Civil partnerships were legalised in Italy in 2016 after a bill to allow such unions, as well as gender-neutral registered partnerships, was approved by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and then signed into law by the President on 20 May 2016.
A “Formazioni Sociali Specifiche” allows civil partnerships to take place between same-sex couples. The rights and obligations for such partnerships are very similar to those of marriage, except for adoption (stepchild adoption) which remains prohibited.
In Italy, homosexual couples can marry through civil union. In order to validly establish a civil union, the couple must jointly make a declaration to the registrar of the town hall (of any municipality) in the presence of two witnesses (one on each side).
The couple must declare their personal information, nationality, residence, and existence of any causes that would prevent the establishment of a civil union, for example, if one of the partners is married, banned due to mental illness, or otherwise.
The declaration made to the registrar must also contain:
- The willingness to establish a civil union
- The willingness to assume the family surname or one’s surname
- An indication of the property regime – if the parties do not make any choice known, the community of property regime will apply directly
The registration of the declaration in the civil status archive is also required.
Couples who live together and support each other emotionally and financially in Italy are considered to be “domestic partners”. You can make such a relationship official by sending a declaration form to the Office for National Statistics in the town in which you wish to establish joint residence. This is done by way of a common law partnership application and we can assist you with this process.
If you married abroad, we can assist you with registering any civil unions, partnerships, or marriages with the Italian authorities.
Italian citizenship
Non-EU nationals who have entered into a legally registered civil partnership with an Italian national can also apply for Italian citizenship. You can apply two years after the marriage if you live in Italy or three years after if you live overseas.
For more information on any of the points addressed above, please contact a member of the team.
