Biscuity

Hi all, my Italian partner and I are currently in the process of buying a flat, completing next Wed, and the notaio has suddenly asked us for a Certificato di Stato Libero. I have absolutely no idea if this even exists in the UK, or how I can get it, and can find zero information online - any help would be much appreciated!

C.2s

Have you asked what it is for?

I think this might be the same thing as is being discussed in the other thread about changing data anagrafici. I think it proves your marital status. Italians all have this information recorded, and can request a certificate. But if you are a UK citizen then you can't get because the UK doesn't keep these records. I mean we do have marriage certificates, and also possibly some documents that prove divorce, but obviously not if the person is single. If that is what you need to prove you can do a self certification instead

Biscuity

Yes, it's to prove I'm not married. The notary won't accept self certification. I contacted my local register office in the UK and they said I can request a 'letter of no trace' from the national register office, but then the notary found a similar case to mine locally, and will adapt the document they used and have the mayor of my comune di residenza sign it... now it just so happens the mayor is my partner's cousin, so in the end I've had to resort to a very Italian solution - using who you know!!

C.2s

That's good. It is indeed a very Italian thing. Because it now seems like everyone is doing you a great personal favour by using the 'solution' they've come up with, when in fact all they're doing is what it says to do in the relevant law, and what they should have done in the first place. Best to just play along and smile and say how grateful you are:-)

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modicasa

The certificato di stato libero is one of the things for which you can do a self certification, as laid down in the D.P.R: 445/2000, so there is no reason why the notary wouldnt/couldnt accept it.

Biscuity

That's very good to know! I feel like they kind of have us over a barrel, though - they are holding all the cards, and if they insist then we can't force them to accept it, law or not. At least we found some sort of solution anyway.