Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Helpful Hint: GETTING MARRIED IN ITALY!

A few years ago, my friends decided to marry...in Italy!  If getting married is a stressful event, imagine trying to organize it in a foreign country where one doesn't speak the language.  BUT, the romantic notion of getting married in Italy trumps any little glitches one would encounter along the way; they did it and so can you!   The information below is based on the premise that both parties are American born citizens who wish to marry in Florence, Italy...and it is only meant as a guide; consult both the Italian Consulate in your area and the American Consulate in the area of Italy where you wish to be married for current documentation and requirements.

Let’s Begin:
WEDDING DATE:  When do you want to get married?  Consider your flight costs along with hotels stays and meals.  Dates during the “shoulder” seasons of Spring or Autunm may offer favorable air and hotel rates and the weather is delightful with less crowds.
Palazzo Vecchio
WITNESSES: You must have two witnesses for the marriage ceremony - are you asking friends or family to witness and/or help in the celebration? You will need at least 7-10 days in Italy – and for this case scenario, Florence.  Marriages are performed by a government official of the City of Florence, at the Palazzo Vecchio.  Sounds wonderful, right?  It’s even more so in person!
TRANSLATOR: And if you are like my friends and do not speak Italian, you need an official interpreter when you register to marry and present at the civil ceremony.  Here is the link for Italian translators from the US Embassy in Florence, Italy. http://italy.usembassy.gov/acs/professionals/translators/translators-florence.html
ORGANIZE: If you are good with details and are organized, you could do this without a wedding planner.  You need to set up a calendar/chart with the items that need to get done and on what date.  If you are not that organized, there are plenty offering their services on line for Italian Weddings.
FIRST: Do you have a passport?  Is it current? Do your planned witnesses and/or guests have valid passports?  Ordering and renewing passports could take some time, so check on this a.s.a.p!
SECOND: Order your birth certificates (www.vitalchek.com) LONG FORM WITH AN APOSTILLE.  If you were born in NYC, you must order your certified long form birth certificate from NYC Vital Records, and then have NYS issue an Apostille.  Have the birth certificates, together with Apostilles, translated into Italian.
THIRD: If you’ve been divorced, you need a certified copy of the divorce decree with an Apostille.  Remember, both the divorce decree and Apostille must be translated into Italian.
NOTE:  THE APOSTILLE ON THESE DOCUMENTS CANNOT BE DATED MORE THAN 6 MONTHS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE WEDDING DATE.  (ex: Sept 15, 2014 wedding date, the Apostilles must be dated after March 15, 2014 )
Follow the Steps:
Once you have your documents, and valid passports, you will need to:
1.  Contact the appropriate Italian Consulate for your area to set up an appointment for the Atto Notario.  You must bring your birth certificates with Apostilles, all translated into Italian, and you need to bring two witnesses to the Italian Consulate with you.
Here is the link for the Italian Embassy to US.  It will list the Consulate locations and the areas they cover.  Once you locate the Italian Consulate that covers your area, check on the tab for Consular Services and there could be a link for translators.  Otherwise, you can find certified translators on line…but be very careful.
2.   Set up communication with the translator/interpreter in Florence, Italy. http://italy.usembassy.gov/acs/professionals/translators/translators-florence.html
3.  Set up communication with the Stato Civile di Firenze.  In an email introduce yourself and your intended spouse, give the date of your planned wedding and ask for confirmation.  There is a form to be completed and a payment to be submitted (credit cards accepted).  Write your request in English; you may want to also include the “Google” or “Bing” translation as well.  It doesn’t always convert correctly, but any attempt at the Italian would be polite.  Here is the information:
Ufficio: Civil Status - Wedding office
Responsible of the procedure: Loretta Burdassi        Email: matrimoni@pec.comune.fi.it
Address: Palazzo Vecchio - Piazza Signoria
Telefono: +39 055 2768518 - 2768299 - 2768211 - 2768575
Fax: +39 055 2616715
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. - Tue and Thur also 2,30 p.m. to 5,00 p.m.-
4.  You will also need to make an appointment with US Consulate in Florence.  There is a form to be completed at the US Consulate called the Nulla Osta.   You can schedule your appointment on line for a few days before your wedding date. https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=FLR&appcode=1
 5.  You’ve arrived to Florence!  You need to do 4 things right away:
A.        Get to the American Consulate on your appointment date for the Nulla Osta document (see US Diplomatic Mission link below to print).  Bring all your documents (better safe to bring it all!) and your passports.  The fee is $50 as of this writing.
B.       Stop at a Tabacco Shop to purchase a stamp: Marca da Bollo. Cost is about 16Euros.  Hold onto this!
C.       Take your stamp and all your documents to the Prefettura (Police/Municpal Station) to have them stamped. Florence: Via Giacomini, 8 - open Monday through Friday from 09.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. On Thursday also open from 02.00 p.m. to 04.00 p.m. - Tel: 055/ 27 831
D.       Go to the Palazzo Vecchio to “register” for the marriage ceremony; make sure your witnesses are with you and you’ve arrange for your translator to be there also.  You must “register” a minimum of 4 days before the wedding date. M-F 8:30am-1p  and Tue/Thur 2:30p-5p
6. Relax as best you can….you’re registered for the wedding and met your translator….did you order flowers?  Is the camera charged?  Lunch/Dinner reservations?  Enjoy every minute…
7.  At the wedding ceremony, which is done in Italian and your interpreter translates, you will receive your official marriage certificate/license.  A day or two afterwards, but before you depart the area, go back to the Prefettura's office (where you surrendered your "stamp" (Marca da Bollo).  You need to do this in order to be absolutely sure that your marriage is recognized back in the USA.  Ask the Prefettura's office for an Apostille for the marriage license.  Once back in the USA, you can have the Apostille translated into English and keep for safekeeping...just in case you need to produce one day!
Wedding Room at Palazzo Vecchio
HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL SITES:
The Italian Consulate, for Miami, also has a section dedicated for Americans wishing to marry in Italy.  http://www.consmiami.esteri.it/Consolato_Miami/Menu/I_Servizi/Per_i_cittadini/Notarile/    When you open the link, click on “US Citizens Wishing to Marry in Italy” for details. 
The US Diplomatic Mission to Italy also has a great website, providing the link to print the Nulla Osta that you need for the US Consulate in Italy where you appointment is scheduled.  There are US Consulate Offices in Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples.  Be sure to consider in which Italian city you wish to marry and the location of the US Consulate!     http://italy.usembassy.gov/acs/marriage/general-marriage.html
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ABOVE IS A ONLY A GUIDE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE CONSIDERED ABSOLUTE IN THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OR DOCUMENTATION NEEDED FOR MARRIAGE IN ITALY.  THOSE SEEKING TO MARRY IN ITALY SHOULD CONTACT THE ITALIAN CONSULATE IN THEIR DISTRICT TO OBTAIN THE LATEST REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS AMERICAN CONSULATE IN ITALY FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IS BASED ON RESEARCH FEBRUARY 2014.  INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEEN CHANGED, UPDATED OR DELETED OR SUPPLEMENTED ON THE DATE YOU BEGIN YOUR RESEARCH.


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