Getting married legally in Sicily

The key rule: an authorised location

An Italian civil marriage or civil union must take place at a location authorised by the local comune (the local council), known as a casa comunale. Traditionally that meant the town hall. Today it covers considerably more, and it comes in two forms: places the comune itself owns, and private venues the comune has formally authorised.

In Italy, civil marriages and civil unions are covered by the same authorisation. A place verified for one is verified for the other, so same-sex couples have exactly the same choice of legal venues.

The venues themselves are here: castles, cloisters, palazzi on the main square, gardens and beaches, from the only place you can legally marry in Taormina to a casa comunale on the sand.

What the legal route involves

The paperwork is real but manageable with the right guidance:

• A certificate of no impediment (CNI). For most British couples resident in the UK, each of you obtains this by giving notice at your local register office; a postal route through the British Embassy in Rome exists for circumstances where that does not apply. The gov.uk "getting married abroad" service tells each couple their exact route.
• A bilingual sworn declaration, a dichiarazione giurata, made before a British solicitor or notary and then legalised. British consulates in Italy no longer issue the nulla osta directly, and the CNI together with this declaration took its place, so most comuni ask for both. The required wording varies, so it is worth getting your comune's own form before instructing a notary.
• An apostille on those documents from the FCDO Legalisation Office, then an Italian translation. Apostille first, then translate, so the translation covers the apostille too. Some comuni accept a certified translation, which we can provide ourselves; others require an Italian sworn translation, an asseverazione, sworn before a court, comune or notary in Italy, which we arrange.
• A declaration before the registrar in Sicily, in person, a few days to a week before the wedding depending on the comune. The registrar draws up a formal record, the verbale, which you and your interpreter sign. Two British citizens not resident in Italy do not normally have a banns posting in Italy, but if one of you holds Italian citizenship, or either of you lives in Italy, a posting is required and the timings change.
• The ceremony itself, conducted in Italian by the registrar, with an interpreter and two witnesses as required by law. The interpreter must be independent: neither of you can interpret at your own wedding, however good your Italian.
• Your Italian marriage certificate, once the ceremony is registered. The marriage is recognised in the UK because it was validly contracted under Italian law; we arrange an apostille and a certified translation of the certificate where they are needed for official use at home.

This may all sound confusing, but it is entirely doable with the right help on translation, interpreting and bilingual coordination. That is what Married in Sicily is for. We take the Italian side off you, from the first conversation with the comune through to the final apostille, so you get a lovely day and a marriage that is fully legal back home.

How long it takes

The paperwork runs comfortably in four to six months, and Italian offices slow down in August, so build that in. Securing the ceremony date is the slower half: popular venues and comune sites go a long way ahead, sometimes a full summer more than a year in advance, so twelve to eighteen months is a sensible run at a sought-after date.

None of it is difficult in itself. What catches couples out is the order, the deadlines and the Italian. That is the side Married in Sicily runs for you, from the first email to the comune through to the apostille on your marriage certificate.

What the comuni charge

The legal act is identical everywhere. The fee is not. These are the comune sites on our venues page.

Published rates for non-residents, current as of August 2026. Most comuni set further rates for Sundays, public holidays and ceremonies outside office hours, and some restrict which Saturdays they will marry you at all. We confirm the rate for your date in writing with the comune before you book.

Each comune also sets its own calendar. Siracusa takes no weddings the day before or after a public holiday, several towns block certain dates altogether, and outdoor sites are usually open only from April to October. We confirm all of this with the comune in writing before you settle on a date.

How we help

Married in Sicily coordinates the whole process for one fixed fee agreed up front: the comune correspondence, the document checking, the translations and the Italian side of the day itself, handled directly. If you are weighing symbolic against legal, or want to know whether a particular venue can host a legal ceremony, book an introductory call and we will give you an answer you can rely on.

Talk it through

Tell us what you're picturing: where in Sicily, roughly when, and whether you want the marriage itself to happen there. We'll talk through how it would work, what it's likely to cost, and what to do next.