# British couple married in Italy - visa problems...



## Southak (Sep 13, 2010)

My wife and I were married in Italy but are a british couple. We are planning on coming over to italy in January but are having a real nightmare getting our italian marriage certificate legalised.

The UAE embassy in Rome does not do legalisations in person, so they put us in touch with a local visa company where no one speaks english?!? 

What on earth are we to do? I just know I am going to end up flying to Verona to get the magistrate to legalise and then on to Rome to get the embassy to do it. What a nightmare.

Anyone have any experience of this? Know any other visa companies in rome who could help with this?


Thanks,

Kevin


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

This needs to be in the Italy Forum and not Dubai. I'm sure one of the mods will move it soon enough so someone can help you.


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## Southak (Sep 13, 2010)

Sorry we're travelling to uae not italy *stressed*


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Easiest solution would seem to just have a friend who speaks italian help out? Sorry if that seems like an elementary answer.


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## Yoga girl (Oct 19, 2008)

Hi there

First of all good luck with Italian bureaucracy!  Dont forget that anything the first person tells you... will change if you ask his or her colleague... just keep pushing.

FOrgive the question but if you are both British Nationals is the marriage valid in the UK? And if it is it means it has been translated and registered back in the UK? If so you can probably approach the BRitish Embassy in the UAE or the Consulate in Dubai...????
If it is not registered in the UK this might be a problem.

Having said that, I used a good visa company that works for travel agents and companies which is in Rome (where I am assuming you live?) and who you can courier everything too. I also have another contact in Milan.
PM me and I will send you details (I dont have them here with me now).

I would imagine that the first step towards anything is getting your marriage license translated into English and then later Arabic. However this needs to be done (at least in Italy) by a certified lawyer registered at the courts. The best guides for this should be the UAE embassy in Rome, or the Consular offices (if they have any)

I suggest though that as Pamela says that you should post this on the Italian forum as well as the Dubai one and see what happens.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

I can't help with your query but think of your experience as good practice for when you get here! Bureaucracy is taken to a whole new level here!


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## Southak (Sep 13, 2010)

Yoga girl said:


> Hi there
> 
> First of all good luck with Italian bureaucracy!  Dont forget that anything the first person tells you... will change if you ask his or her colleague... just keep pushing.
> 
> ...


We are both British nationals living in the UK but got married in italy. We have an italian marriage certifciate and as far as I am aware we don't need the certifcate legalised in the uk to have a valid marriage - one of the advantages of the EU I guess.

Thanks for the tip about the visa company, I'll PM you but please don't tell me it is ZAMA WORLD VISA as no-one there speaks english and I don't speak italian


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## desertdude (Nov 22, 2010)

Or just get remarried in the UK ?


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## Chris78 (Dec 14, 2010)

Southak said:


> We are both British nationals living in the UK but got married in italy. We have an italian marriage certifciate and as far as I am aware we don't need the certifcate legalised in the uk to have a valid marriage - one of the advantages of the EU I guess.
> 
> Thanks for the tip about the visa company, I'll PM you but please don't tell me it is ZAMA WORLD VISA as no-one there speaks english and I don't speak italian


Hi - I have just signed up for the forum tonight, so i hope you don't mind me intruding on your thread.

Is this a general issue for folk from the UK who got married in a different country? (We got married in Cyprus and are planning on moving out to Dubai early next year).


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## Yoga girl (Oct 19, 2008)

Chris78 said:


> Hi - I have just signed up for the forum tonight, so i hope you don't mind me intruding on your thread.
> 
> Is this a general issue for folk from the UK who got married in a different country? (We got married in Cyprus and are planning on moving out to Dubai early next year).


My advice would be that whenever you leave your country of origin or of residence you make sure you check the legal issues. Just because you got married and have a certificate doesnt mean that the country you are living in or will live in will recognise that certificate or license.
This will have an effect on wills, taxes, and indeed in other every day to day things like in the UAE where living with a person of the other sex who is not related to you is illegal.

A little trouble now might save you years of legal problems (and money!!) later on.


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## gb226690 (Oct 4, 2011)

Southak said:


> We are both British nationals living in the UK but got married in italy. We have an italian marriage certifciate and as far as I am aware we don't need the certifcate legalised in the uk to have a valid marriage - one of the advantages of the EU I guess.
> 
> Thanks for the tip about the visa company, I'll PM you but please don't tell me it is ZAMA WORLD VISA as no-one there speaks english and I don't speak italian


Hi there - I just wondered if you ever resolved this issue?! I have a Greek marriage certificate but there is no UAE Embassy in Greece so we are supposed to have it legalised through the UAE Embassy in Rome. I am totally stuck as to how I am supposed to do it. Or can I take the certificates to Dubai and sort it out there somehow?

Thanks


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## Yoga girl (Oct 19, 2008)

Yes you can contact one of the many agencies here that deal with legalisation of documents. I recently used one to get my degree attested and they were very good.


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