Guide
How to elope in Italy in 2027: legal steps, documents and places
Just the two of you, a couple of witnesses, the sea in front of you. How a civil wedding in Italy works for couples from abroad, which documents you need, how early to start and when a symbolic ceremony makes more sense.
Updated 7 November 2026
At a glance
- An elopement is an intimate wedding, just the couple and very few people, often far from home.
- In Italy you can choose between a civil wedding, which is legally binding, and a symbolic ceremony, with no legal value but free in terms of place and timing.
- For a civil wedding you need documents from your home country, a declaration at the town hall a few days beforehand, two adult witnesses and an interpreter if you don't speak Italian.
- Start preparing your documents three to six months ahead.
Understand what an elopement is
In English, to elope used to mean running away to marry in secret. Today an elopement is a choice: a very small wedding, with no guests or just a few close friends, in a place that matters to the couple. No banquets for a hundred, no months of planning: the day revolves around the two of you.
Italy is one of the most popular places to do it. All you need is a cliff, a terrace above the sea or a garden, a photographer and a special dinner. The real question is whether you want the marriage to be legally valid here, or prefer a symbolic ceremony.
Choose between a civil and a symbolic ceremony
| What changes | Civil wedding | Symbolic ceremony |
|---|---|---|
| Legal value | Yes, recognized abroad as well | No: you marry legally at home, before or after |
| Where | In venues authorized by the town council | Wherever you like, with local permits |
| When | On the town council's days and times | Whenever you like, even at sunset |
| Documents | Nulla osta or equivalent documents, translations, declaration at the town hall | None |
| Witnesses | Two, aged 18 or over | Optional |
| Interpreter | Required if you don't speak Italian | Not needed |
Many couples from abroad choose a middle way: they sign at their local registry office back home, without fuss, and hold the symbolic ceremony in Italy in the place of their dreams, with vows they've written themselves.
Prepare the documents for a civil wedding
The rules depend on your citizenship, but the process is similar for everyone: a document from your country stating that you are free to marry, Italian translations with the required legalizations, a declaration at the town's registry office and the ceremony with two witnesses. You don't need to be resident in Italy.
US citizens
You need your passport, a sworn statement made before a US consulate in Italy and an atto notorio, a declaration sworn before a public official with two witnesses, which is valid for a limited time. A couple of days before the wedding you make the declaration of marriage at the town hall, with an interpreter if you don't speak Italian.
UK citizens
You need a nulla osta, the certificate stating there is no impediment to the marriage, applied for through the UK government's procedure for Italy. Watch out for one Italian rule: a divorced or widowed woman must wait 300 days before remarrying, unless granted an exemption.
Citizens of other countries
Usually you request the nulla osta from your consulate in Italy. EU citizens can often use multilingual standard forms, which avoid the need for translations and legalizations. Check with your consulate before you set the date.
After the ceremony the town council issues an extract of the marriage certificate. Ask for the international version, or have it apostilled, if your country requires it to recognize the marriage.
Plan the timing
- Six to three months before: choose the place and date, check availability with the town council and find a photographer and an interpreter.
- Two months before: prepare the documents from your home country, with translations and legalizations.
- One week before: arrive in Italy, meet the people who will be looking after you and walk through the day.
- A couple of days before: make the declaration of marriage at the town hall.
- In the days after: collect the international extract of the marriage certificate.
Choose where to say yes
Italy has a setting for every style, from Lake Como to the Amalfi Coast, from the Tuscan hills to the villages of Liguria. For an elopement, three things matter: a place with few passersby, beautiful light at the time of the ceremony and somewhere nearby to celebrate, just the two of you.
In Portovenere the town council celebrates civil weddings in places such as Castello Doria, which overlooks the village and the gulf. For a symbolic ceremony the options multiply: the cliffs below San Pietro, a boat off the islands, a terrace above the rooftops.
Elope in a 12th-century tower
At Capitolare Tower we specialize in elopements. We organize the symbolic ceremony on the terrace, with the Gulf of Poets behind you, and everything around it: flowers, music, a photographer, a private dinner by our chef at the Portoro table, made from the rarest marble in Italy, and the night in a suite all your own, for one party at a time.
If you want a civil ceremony too, it takes place in a venue authorized by the town of Portovenere; then you come up to the Tower to celebrate. And if a few people want to be there, events at the Tower welcome up to 30 guests.
Tell us your idea: write to info@capitolare.com or message us on WhatsApp at +39 393 919 6290.
Discover special events at the Tower
Think about the details that matter
- Write your own vows: in a symbolic ceremony they are the heart of the rite.
- Choose the time with the light in mind: early morning and the hour before sunset are best for photos.
- Have a plan for rain, indoors but with a view.
- Tell family and friends afterwards, perhaps with a video call from the terrace.
- For a Catholic church wedding you need the preparation course and documents from your home parish: start well ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Is a civil wedding in Italy valid abroad?
Yes, it is a full legal marriage. In some countries it has to be entered in the national registers; in others the apostilled extract is enough: check with your consulate.
Do you need to be resident in Italy?
No. Foreign nationals can marry in Italy even if they come only for the wedding.
Can we get married on the beach?
For a civil wedding, only if the town council has authorized that venue. For a symbolic ceremony, yes, with permission to use the beach or public space.
How many witnesses do you need?
Two for a civil wedding, aged 18 or over with valid ID; they can be people you meet there, such as your photographer. A symbolic ceremony doesn't require any.
How far ahead should you plan?
For a civil wedding, at least three months, to leave time for documents and translations. For a symbolic ceremony a few weeks can be enough, if the venue is available.
Sources: US Embassy and Consulates in Italy; UK government guidance on getting married in Italy; Italian Civil Code, article 89; EU Regulation 2016/1191 on multilingual standard forms; Comune di Portovenere.
Stay at Capitolare Tower
Capitolare Tower is the Torre Capitolare of Portovenere, built between 1113 and 1161 and restored as a private 128 m² suite on three floors, with a panoramic rooftop terrace, for up to four guests. It is the oldest tower in the world you can sleep in, in the UNESCO site of Portovenere and the Cinque Terre. Breakfast and covered parking are included; the concierge answers on WhatsApp and by phone every day from 8 am to 10 pm Italian time.
