Marriage in Morocco to a Moroccan citizen: a guide for Italians

Guidance only, updated November 2026. Always check the requirements with the receiving authority.

An Italian citizen can marry a Moroccan citizen in Morocco by following two linked procedures: the Italian one, to obtain the nulla osta and later transcribe the marriage, and the Moroccan one, before the family justice section of the court and the adouls. Below are the steps and the points where a sworn translation is needed.

This information is up to date as of November 2026. Requirements and forms can change, so check them with the Italian consular office and with the competent Moroccan court.

Before you start: three checks

• Nationality. According to guidance published, for example, by the German Embassy in Rabat, a marriage before the Moroccan authorities requires at least one of the future spouses to be Moroccan.
• Dual nationality. The Italian Consulate General in Casablanca states that a person who is both Italian and Moroccan cannot obtain the certificate, because Moroccan nationality prevails in Morocco.
• Religion. Morocco’s Family Code (Law No. 70-03, Art. 39) treats as a temporary impediment the marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim man, and of a Muslim man to a non-Muslim woman who is not one of the “People of the Book”. In practice, a non-Muslim Italian man marrying a Muslim woman must produce a certificate of conversion to Islam; a Christian or Jewish bride may be asked to document her religion.

The procedure step by step

1. The Moroccan partner’s documents. For the nulla osta, the Consulate asks, among other things, for the full birth certificate (acte de naissance intégral), certificates of residence, nationality and single status, and the criminal record extract (fiche anthropométrique). They must be less than six months old, translated into Italian by a sworn translator and bear an Apostille on both the original and the translation.

2. The nulla osta. The Italian partner books an appointment on Prenot@mi with the Italian Embassy in Rabat or the Consulate General in Casablanca, depending on where the marriage will take place, and submits a self-declaration form, an identity document, the combined certificate of citizenship, residence and civil status, a criminal record certificate and, where relevant, documents on a previous divorce or widowhood. The Embassy in Rabat asks the applicants to appear in person. The certificate of capacity to marry (nulla osta) is valid for six months.

3. The court file. Article 65 of the Family Code requires: the application form, a copy of the birth certificate, an administrative certificate and a medical certificate for each fiancé, the judge’s authorisation (mandatory for foreigners and converts) and the foreign partner’s certificate of capacity. Other documents may be requested, for example on employment and income. Italian documents are apostilled in Italy (by the Prefettura for administrative documents, the Procura della Repubblica for judicial ones) and translated into Arabic. Ask the Consulate whether the nulla osta needs any further legalisation.

4. Filing with the family justice section. The file is kept by the registry of the family justice section where the act will be concluded; ask the registry which court is competent in your case. The family judge in charge of marriages endorses the file and grants the authorisation.

5. The act drawn up by the adouls. The judge authorises two adouls to draw up the marriage act, which records the spouses’ details and nationality, their consent, the dower (sadaq) and any agreed conditions; the act is then approved by the judge.

6. Preparing the act for Italy. Obtain the original act from the court, have it apostilled, have it translated into Italian by a sworn translator and have the translation apostilled too. Check that it shows the names, dates and places of birth of both spouses: if they are missing or wrong, a supplementary rectification act from the same court is required, also apostilled and translated.

7. Transcription in Italy. The act is transcribed in the Italian municipality (Comune) of last residence or AIRE registration. You can submit it through the Consulate (appointment, form, proof of Italian citizenship, copies of both spouses’ IDs), which forwards it to the Comune, or directly to the Comune. If the Italian spouse was born abroad, his or her birth act must be transcribed first, as must any previous marriages and divorces. A marriage by proxy cannot be transcribed. If you are registered with AIRE, update your record afterwards.

Where sworn translation is needed

• Into Italian: the Moroccan documents for the nulla osta; the marriage act and any rectification act for transcription.
• Into Arabic: the Italian documents required by the Moroccan court.
• Order: Italy and Morocco are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention (Morocco since 14 August 2016). First the Apostille on the original, then the translation, then the Apostille on the translation where required.

Checklist of documents to prepare

Italian citizen

• Identity card or passport, original and copy
• Combined certificate of citizenship, residence and civil status (certificato contestuale)
• Birth certificate extract showing the parents’ names (requested in Rabat)
• Criminal record certificate
• Self-declaration on the consular form
• If divorced or widowed: marriage record annotated with the divorce, or the spouse’s death certificate
• If requested: proof of employment and income; conversion certificate

Moroccan citizen

• Full birth certificate (acte de naissance intégral)
• Certificates of residence, nationality and single status
• Criminal record extract (fiche anthropométrique)
• National identity card and passport
• If divorced: divorce document and certificate of non-remarriage

After the wedding

• Original apostilled marriage act with apostilled Italian translation
• Transcription request form
• Proof of Italian citizenship and copies of both spouses’ IDs

Frequently asked questions

Is a marriage celebrated in Morocco valid in Italy?

Yes, subject to conditions. Under Italian Law No. 218/1995, the form is valid if it complies with the law of the place of celebration, while each spouse’s capacity is governed by his or her national law. To take effect in Italy, the marriage must be transcribed.

Does the nulla osta expire?

Yes: the Casablanca Consulate states six months and requires documents issued less than six months earlier. File the court dossier within that period.

Can we marry at the Italian Consulate instead?

The Casablanca Consulate celebrates consular marriages only where local law does not object, and may refuse if the parties do not reside in its district. Check with the consular office first.

Sources

• Italian Consulate General in Casablanca – Capacity to marry
• Italian Consulate General in Casablanca – Marriage
• Italian Consulate General in Casablanca – Civil status
• Italian Consulate General in Casablanca – AIRE
• Italian Embassy in Rabat – Marriage
• Italian Embassy in Rabat – Documents for marrying in Morocco (PDF)
• Moroccan Family Code, Law No. 70-03 (Arabic text)
• German Embassy in Rabat – Mixed marriage in Morocco (PDF)
• Italian Law No. 218/1995, Art. 27 and Art. 28
• Italian Presidential Decree No. 396/2000, Art. 17
• HCCH – Apostille Convention status table
• HCCH – Apostille competent authorities in Italy

Tarjama24 can prepare the sworn translations from Arabic into Italian and from Italian into Arabic needed at each stage, from the nulla osta and the court file to transcription in Italy. Send us your documents and tell us which office they are for, and we will explain how to proceed.