Getting Married in Italy as a Visitor: Legal Requirements 2026

Not legal advice. Marriage rules change and local offices interpret them differently. Confirm every requirement with the civil registry or embassy before you book or pay. Disclaimer

Legal for visitors?Yes

Wait / residencyNone; banns waived or 1-7 days

Government feeHall EUR 500-9,200

Same-sexCivil union / partnership

7 of 10 facts read on an official page; 1 not confirmed. Badges show the source level of each fact.

Where couples get confused

Italy's paperwork has two sworn statements with Italian names couples confuse - Dichiarazione Giurata and Atto Notorio.

The rules

Legal ceremony for visitorsOfficial ✓: yes
Civil (mayor/deputy at town hall) or Catholic concordat marriage.
Residency or waiting timeOfficial ✓: No residency; Declaration of Intention at town hall; banns (2 weeks) waived or shortened (1 day - 1 week) when neither partner is Italian or resident.
Required documentsOfficial ✓: Passport; birth certificate; proof prior marriages ended (women within 300 days of divorce need a court waiver); 'Dichiarazione Giurata' sworn at a US consulate then legalized at a Prefettura (EUR 16 revenue stamp); 'Atto Notorio' sworn by 2 witnesses at an Italian consulate or court.
Apostille / translationOfficial ✓: Yes - all foreign documents legalized/apostilled and translated into Italian; documents generally issued within 6 months
Blood or medical testNot confirmed: Not confirmed, check with the registry or embassy
Our unconfirmed note: not listed
WitnessesOfficial ✓: 2 (18+, any nationality); interpreter if needed (a witness can't be the interpreter)
Who officiatesOfficial ✓: Mayor or deputy (civil); priest for concordat
Same-sex couplesSnippet / semi-official: Civil union (unione civile) only - available to foreign non-resident couples per Comune di Milano (snippet); no same-sex marriage.
Recognized in the US, Canada, UKSnippet / semi-official: US: generally valid if valid where performed; confirm with your state Attorney General (State Dept). Canada: usually valid if legal where performed, no need to register (travel.gc.ca). UK: no general statement found on gov.uk - unverified.
Government feeOfficial ✓: Hall rental EUR 500 - 9,200 (US Embassy); Atto Notorio stamps 2 x EUR 16 + EUR 10.62 (urgent: + EUR 31.86); Prefettura stamp EUR 16.

⚠ Pitfalls and scams to watch

Two separate sworn documents (US consulate + Italian court/consulate); courts can have long waits for Atto Notorio; translator required if you don't speak Italian.

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Sources

Quotes copied from official pages on 2026-10-21. Items marked as a snippet were seen in search results because the page blocked our checker.

bannshttps://it.usembassy.gov/getting-married-in-italy/
if neither party to the marriage is an Italian citizen or a resident of Italy, banns are automatically waived or posted for a shorter period of time which may vary from one day to a week
feehttps://it.usembassy.gov/getting-married-in-italy/
The fee ranges from a minimum of €500 to a maximum of €9,200.
attohttps://it.usembassy.gov/getting-married-in-italy/
You will need two revenue stamps of €16 each and one of €10,62 to apply for the Atto Notorio

All sources consulted

Last checked 2026-10-21. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].

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