MARRIAGE IN ONTARIO, MANITOBA OR NW TERRITORIES
An Italian national wishing to get married in Ontario, Manitoba or NW Territories does not require clearance from this Consulate. For further information on marrying in Canada please consult: for Ontario, for Manitoba and, for NW Territories.

Once married, an Italian national is required to have the marriage registered in Italy. To do so he/she must submit to the Consulate the document known as “Certified Copy of Registration of Marriage”, which is issued by the designated provincial vital statistics authorities.


MARRIAGE IN ITALY

Italian nationals registered in A.I.R.E. (registry of Italians living abroad) and wishing to marry in Italy are required to post banns.
Non-Italian citizens wishing to marry in Italy must contact their own Embassy in Italy in order to obtain the necessary clearance to marry (“Nulla osta”). Canadian citizens may consult the webpage of the Canadian Embassy in Italy for information.

 

MARRIAGE BANNS

If  you plan to marry in Italy, and if you are and Italian citizen residing in this Consular jurisdiction and registered with the AIRE (Registry of Italians Living Abroad), you must request the posting of marriage banns through this Consulate.

If one of the parties contracting the marriage lives in Italy, the request to post banns may be submitted directly to the Italian City Hall.

In the case of two Italian citizens, one residing within the jurisdiction of this Consulate General and one residing in Italy or in another Italian diplomatic/consular jurisdiction, it will be possible to carry out the banns either at this Consulate General or at the Italian Town Hall/other Consulate of residence. The Consulate will request the Italian Town Hall/Consulate to carry out a dual publication or vice versa. If the marriage banns are requested at this Consulate, the spouse residing in Italy must submit a “Certificato di stato libero” issued by the “Comune” (Municipality) of residence and/or by the relevant Italian Consular Office, along with the other required documentation for a marriage between two Italian citizens.

Upon careful review of the information below (click on each title to read the content), and once you will have gathered all the required documents, which must be sent as attachments to the following email address, please request an appointment by e-mail at: toronto.anagrafe@esteri.it.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. If this is your second marriage (i.e. widowed or divorced or if your previous marriage was annulled), it is necessary to ascertain that your marital status has been updated with your municipality of birth or last place of residency in Italy.

2. If you are an Italian citizen born abroad, it is necessary that you verify that your birth certificate has already been registered in Italy.

3. If you are planning a religious wedding ceremony, be sure to contact the religious authorities both in Canada, as well as in Italy where you intend to marry.

INSTRUCTIONS AND DOCUMENTATION

The request to post banns must be submitted to this Consulate by both of the parties contracting the marriage or by a person with power of attorney to do so, as well as a copy of valid photo ID (including signature page) of the person contracting the marriage.
Applicants must attend with the following original documents:

a) Italian citizens residing in this Consular jurisdiction

– certificate of non-impediment issued by every Province in Canada where you have resided since the age of 16 (“Notice of Search of Marriage” or “Marriage Search Record”);
– If you have been resident in other consular jurisdictions since the age of 16, you must present the certificate of free civil status or “non-impediment”, apostilled or legalized and translated, for each country in which you have resided (for information on the legalization or apostille procedures in force in the countries of interest, visit the website of the relevant Italian Embassy or Consulate);
– Italian passport or other valid photo ID;
– application form to request the posting of banns;
– the “estratto per riassunto dell’atto di nascita” (Italian birth certificate) and the “certificato di stato libero” (Italian certificate of non-impediment) will be requested by the Consulate from the designated Italian City Hall. If said documents are already in your possession, you may submit them so as to speed up the process.

b) Canadian citizens

– if born in this Consular jurisdiction, birth certificate known as “Certified Copy of Registration of Birth;
– if born outside this Consular jurisdiction, original birth certificate translated into Italian and legalized (both original document and translation) by the Italian Embassy or Consulate within the jurisdiction of which the document was issued, or apostilled, if the issuing Country adheres to the Convention of The Hague on the Apostille;
– if divorced or widowed, certificate of divorce or death certificate of previous spouse;
– Canadian passport;
– Certificate of non-impediment to marry. Canada is no longer issuing certificates of non-impediment to marry. Instead, you may submit to the Consulate a “notice of search of marriage” or “marriage search record” issued by the provincial or territorial Vital Statistics of residence (a notice/record per each Province or Territory of residence since the age of 16). Click here for more information. Please note that a mere “statement in lieu” will not suffice.

c) For citizens of other countries residing in Canada

– original birth certificate translated into Italian and validated (both original document and translation) by the Italian Embassy or Consulate within the jurisdiction of which the document was issued, or apostilled, if the issuing Country adheres to the Convention of The Hague on the Apostille;
– if divorced or widowed, certificate of divorce or death certificate of previous spouse;
– passport;
– certificate of non-impediment issued by every Canadian Province in which you have resided since the age of 16 (“Notice of Search of Marriage” or “marriage search record”);
– Certificate of non-impediment to marry, issued by the designated authorities of your country of citizenship in Italy and legalized by the Prefettura. For further information please contact the Embassy in Italy of your country of citizenship.

PROCESSING TIME

Once the documentation has been gathered and examined, the Consulate will post banns on its website for 8 consecutive days. After which, the Consulate will issue a certificate indicating that the process has been completed and then proceed to send it to the Italian City Hall where the marriage is to take place.

Banns must be posted within the six month period preceding the wedding.

COSTS

To check the consular fee due to request the posting of banns, go to our webpage under Resources and useful links and consult Consular Fees.