Pursuant to Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code, a foreign national wishing to marry in Italy must attest to the absence of legal obstacles according to the laws of their home country. In the United Kingdom, the usual procedure involves two main documents:
A. Certificate of No Impediment (CNI)
What it is: Issued by the Register Office of residence in the UK.
Requirements: Must show the exact personal details of the couple and state the absence of obstacles.
Legalization: Must be provided with an Apostille issued by the UK Legalisation Office.
Validity: Valid for a maximum of 6 months from the date of issue.
B. Statutory Declaration (Bilingual)
What it is: A declaration made by the British citizen before a solicitor or notary public in the UK.
Legalization: Must also bear the Apostille from the Legalisation Office.
Translation: Since it is usually a pre-established bilingual form (Italian/English), further sworn translation is generally not required.
C. Other Documents
Valid passport.
Full Birth Certificate (recommended by Italian municipalities to verify parentage records).
Documentation of civil status (e.g., final decree of divorce or death certificate of the previous spouse, if applicable).
Impediments According to Italian Law
Even if a foreign citizen has obtained all documents from their home country, Article 116 of the Italian Civil Code requires compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Italian legal system.
Marriage cannot take place in the presence of the following impediments valid on Italian territory:
| Impediment | Civil Code Ref. | Rule / Details |
| Prior marriage bond | Art. 86 c.c. | Marriage cannot be contracted if one is already bound by a prior marriage or a validly recognized civil union (ban on bigamy). |
| Kinship and Affinity | Art. 87 c.c. | Prohibition of marriage between ascendants and descendants (parents/children), brothers and sisters, uncles/aunts and nieces/nephews, parents-in-law and sons/daughters-in-law. |
| Impediment by crime (crimen) | Art. 88 c.c. | Two people cannot marry if one of them has been convicted of the murder (or attempted murder) of the other’s spouse. |
| Minority (Underage) | Art. 84 c.c. | The minimum age is 18. (Between 16 and 18, specific authorization from the Juvenile Court is required). |
| Mental infirmity | Art. 85 c.c. | Anyone judicially interdicted for mental infirmity cannot contract marriage. |
| Temporary ban on remarriage | Art. 89 c.c. | A divorced or widowed woman cannot remarry before 300 days have passed since the dissolution of the previous marriage (barring court authorization). |
