Certificato di capacità matrimoniale and certificat de coutume explained

You’re planning to marry an Italian, you call the consulate - and they ask you to bring a “Certificato di capacità matrimoniale”. You search online, read for 20 minutes, and end up more confused: there’s the Munich Convention, Nulla Osta, certificat de coutume, and none of these terms maps cleanly to the notarial civil status declaration you know from Ukraine.

Here’s the full breakdown - no bureaucratic fog. You’ll understand exactly which document you need, where to get it, and what it costs - depending on where you’re registering the marriage.

Two documents, one goal, different legal systems¶

Certificato di capacità matrimoniale and certificat de coutume are two different documents from two different legal traditions, but both serve the same purpose: confirming to a foreign municipality that your home country has no legal objections to your marriage.

Certificato di capacità matrimoniale - literally “marriage capacity certificate”. In Italy this term is used in two senses:

1. The Munich Convention 1980 document - a standard multilingual form issued to citizens of signatory countries, exempt from apostille and translation.
2. The general term for any document confirming the right to marry - for foreign nationals this is typically a Nulla Osta from their embassy.

Certificat de coutume is a different thing. In French law, “coutume” means custom, precedent, legal tradition. A certificat de coutume is a document from your home country’s embassy explaining to the French mairie (town hall) exactly what your national law says about the conditions for marriage. In plain terms: official confirmation that “this is allowed back home”.

The confusion comes from the fact that both terms are sometimes used interchangeably as synonyms for “certificate of no impediment to marriage” - even though legally they’re distinct.

The Munich Convention 1980: why it doesn’t apply to Ukrainians¶

The Munich Convention 1980 (full name: “Convention relative à la délivrance d’un certificat de capacité matrimoniale”) is an international agreement that simplified marriage bureaucracy between signatory states. The document issued under this convention uses a standard multilingual form and requires neither apostille nor translation.

Signatory states: Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

As stated in the official text of the Convention on the Italian Ministry of Interior website:

Il certificato di capacità matrimoniale rilasciato ai sensi della Convenzione di Monaco del 5 settembre 1980 è esente da apostille, legalizzazione e traduzione tra gli Stati contraenti.

The document is exempt from apostille and translation - but only between signatory states.

Ukraine is not a signatory. This means: if you’re a Ukrainian citizen marrying in Italy, you can’t use the simplified convention form. Your path is the Nulla Osta al Matrimonio through the Ukrainian consulate. If you’re marrying in France - Certificat de coutume + attestation de célibat from the embassy, not the standard convention form.

Marriage in Italy: the Nulla Osta - what it is and how to get it¶

To register a marriage at an Italian Comune (municipal registry), every foreign national must provide a document confirming: under their home country’s laws, they are free to marry. For Ukrainians, this document is the Nulla Osta al Matrimonio (“permission to marry”), issued by the Ukrainian embassy or consulate in Italy.

According to the official requirements of the Ukrainian Embassy in Italy:

Il Nulla Osta è redatto direttamente in lingua italiana nello stesso giorno dell’avanzamento della domanda, a condizione che i documenti esibiti siano conformi alla lista ed i requisiti soddisfatti.

The document is prepared on the day of the appointment - provided all documents are in order.

Documents needed for the Nulla Osta¶

If never previously married: - Valid passport + 2 copies of the first pages - Birth certificate + 1 copy - Notarial civil status declaration (if not yet obtained from a Ukrainian notary)

If divorced: - Passport + copies - Birth certificate + copy - Previous marriage certificate (or passport with the relevant stamp) - Divorce certificate or court decree

If widowed: - Passport + copies - Birth certificate + copy - Previous marriage certificate - Death certificate of former spouse

Plus - the Italian fiancé(e) or future foreign spouse must be personally present to sign consent for use of their personal data in the document.

Cost of the Nulla Osta¶

Two options depending on where the civil status declaration is executed:

Note: the Milan consulate lists 116€ total for the full bilingual document including both declaration and Nulla Osta.

How to book an appointment¶

Booking through the official portal: go.mfa.gov.ua or online.mfa.gov.ua. You’ll need digital identification (BankID or equivalent).

Accepting consulates: - Rome: Ukrainian Embassy, via Monte Pramaggiore 13 - Milan: Consulate, every third Tuesday and Thursday by appointment - Naples: Consulate by prior appointment

After getting the Nulla Osta: next step¶

The Nulla Osta must be authenticated at the Ufficio di Legalizzazione of the local Prefettura - a marca da bollo of 16€ is applied. Without this step, the Comune won’t accept the document.

After that - submit the Nulla Osta to the Comune along with other documents (passport, birth certificate with apostille and authenticated translation) and the marriage banns publication process begins (pubblicazioni di matrimonio) - usually 30 days before the ceremony.

Validity of the Nulla Osta: 6 months from issue date.

Document translation for the Comune¶

The Nulla Osta comes in bilingual format (Ukrainian + Italian) - no separate translation needed.

But passport, birth certificate, and divorce certificate (if any) all need to be translated and go through asseverazione (court authentication). This means: the translator personally goes to the local Tribunale, takes an oath on the accuracy of the translation, and the court stamps it.

Cost: 40-100€ per page depending on the translator and region.

Important: the apostille on the birth certificate is placed in Ukraine before translation. The order is: original → apostille (670 UAH, Ministry of Justice) → translation + asseverazione.

Marriage in France: certificat de coutume and attestation de célibat¶

The procedure in France is somewhat different. French law requires two documents from a foreign national:

1. Certificat de coutume - an explanation from the embassy saying: “under our country’s laws, these are the conditions for marriage, and here’s what needs to be confirmed”.
2. Attestation de célibat (or certificat de capacité matrimoniale) - a specific statement confirming that this individual is unmarried and free to marry.

In practice the line between these two is often blurred - some mairies accept one combined document from the embassy, others ask for both separately.

2024 update: the embassy no longer issues personalised certificats de coutume¶

Previously the Ukrainian embassy in France issued a personalised certificat de coutume with stamps and signatures for each individual. As of 2024-2026, this practice has changed.

As stated in the official materials of the Ukrainian Embassy in France:

L’Ambassade d’Ukraine n’établit plus de certificats de coutume personnalisés, qui sont remplacés par la notice d’information disponible en ligne.

The embassy no longer issues personalised certificats de coutume - replaced by a general online information notice explaining Ukrainian marriage law conditions to French mairies. This document is available on the embassy website, but has no personal stamps.

The embassy continues to issue the attestation de célibat/certificat de capacité matrimoniale - personalised, by appointment only. This is the document that confirms a specific individual is not currently married.

Booking: through france.mfa.gov.ua/zapis-na-prijom.

What a Ukrainian citizen needs for marriage in France¶

Standard document package submitted to the mairie:

If previously married: divorce certificate or death certificate of former spouse + apostille + translation.

Validity of attestation de célibat for French mairie: 3 months from issue date. This is a hard requirement - if the document is even one day past the deadline, the mairie will refuse registration.

Embassy document costs¶

The attestation de célibat at the Ukrainian Embassy in France costs approximately 45€. Payment by bank card.

Document translation for France¶

All Ukrainian-language documents must be translated into French by a sworn translator - traducteur assermenté (translator registered with the French Court of Appeal, Cour d’Appel).

A standard notarial translation from Ukraine won’t be accepted by a French mairie. Only a traducteur assermenté qualifies.

Cost: 25-55€ per page depending on language pair and document complexity.

As the official “La France en Ukraine” portal (French Embassy) explains:

Tous les documents rédigés en ukrainien doivent être traduits en français. Les copies certifiées conformes aux originaux apostillés peuvent être réalisées par un notaire ukrainien.

All documents in Ukrainian need to be translated. Notarially certified copies of apostilled originals are acceptable.

One practical note: some traducteurs assermentés work remotely and send documents by post. Check this upfront - it can save significant time if you’re not based in France.

Comparison: Nulla Osta vs Certificat de Coutume¶

Action checklist for both countries¶

For marriage in Italy¶

• [ ] Birth certificate: obtain + apostille (Ministry of Justice, 670 UAH) + asseverazione at Tribunale (~40-100€/page)
• [ ] Divorce certificate (if applicable): apostille + asseverazione
• [ ] Book consulate appointment via go.mfa.gov.ua
• [ ] Get Nulla Osta (74€ or 56€ - depends on option)
• [ ] Authenticate at Prefettura (marca da bollo 16€)
• [ ] Submit to Comune + wait 30 days of banns

For marriage in France¶

• [ ] Birth certificate: obtain + apostille (Ministry of Justice, 670 UAH) + traducteur assermenté translation (~25-55€/page)
• [ ] Gather the rest of the document package
• [ ] Download the online certificat de coutume notice from the embassy website
• [ ] Book appointment and get attestation de célibat (~45€) - do this LAST given the 3-month validity
• [ ] Submit the full package to the mairie

Key rule: get the attestation de célibat last - it only lasts 3 months. Gather everything else first, then go for the attestation.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them¶

1. Translation before apostille¶

The correct order is apostille first, then translation (the translator translates the entire document including the apostille). If you do it backwards - the apostilled translation won’t be accepted by either the Comune or the Prefettura.

2. Wrong type of translation certification¶

For Italy you need asseverazione (court authentication) - a notarial translation from Ukraine doesn’t qualify. For France - traducteur assermenté, not just “a certified translator”. If the certification type doesn’t match the country’s requirements, the document will be rejected.

3. Expired attestation de célibat¶

Three months means 90 days from the date of issue, not from the date of submission. If you got the attestation and then spent another month gathering documents - count dates carefully.

4. Name inconsistency across documents¶

If your passport says “Olena”, the birth certificate says “Olena”, but the translation ended up as “Elena” or “Alena” due to transliteration choices - that can be grounds for rejection. Use one consistent transliteration across all documents and translations.

5. Expecting the Nulla Osta to replace all other documents¶

The Nulla Osta confirms only the absence of impediments under Ukrainian law. Birth certificate, proof of residence, divorce documents - these are all submitted separately with their own translations.

As a user on matrimonio.com found:

Ci è stato detto che il nulla osta va bene, ma il comune ha comunque richiesto l’atto di nascita apostillato e tradotto separatamente. Non ci aspettavamo questo passaggio aggiuntivo.

Even with a Nulla Osta in hand, the Comune may still ask for a separately apostilled and translated birth certificate - this is normal. Plan for it.

If your partner is from a Munich Convention country¶

If your partner is a German, Spanish, Portuguese, or other Munich Convention 1980 signatory national and you’re marrying in one of those countries - the procedure is simplified for them. They can get the multilingual Certificato di Capacità Matrimoniale from their municipality, and that document won’t require apostille or translation in Ukraine.

For you as a Ukrainian citizen - the rules described above apply regardless: you’ll need the notarial civil status declaration + apostille, all translated by the local sworn translator.

More on marriage documentation across EU countries - in the article on marriage abroad document translation.

FAQ¶

What is the Certificato di capacità matrimoniale and does a Ukrainian citizen need one?¶

It’s a marriage capacity certificate. Two contexts:

1. Under the Munich Convention 1980 - a standard multilingual form for citizens of Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey. Exempt from apostille and translation between these countries.

2. In broader usage - any embassy/consulate document confirming the right to marry for a foreign national. For Ukrainians in Italy, that’s the Nulla Osta al Matrimonio.

Where does a Ukrainian get the Nulla Osta al Matrimonio for marriage in Italy?¶

At the Ukrainian embassy or consulate in Italy: Rome (Embassy, via Monte Pramaggiore 13), Milan (Consulate), Naples (Consulate). Booking through go.mfa.gov.ua or online.mfa.gov.ua. Cost: 74€ (if civil status declaration is made there) or 56€ (if you already have a Ukrainian notarial declaration). Valid 6 months. After getting it - authentication at Prefettura (16€ marca da bollo).

How much does the certificat de coutume cost for marriage in France?¶

There’s no longer a personalised certificat de coutume with embassy stamps - it’s been replaced by a free online notice on the embassy website. The attestation de célibat / capacité matrimoniale is a separate personalised document, costing around 45€, by appointment only at the Ukrainian Embassy in France.

Do I need an apostille on the Nulla Osta or attestation de célibat?¶

No. These documents are issued by Ukrainian diplomatic missions directly - they already carry diplomatic authority and don’t require apostille. Apostilles are needed on documents obtained in Ukraine (birth certificates, divorce certificates, etc.).

Can I order document translations online for marriage in Italy or France?¶

For a preliminary draft or to understand what the translation will look like - yes, through ChatsControl. But for official submission: Italy requires asseverazione in court (the translator goes in person to the Tribunale), France requires a traducteur assermenté registered with the Cour d’Appel. Some sworn translators in both countries work remotely and ship certified translations by post - verify this upfront. Or order via certified translation service with the right type of authentication.

What if the mairie demands a personalised certificat de coutume but the embassy no longer issues one?¶

This is a real issue some couples run into - there’s an information gap between French mairies and the embassy. The practical approach: ask the mairie to verify current requirements and explain that the embassy transitioned to an online notice. If the mairie insists - ask for the responsible official’s contact and direct them to the official explanation on the embassy website (france.mfa.gov.ua/fr/consular-issues/mariage).

Sources¶

1. Il Nulla Osta al Matrimonio - Ukrainian Embassy in Italy - official requirements and costs
2. Nulla Osta al Matrimonio - Ukrainian Consulate Milan - booking process and documents
3. Mariage/PACS - Ukrainian Embassy in France - requirements for marriage in France
4. Mariage - La France en Ukraine (French Embassy) - what’s required from the French side
5. Convenzione di Monaco 1980 - Italian Prefettura - full convention text with signatory list
6. Contrarre matrimonio in Italia - Ukrainian Consulate Naples - requirements for marrying an Italian citizen
7. Documents for French-Ukrainian marriage - Légibase - document overview for French-Ukrainian marriages