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The short answer
To marry at an Italian comune, a Nigerian must give the civil registrar a nulla osta, a declaration from the competent Nigerian authority (normally the Embassy in Rome) that nothing in Nigerian law prevents the marriage, as article 116 of the Civil Code requires. It must be in Italian and legalised, and comuni also ask for a passport, proof any earlier marriage ended and, for residents, published banns. A permesso di soggiorno is no longer required.
The rule every comune applies
Whether you marry in Rome, Brescia or Castel Volturno, the starting point is the same national rule: article 116 of the Italian Civil Code. A foreign citizen who wants to marry in Italy must give the ufficiale dello stato civile (the civil registrar at the comune) a declaration from the competent authority of their own country that, under its laws, nothing stands in the way of the marriage. That declaration is the nulla osta. The comune cannot replace it with a sworn statement of your own; the commentary on Brocardi.it (updated August 2026) notes that the drafters of the Code deliberately rejected equivalent documents.
Article 116 also applies some Italian conditions to foreigners directly (articles 85, 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Code), covering matters such as age, an existing marriage and close family ties. And it no longer requires proof of lawful stay: the Constitutional Court struck that condition down in judgment 245 of 25 July 2011, so a missing or expired permesso di soggiorno is not, on its own, a ground for refusal.
What the comune will ask a Nigerian partner for
Comuni set their own checklists, and they differ in detail, but a Nigerian citizen should expect to be asked for most of the following:
- The nulla osta from the Nigerian authority, naming both partners, translated into Italian and legalised.
- A valid passport, which is also the identity document for the ceremony.
- Birth certificate, if the comune does not accept the nulla osta as proof of your particulars. Comuni often ask for one with full parentage.
- Proof that a previous marriage has ended, if you were married before: a divorce decree or a death certificate, translated and legalised.
- Codice fiscale and, if you live in Italy, your residence details, because the comune links the file to the anagrafe.
- An interpreter at the ceremony if you do not speak Italian well; the comune will tell you its rules for interpreters.
Getting the nulla osta as a Nigerian
For a Nigerian living in Italy, the competent authority is normally the Embassy of Nigeria in Rome. When we checked its online pages in October 2026, they described passports and visas only, with no procedure, document list or fee for a nulla osta or certificate of no impediment. Write to the Embassy before you plan the wedding and ask three things: whether it issues the document, what it needs from you, and whether its signature is already recognised by your comune or still needs to be legalised at the Prefettura.
For comparison only, the Nigeria High Commission in London publishes its version. It charges a £20 service fee plus £15 processing for a certificate of no impediment, on top of a £20 administrative charge for all consular services, and asks for a copy of the passport, a notarised declaration of no impediment, proof of the planned marriage and, for anyone divorced, the decree absolute (London consular page, checked October 2026). Rome may ask for something similar, but its own rules are the ones that count. Our article on the Nigerian certificate of no impediment in Italy looks at that document on its own.
Translation, legalisation and time limits
Any Nigerian document must reach the comune in Italian and in a form Italian offices accept. Nigeria is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so there is no apostille. Documents issued in Nigeria are authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja and then legalised by the Italian Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, depending on the issuing state. Documents issued by the Nigerian Embassy in Italy follow an Italian route instead: NotaiOnline (updated September 2026) notes that the Prefettura legalises consular documents, with a €16 revenue stamp at the Prefettura in Rome.
Translations must be official. Prefettura guidance on citizenship files (Cremona) accepts a translation by the foreign country's consulate in Italy, an Italian consulate abroad, or a sworn translator, and never by the applicant. Comuni generally follow the same logic; see our guide to sworn translation of Nigerian documents.
Watch the dates. Under article 41 of DPR 445/2000, certificates about facts that can change, such as marital status, are valid for six months, as NotaiOnline notes. Many comuni apply a similar limit to a nulla osta; if it is older than six months when you file, expect to be asked for a fresh one.
From banns to ceremony
- Prepare documents in Nigeria and Italy, translated and legalised.
- File the request for pubblicazioni at the comune. Article 116 says foreigners resident or domiciled in Italy must also have the banns published, like Italian citizens.
- Banns period: the comune posts the notice; it tells you the dates and when you may marry.
- Book the ceremony, civil at the comune or religious with civil effect, and arrange witnesses and any interpreter.
- Collect the marriage record: ask for an estratto or certificato di matrimonio, and a multilingual extract if you will use it in another EU country.
Once married, you will want the marriage recognised for Nigerian purposes, such as passport name changes or family applications. That is a separate process, covered in registering an Italian marriage for Nigerian records and changing the name on a Nigerian passport in Italy.
Where Pryme fits
Weddings that span two countries mean paying for documents in naira and for the day itself in euros. A Pryme account holds both, with the rate and fee shown before any conversion, and lets you send naira to whoever is collecting your papers at home. Naira deposits are held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank; outside Nigeria, Pryme works through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Do I need a permesso di soggiorno to get married in Italy as a Nigerian?
No. The Italian Constitutional Court removed the lawful-stay requirement from article 116 in judgment 245 of 2011. The comune still needs your passport and the nulla osta.
Who issues the nulla osta for a Nigerian in Italy?
Normally the Embassy of Nigeria in Rome, as the competent authority of your country. Its online pages do not describe the procedure, so contact it directly and ask what it needs.
How long is a nulla osta valid for marriage in Italy?
Article 116 sets no period, but certificates on facts that can change are valid for six months under DPR 445/2000, and many comuni apply that limit. Ask your comune.
Can I write my own declaration that I am single instead of the nulla osta?
Generally no. Article 116 asks for a declaration from your country's competent authority, and the Code's drafters rejected equivalent documents.
Sources
- Codice civile art. 116, Matrimonio dello straniero nello Stato (Brocardi.it, updated Aug 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- NotaiOnline: apostille and legalisation of documents (updated 24 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Prefettura UTG Cremona: documents for citizenship by residence · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria High Commission London: consular services · accessed Oct 2026
- Embassy of Italy in Abuja: legalisation of documents · accessed Oct 2026
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