Getting married in Italy: how to obtain an internationally valid marriage certificate

Romantic atmospheres, stunning cities and landscapes, mild climate and eccellent food: many couples from all over the world choose Italy for their destination wedding.

In Italy, the documents that certify a legal union between two people are:

– the marriage certificate, which includes basic information such as the personal data of the groom and the bride and the place and date of marriage;

– the extract of marriage act (“estratto di matrimonio”), which is a more comprehensive document including additional details such as information on citizenship, current place of residence, names of the parents of the bride and of the groom and marital property regime.

For these documents to be valid internationally and accepted by a foreign country, they must be undergo an apostillation or legalization process.

How apostille and legalization of marriage certificates work

If the country where you intend to use your marriage certificate or extract of marriage act is a member of the Hague Convention, you can apply to have your document apostilled. The apostille is an international certification proving the validity of a public signature source, obtained by the stamp of the competent authority.

Otherwise, if the aforementioned country is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, legalization is required and you will need a consular or embassy authentication.

Let us know if we can help

Our international law firm is able to retrieve any Italian marriage certificate or extract of marriage act. According to your needs, we can deal with legalization, apostillation and certified translation to enable the international use of your certificate, plus provide assistance for any other legal requirements.
Contact us for a free consultation.