the site, please write exclusively to londra.informatica@esteri.it, providing the email address with which you registered and a brief description of the problem (if possible also attaching screenshots).
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As the banns are valid for 180 days, the appointment should be arranged between 180 days and 30 days before the wedding date. For this reason, it is advisable to register with the portal Prenot@mi well in advance, bearing in mind that appointments are released each day for the following three months. Please book one appointment per couple.
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(DUAL MARRIAGE BANNS: In the case of two Italian citizens, one residing within the jurisdiction of this Consulate General and one residing in Italy or in another Italian diplomatic/consular jurisdiction, it will be possible to carry out the banns either at this Consulate General or at the Italian Town Hall/other Consulate of residence. The Consulate will request the Italian Town Hall/Consulate to carry out a dual publication or vice versa.
If the marriage banns are requested at this Consulate, the spouse residing in Italy must submit a “Certificato di stato civile” issued by the “Comune” of residence, along with the other required documentation for a marriage between two Italian citizens (see below NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION).
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REQUIREMENTS
Italian citizenship and AIRE registration of at least one of the future spouses.
Submission of the Nulla Osta by the foreign citizen (Important: the Affidavit does not correspond to a Nulla Osta. Please refer to the specific documentation requirements in the relevant typical cases. In case of doubts, contact the diplomatic Embassy/Consulate in Italy of the foreign citizen’s country of birth).
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NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION (see also the “PROCEDURE” section below)
(IMPORTANT: Please ensure that your address is updated in our systems. You can use the Fast It portal. If the address is not updated, we will not be able to proceed).
application for marriage banns (click here – Mod. N.18) to be fully completed by both the spouses – ONE for each couple;
valid photocopy of passport or ID Card of both spouses;
payment by Postal Order (obtainable at UK Post Offices and made out to the “Italian Consulate General – London”) of various consular tariffs (for the costs look under “TYPICAL CASES”). any further specific documentation, in the case of a marriage between an Italian citizen and a foreign partner (see below “TYPICAL CASES”);
In the case of a religious wedding:
1) pre-stamped Special Delivery envelope, purchased at Post Offices, complete with your address in the UK where the Consulate can forward the certificate of “completed marriage banns”;
2) letter on headed paper of the Church in Italy where the marriage will be celebrated, stamped and signed by the Parish Priest in Italy or by the Priest conducting the ceremony. The letter needs to specify the full details of the spouses, including the Church and date of the wedding. An illustrative example of a letter is available here.
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TYPICAL CASES
MARRIAGE BETWEEN TWO ITALIAN CITIZENS
Present only the documentation indicated under “Necessary documentation” (as shown above) Costs: Amount including Art. 3 and Art. 2c in Tariffa Consolare.
MARRIAGE BETWEEN ITALIAN CITIZEN AND BRITISH PARTNER
In addition to the documentation indicated under “Necessary documentation” (as shown above), also required (only for the British partner):
Certificate of no impediment – CNI, issued by the local British Registry Office, legalised with a paper apostille issued by the Legalisation Office. The Certificate of no impediment – CNI does not require a translation.
Statutory declaration drafted out by the British spouse at a British solicitor or notary (click here – Mod. n. 19), legalised with a paper apostille issued by the Legalisation Office. The Statutory declaration does not require a translation.
Such documents must have been issued no more than six months prior to the date of the appointment.
Costs: Amount including Art. 3,Art. 2c and Art.24 in Tariffa Consolare.
MARRIAGE BETWEEN ITALIAN CITIZEN AND EUROPEAN PARTNER (not British citizen)
In addition to the documentation indicated under “Necessary documentation” (as shown above), according to the nationality of the foreign spouse, also required:
Multilingual Certificate of matrimonial capacity which is exempt from legalisation and translation, issued by the authority of the Countries who are signatories of the Convention of Monaco of 1980 (Austria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey)
alternatively,
Certificate of no Impediment, issued by the competent authority of the foreign citizen’s country of birth, no earlier than 6 months prior to the appointment.
Said certificate should:
indicate surname, name, date and place of birth, citizenship, residence, marital status, name and surname of parents, personal details of the Italian citizen with whom the marriage is to take place;
indicate the declaration that there is no impediment to the marriage according to the laws of the country of said person;
(for the divorced woman, indicate the date of divorce);
(for the widow, indicate date of becoming a widow);
be issued in Italian or English. If issued in another language, a translation will be required in Italian or English, which needs to be legalised with Apostille (for countries signatories of the Convenzione dell’Aja del 1961) or be legalised by the Italian mission in the country where it is issued, except for those cases exempt by the Convenzione di Londra del 1968.
The Certificate of No Impediment can be requested:
in Italy, at one’s own diplomatic/consular mission (in this case the legalisation is obtained from the relevant Italian Prefecture);
at one’s own diplomatic/consular mission in the country of residence;
from the competent authorities in the country of birth or provenance.
PLEASE NOTE: For information regarding the exact type of certificate required for citizens of a specific country, it is recommended to contact the relevant diplomatic/consular representation in Italy or consult the website of the Italian diplomatic/consular representation in that country.
MARRIAGE BETWEEN ITALIAN CITIZEN AND A US OR AUSTRALIAN PARTNER
In addition to the documentation indicated under “Necessary documentation” (as shown above), according to the nationality of the foreign spouse, also required:
Notary declaration (Atto notorio) – Mod. 21 – to be underwritten by the US or Australian partner, alternatively:
a. In Italy with an Italian notary, whose signature is legalised by the Prefecture;
b. at a UK notary, whose signature is legalised by paper Apostille from the Legalisation Office;
c. at a notary in the country of origin (US/Australia), whose signature is legalised with Apostille from the competent authority of relevant country.
For US citizens two witnesses are required to sign the declaration, for Australian citizens four witnesses are required. The witnesses may be of any nationality.
Costs: Amount including Art. 3,Art. 2c and Art. 24 in Tariffa Consolare.
MARRIAGE BETWEEN ITALIAN CITIZEN AND EXTRA EUROPEAN PARTNER NOT BRITISH
In addition to the documentation indicated under “Necessary documentation” (as shown above), according to the nationality of the foreign spouse, also required: Certificate of no Impediment, issued by the competent authority of the foreign citizen’s country of birth and needs to be:
legalised accordingly (consular legalisation or, if the issuing country is a signatory of the Convenzione dell’Aja del 1961, by apostille). In the case of International agreements, the certificate of no impediment may be exempt from legalisation.
translated in Italian with a legalised translation (consular legalisation or, if the issuing country is a signatory of the Convenzione dell’Aja del 1961, by apostille) or a certified translation in those countries with official translators can certify the translation and whose signature is then legalised or apostilled.
Said certificate should:
indicate surname, name, date and place of birth, citizenship, residence, marital status, name and surname of parents, personal details of the Italian citizen with whom the marriage is to take place;
indicate the declaration that there is no impediment to the marriage according to the laws of the country of said person;
(for the divorced woman, indicate the date of divorce);
(for the widow, indicate date of becoming a widow);
be issued in Italian or English. If issued in another language, a translation will be required in Italian or English, which needs to be legalised with Apostille (for countries signatories of the Convenzione dell’Aja del 1961) or be legalised by the Italian mission in the country where it is issued, except for those cases exempt by the Convenzione di Londra del 1968.
The Certificate of No Impediment can be requested:
in Italy, at one’s own diplomatic/consular mission (in this case the legalisation is obtained from the relevant Italian Prefecture);
from the competent authorities in the country of birth or provenance.
PLEASE NOTE: For information regarding the exact type of certificate required for citizens of a specific country, it is recommended to contact the relevant diplomatic/consular representation in Italy or consult the website of the Italian diplomatic/consular representation in that country.
Self-declarations or Affidavits issued by the applicant in place of the certificate of no impediment will not be accepted.
Costs: Amount including Art. 3,Art. 2c and Art. 24 in Tariffa Consolare
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PROCEDURE
1.Book an appointment via the portal Prenotami (Individual booking). Additional information here.
PLEASE NOTE: You will only be contacted in the event of incorrect documentation or requests for additions. No confirmation of appointment will be sent by the Consulate.
2. (At least two weeks before your appointment): post by Special Delivery, the following documentation:
Application form
Photocopy of ID documents
Photocopy of no impediment documents (see typical cases)
Photocopies of Postal Orders (originals to be presented on day of appointment)
For religious wedding only: Further Special Delivery pre-stamped envelope complete with return address where the certificate of completed marriage banns will be sent and fotocopy of the letter from the Priest.
Post complete documentation to:
CONSOLATO GENERALE D’ITALIA – LONDRA
Ufficio Stato Civile – Sez. Pubblicazioni
“Harp House” – 83/86 Farringdon Street
EC4A 4BL London
3 .Approximately ten days before the appointment, confirm your attendance on your “Prenotami” account via the automatic email that will arrive as a reminder to your email address
4. On the day of the appointment
The couple must both be present on the day, with their identity documents.
In exceptional cases, a single member may be present together with written authorisation from the other. If the person giving the authorisation should not be an EU citizen, the authorisation will need to be legalised, together with a certified copy of the identity document. The authorisation can also be drafted at an Embassy/Consulate in the country of residence outside the UK.
At the appointment, the couple will need to bring the original documents, previously sent in copy.
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The banns are published for eight consecutive days on the online Consular Notice board. Three days after their publication, the procedure ends with the issue of the “certificate of completed marriage banns” which will be valid for 180 days and also acts as authorisation for the Town Hall where the ceremony will take place, in the case of a civil marriage.
In the case of a civil ceremony, the certificate of completed marriage banns will be sent by this Consulate by certified email (pec) to the relevant Town Hall.
In the case of a religious wedding, the Consulate will not send an electronic copy of the certificate. The original paper version will instead be posted to the couple to the UK address indicated on the Special Delivery envelope, attached to the application for the marriage banns. The spouses will need to hand this over to the Priest in the days preceding the ceremony.
If after 180 days the wedding has not taken place, it will be necessary to repeat he whole procedure once again.
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CONTACT:
Email: statocivile.londra@esteri.it
(To be used ONLY when you cannot find the answer to your question in this section)
PLEASE NOTE: The subject of your email must contain the following information:
Subject: “Marriage banns” – name and surname/s of the two spouses.
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FAQ
How soon before the wedding do I need to book an appointment with Prenotami for the marriage banns?
As appointments are released each day at 16.00 for the following three months, it is advisable to access the portal no earlier than 9 months before the wedding.
In which period do you advise to book the appointment in Consulate for the banns?
Your appointment should fall within 180 days and 30 days before the wedding.
Once I have made the booking, will I receive an appointment confirmation from the Consulate?
Your booking is confirmed by the Consulate. However, it will be your responsibility to confirm your attendance when you receive the automatic confirmation request email, which will be sent between ten and three days before the appointment. Therefore, please make sure to check your spam folder regularly.
How soon before the appointment can I/should I send the documentation?
In order to process the application we suggest sending the documentation between 6 and no later than 2 weeks before the appointment. The documentation should be sent by Special Delivery to the Consulate.
I am an Italian citizen also holding British nationality: do I also need to submit the Statutory Declaration and the Certificate of No Impediment?
No. In the case of dual citizenship, the person who is also an Italian citizen will only need to present their Italian passport.
Who will give the Town Hall/Church the certificate of completed marriage banns?
In the case of a civil ceremony, the Consulate will send a certified email (PEC) to the Town Hall where the ceremony will take place, containing the certificate of completed marriage banns and authorisation. The couple will be put in copy.
In the case of a Church wedding, the Consulate will not send an electronic copy of the certificate. The original paper version will instead be posted to the couple to the UK address indicated on the Special Delivery envelope, attached to the application for the marriage banns. You will need to hand this over to the Priest in the days preceding the ceremony.
Since the Consulate is dealing with the marriage banns, will I need to deal with other matters with the Town Hall or Church for the wedding?
The Consulate deals only with the banns at the request of the couple. Every other aspect regarding the organisation of the wedding needs to be dealt with directly by the couple with the Church or the Town Hall .
Once the banns have been published, can we consider ourselves as being married?
No. The banns deal with the notification of an intended marriage and to allow any opposition to this. The real marriage needs to be celebrated in the Town Hall or the Church.
In the case of a Civil Partnership in Italy, are the marriage banns necessary?
No, banns are necessary only in the case of a wedding.
We are two foreign citizens wishing to marry in Italy: do we need to carry out the marriage banns at the Consulate?
Foreign citizens who wish to marry in Italy do not carry out marriage banns at the Consulate.
They will however need to contact the Italian Town Hall where they intend to celebrate the wedding in order to obtain details of the documentation required.
We are getting married in Italy: how can we update our civil status with the Consulate and the UK authorities after the wedding?
To update your Consulate civil status record, please send a marriage certificate issued by the Italian Municipality to statocivile.londra@esteri.it (subject line: “Marriage – civil status update”).
To request an update with the UK authorities, please contact them directly, as this does not fall under the Consulate’s jurisdiction.
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