This site uses technical (necessary) and analytics cookies.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies.

Divorce Registration

To register in Italy the divorce decree of an Italian citizen, the marriage must first have been registered.

A divorce decree issued abroad is not automatically considered valid in Italy, but must be registered in the Civil Status Registers of the competent Municipality in Italy. For this purpose, the divorce decree must be translated into Italian and legalized. Further information on the translation and legalization procedure is available in the “Translation and Legalization of Documents” section of this website.

The citizen requesting the registration of the divorce decree must book an appointment at the Embassy using the portal https://prenotami.esteri.it and submit the following documents:

  • The NISI and ABSOLUTE decrees issued by the competent local court (original or certified copy), duly legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka or the Maldives;

  • Copies of the passports of both individuals who contracted the marriage.

The divorce registration request form must also be completed.

As the authenticity of documents issued in Sri Lanka and submitted to the Embassy may be subject to verification by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and as the translation of the divorce decree must also be prepared, as explained in the “Translations and Legalizations” section of this website, the documents will be sent to the competent Municipality in Italy only after these steps are completed.

Once the translation and verification process is concluded, the Embassy will legalize the documents and forward them to the competent Municipality in Italy. It should be noted that the Italian Civil Status Officer, before proceeding with the registration, must verify that the foreign decree meets the requirements set out in Article 64 of Law no. 218 of May 31, 1995, in particular that the decree was issued by a court with jurisdiction and that it results in the irreversible dissolution of the marital bond. It is therefore essential that the foreign decree clearly indicates the final and non-appealable nature of the decision and the date from which its effects take place.