What do I need to arrange if I want to marry in Italy?
If you are a Dutch national planning to marry in Italy, you will need to provide certain documents. And you may need to meet extra requirements.
Can I get married in Italy?
Ask the organisation that you want to perform the marriage whether the rules in Italy allow you to marry there as a Dutch national.
Same-sex couples cannot get married in Italy. Same-sex couples can however enter into a registered partnership in Italy.
You have the same 2 options in Italy as in the Netherlands:
- marrying in general community of property (la comunione dei beni)
- marrying under a marriage contract (la separazione dei beni). In this case you can have the contract drawn up by a notary in the Netherlands. Show the document to the municipality where you want to marry
In Italy divorced women cannot remarry until 300 days after the divorce. If this applies to you send an email to the Dutch embassy in Rome.
You cannot get married at the Dutch embassy. It is not necessary to inform the embassy of your plans to marry in Italy.
Requirements for getting married for Dutch nationals
If you are a Dutch national and you want to marry, you must meet the following requirements:
- You and your partner must be 18 or older. If you are under 18 and you marry abroad, the Dutch authorities will not recognise your marriage until you and your partner are both 18.
- You and your partner must not already be married to or have a registered partnership with someone else.
- If you are under guardianship, you will need the permission of your guardian or of the limited jurisdiction judge (‘kantonrechter’).
- The following family members are not allowed to marry each other or enter into a registered partnership with each other: parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and brothers and sisters.
What documents do I need to marry in Italy?
To get married in Italy you will need the following documents:
A certificate of legal capacity to marry (Certificato di capacità matrimoniale of Nulla Osta) shows that you and your partner are legally allowed to marry. To get this certificate, you will need to submit a number of other documents.
You can get an official copy of your birth certificate from the municipality where you were born. Were you born outside the Netherlands? Ask the Italian municipality if they will accept the birth certificate from your coutnry of origin.
To get married in Italy you will need a valid passport or ID card.
Is my marriage valid in the Netherlands?
Marriages performed in Italy are recognised in the Netherlands.
Do I have to register my marriage in the Netherlands?
You may need to register your marriage in the Netherlands. This depends on where you live.
If you live in the Netherlands, you must register your marriage with your municipality. You will need your marriage certificate to do this. Ask for a multilingual marriage certificate. This document does not need to be translated.
If you live outside the Netherlands, you can have your marriage certificate converted into a Dutch certificate by the municipality of The Hague. This is not mandatory, but it can be useful if you ever need an extract in the future.
More information about registering a foreign marriage certificate in the Netherlands