MARRIAGE BANNS
Once the wedding date has been decided, the future spouses need to book an appointment with Italy’s local Council or parish office. Whether civil or religious marriage, this Consulate may assist AIRE-registered Italian citizens residing in this consular district with the process of marriage banns. The application needs to be made with the local Council where the marriage will take place. Applicants residing abroad, hence AIRE-registered, need to apply through their Consulate, based on place of residence. Evidence of marriage banns been carried out comes with a specific certificate, which is valid for 180 days. Therefore, such certificate needs to be obtained in the 180 days preceding the marriage date. More information is available on the Farnesina website or by e-mail.
WHO MAY USE THIS SERVICE
This service can be used by AIRE-registered Italian citizens residing in our consular district. Italian citizens relocated to the Manchester area from either a different district (such as London) or from a different country, first need to log on in their FAST-IT and again register with AIRE through this Consulate.
It is worth noting that all Italian citizens are bound to report any changes to theirs and/or their family members’ situation to the relevant Consulate of Italy as per place where the event occurred, by producing all documents required. Changes to be promptly notified include: home address, marriage, divorce, birth, death.
This service attracts a fee, to be paid by debit/credit card and must be requested by e-mail, as per below.
MARRIAGE IN ITALY (BANNS)
The service is offered as follows:
- on Prenot@mi, applicants need to book a consular appointment to submit the entire documentation;
- by e-mail, about 10 working days before the appointment, applicants need to send ahead a front and back scan of all the documents listed below, filling the SUBJECT line with BANNS SURNAME OF GROOM SURNAME OF BRIDE;
- a consular representative will verify that the documentation is correct and complete and, if the case, will inform applicants of the need to integrate and to book a new appointment (the one already made will be cancelled).
All appointments booked without all documents emailed ahead will be cancelled without any notice.
The engaged couple must attend the appointment together, each with a valid ID. Only a proven impediment allows just one of the future spouses to attend, by producing a written authorisation from the other party. If the absentee is not an EU citizen, a proper power of attorney is required from a notary public/lawyer, whose signature needs to be legalized. The perfected document needs to be submitted along with a certified copy of the absentee’s ID. An authorisation may also be produced at the absentee’s Consulate in the country of residence.
What follows is a list of documents to be produced at the appointment, after sending them ahead by e-mail with the subject line filled as indicated above:
- application form, signed by both parties;
- Confirmation of the booking made at the Town Hall or, in case of a religious marriage, document with Parish letterhead, stamped and signed by the celebrating minister, indicating the complete details of the future spouses, as well as the church and the date of marriage;
- For foreigners only: plain copy of birth certificate. When details do not match with passport, also attach a deed poll. A translation is only required when the original is not in English, while no apostílles are required;
- Plain copy of both parties valid passports or identity cards;
- Around 20 GBP for consular fees, to be paid by card ( art. 3 posting of marriage banns + art. 24 authentication of signature for future spouses who are non-EU citizens + art. 2c banns certificate).
- If one of the spouses is not an Italian citizen, they must also provide:
6a) British citizens must present:
-a valid identity document
– certificate of no impediment (CNI) issued by the local General Registry Office in the 6 months preceding the appointment with apostille and translation
-a bilingual statutory declaration made by the parties before a notary public or solicitor in English and in Italian (see here), also apostilled;
6b) EU citizens must present a valid identity document and a certificate of no impediment issued by the authorities of their country in the 6 months preceding the appointment;
6c) US and Australian citizens must present a valid identity document and a sworn statement signed before a notary public in the country of citizenship in the 6 months preceding the appointment, with the notary’s signature to be apostilled as provided for in each country;
6d) non-EU citizens must present a valid identity document and a certificate of no impediment issued in the 6 months preceding the appointment, legalized as provided for in the country of origin. For languages other than English, a translation into Italian is also required, certified by the Embassy or Consulate of Italy in the country of issue.
In case of multiple citizenships, a certificate of no impediment to marriage must be produced for each country of citizenship.
Banns are posted on our website for eight consecutive days. After three more days, the procedure is finalized by releasing a certificate of marriage banns, which is valid for 180 days. Said document is emailed to the applicants and to the relevant Council in Italy (or to the Diocese, in case of a religious marriage).
MATRIMONIAL PROPERTY REGIME
Upon getting married, if the spouses fail to declare their option for separation of assets, the matrimonial property regime applicable to them that automatically sets in is the statutory community of property regime. Spouses may modify the law applicable to their matrimonial property regime at any time during their marriage. To that effect, an official deed is required from a notary public or, for those residing abroad, from a Consulate offering the service.
CHILDREN
With the marriage, spouses may also acknowledge any children born of the couple.
CERTIFICATES
Right after the ceremony, the Registry Office of the Comune may issue a marriage certificate.
Original documents cannot be returned.
MARRIAGE ABROAD
Except for Albania, no banns are required for marriages occurring abroad.
Italian citizens residing in Manchester’s consular district and intending to get married in Austria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland or Turkey (i.e., in one of the countries that have ratified the Munich Convention of 05.09.1980) may request from this Consulate a multilingual certificate of marital capacity (exempt from legalization and translation). Italian citizens wishing to get married in other countries may request a certificate of no impediment to marriage (nulla osta), confirming their civil status as single.
In both cases, Consular attendance is not required. A certificate may be requested and obtained by post by sending the following:
- application form, signed by both future spouses;
- a photocopy of a valid passport or identity card, for each party;
- a declaration issued by the General Register Office, attesting that the applicant has not entered any previous marriage;
- a postal order for consular fees (art. 2d for marriage capacity certificate + 0.85 GBP for bank charges);
- a stamped and self-addressed envelope for mailing the certificate.
What precedes must be posted to:
Consulate of Italy – STATO CIVILE
58 Spring Gardens
Manchester M2 1EW
The payment for the Consular fees (art. 2d for marriage capacity certificate) will be requested directly by the Italian Consulate in Manchester to the applicant, once the application has been processed and its suitability verified (you can find the consular fees here). It is recommended to monitor the email inbox, including the spam folder, of the email address provided in the form. It is not necessary to write to the passport office asking for information regarding the payment, since all applicants will be contacted after the processing of the application.
All original documents cannot be returned. Incorrect and incomplete applications will be returned to sender.
If a marriage has already taken place, a full marriage certificate needs to be surrendered at the relevant Consulate for registration with Italy’s local Council (details from HERE).