MARRIAGE IN ITALY FOR AUSTRALIANS

IF YOU HAVE BEEN DIVORCED LESS THAN 300 DAYS FROM THE WEDDING DATE YOU ARE PLANNING WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH WEDDING PLANNING.

AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY ROME

MARRY IN ITALY

In order to get married in Italy you need a Nulla Osta which may be obtained by forwarding the following to this office:

1. The completed and signed "Application for a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (attached);
2. Full birth certificate;
3. No Result of Search certificate;
4. A Decree Nisi (divorce certificate)
5. A photocopy of the front page of your Australian passport.

Once the form has been completed and signed in front of a JP (or an officer of the British Embassy), you can send us a copy via fax. The birth and No Result of Search certificates and the copy of your passport can also be sent us via fax. The faxed copies will allow us to prepare the Nulla Osta (Italian version of the declaration of no objection) which is needed to get married in Italy. The birth and No Result of Search certificates have to be translated into Italian. In your case you can have the divorce and the No Result of Search certificates translated by the British Consulate in Florence. We can translate the full birth certificate. Originals can be signed at a later date.

If you are collecting the documents in person you can, on that occasion, show us the originals of all certificates initially sent by fax and pay the required fee. If you are not collecting the documents in person you can arrange to have a courier send us the originals and collect the documentation when it is ready. Once you have received the Nulla Osta you have to take it to the Prefettura. This is a government department which legalises the Nulla Osta to make it valid for use in Italy. This step can usually be completed within one morning. Following this procedure the documents can be taken to the marriage office (ufficio matrimoni) of the Town Hall (Comune) where the wedding will take place.

The NULLA OSTA must be issued by this Embassy or Australian Consulate in Milan.

Civil ceremonies conducted at the Town Hall of any city, and the ceremony must be in Italian. An interpreter is required for the civil ceremony. The Embassy cannot assist with the authentication of certificates at the Prefettura or with any other civil or religious ceremonial arrangements and you must therefore book the wedding date yourself.

For information on religious requirements you need to contact the parish priest where the ceremony will take place.

In order to assist you with booking a date, I am providing fax and phone numbers of the Marriage Office (Ufficio Matrimoni) in Rome, Florence, Venice and Amalfi as they are the commonly requested.

Rome: 0039-06-6793.380 (fax) - 039-06-6710.3782

If contacting Rome your fax should go to the Ufficio Matrimoni of the Comune di Roma and to the attention of Signor Pistella.

Florence: 0039-055-27681 (ph) - 039-055-2616715 (fax)

You should address your fax to the Ufficio Matrimoni of the Comune di Firenze and to the attention of Signora Burdazzi.

Venice: 0039-041-2748.475 (fax) - 039-041-2748.111 (ph)

In this case you should direct your fax or phone enquiry to the attention of Signora Pasqualato at the Ufficio Matrimoni of the Comune di Venezia.

Amalfi: 0039-089-871.646 (fax) - 039-089-873.6216

Hoping this is of help.

Regards

Consular Officer

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT TO MARRIAGE

I ……………………………………….. of …………………………………………….. apply for a Certificate of No Impediment in respect of my proposed marriage in (name of overseas country) ………. ……………………………………. to ………………………………………………….. .

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE NAMES BELOW ARE WRITTEN AS YOU WISH THEM TO APPEAR ON THE CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT TO MARRIAGE

In support I provide the following particulars.

I declare that the above information is correct and that I believe there is no legal impediment to the marriage by reason of:

1. Either of us being lawfully married to some other person;
2. Our being within a prohibited relationship;
3. Either of us not being of marriageable age; or
4. Other circumstances.

Signature of person making the declaration…………………………………………..…. Declared at ………………………………… on the ………………. Day of ………. 2000
Witness by*……………………………………………………………………. (signature, name and title of person witnwssing the declaration).

* The person before whom this declaration may be made are: a legal practitioner; a medical pratictioner; an Australian Consular Officer; an Australian Diplomatic Officer; a person authorised under section 3 (c ) or 3 (d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; a bailiff; a civil marriage celebrant; a clerk of a court; a Justice of the Peace; a magistrate; a minister of religion; a Notary Public; a police officer; a Registrar or Deputy Registrar of a court; or a permanent employee (with 5 or more years of continuous service) of a local government authority or of Commonwealth, State or Territory government or authority.

MARRIAGE OVERSEAS

INFORMATION FOR AUSTRALIANS WISHING TO MARRY IN ITALY

THE FOLLOWING NOTES REFER TO REQUIREMENTS FOR A CIVIL MARRIAGE; ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS ARE NECESSARY FOR A RELIGIOUS CEREMONY, CHURCH AUTHORITIES SHOULD BE CONTACTED WELL IN ADVANCE FOR INFORMATION.

A MARRIAGE PERFOMED IN ITALY INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PARTY WHO IS AN AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN WOULD ORDINARILY BE REGARDED AS VALID IN AUSTRALIA IF THE MARRIAGE WAS REGARDED AS VALID IN ITALY. HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWING FOUR CONDITIONS MUST BE SATISFIED: BOTH PARTIES MUST BE 18 YEARS OR OVER; BOTH PARTIES MUST BE FREE TO MARRY IN THE FIRST PLACE; TRUE CONSENT MUST EXIST, I.E. NOT FORCED TO MARRY; AND THE RELATIONSHIP MUST NOT BE A PROHIBITED ONE, E.G. FATHER AND DAUGHTER.

FOREIGNERS WISHING TO MARRY IN ITALY SHOULD CONTACT THE ITALIAN AUTHORITIES ABOUT REQUIREMENTS FOR MARRIAGE UNDER LOCAL LAW. IF A CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT (NULLA OSTA) IS REQUESTED, THIS CAN BE OBTAINED AT THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN ROME OR AT THE AUSTRALIAN CONSULATE GENERAL IN MILAN. (We will make the necessary appointments for you). IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS MUST BE PROVIDED:

• COMPLETION OF AN "APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT TO MARRIAGE" FORM, WITNESSED BY A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, A CONSULAR OFFICIAL AT AN AUSTRALIAN DIPLOMATIC MISSION OVERSEAS, OR AN OFFICIER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE.
  
  
• PAYMENT OF FEES: THE EQUIVALENT IN ITALIAN LIRE OF AUD45 FOR THE ISSUE OF THE NULLA OSTA PLUS AUD10 FOR THE WITNESSING OF SIGNATURE.
  
  
• EVIDENCE OF THE APPLICANT'S DATE OF BIRTH, NATIONALITY, NO RESULTS OF SEARCH CERTIFICATE AND AUSTRALIAN RESIDENCY STATUS MUST BE SIGHTED BEFORE A CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT CAN BE ISSUED. IF EITHER PARTY IS DIVORCED OR WIDOWED, THE RELEVANT DECREE ABSOLUTE OR DEATH CERTIFICATE MUST ALSO BE SIGHTED. DOCUMENTS PROVIDED MUST BE ORIGINALS OR CERTIFIED COPIES.
  
  
• A DIVORCED WOMAN WHO WANTS TO MARRY AGAIN WITHIN 300 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF HER DIVORCE SHOULD CONTACT THE ITALIAN LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND SEEK SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM AN ITALIAN MAGISTRATE.
  
  
• THE CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT (NULLA OSTA) MUST BE TAKEN TO THE PREFETTURA IN ROME OR OTHER MAJOR ITALIAN CITIES FOR THE AUTHENTICATION OF THE SIGNATURE OF THE VICE CONSULA AND THEN TO THE COMUNE OF THE CITY WHERE THE MARRIAGE WILL TAKE PLACE.