Bigamy in Italy

Bigamy is a crime in Italy because Italian Law don't recognize polygamous marriages.

Pursuant to Article 556 of Italian Penal Code when the person, who being already married and not divorced, have a new marriage with civil effects, shall be punished with imprisonment from one to five years.

The same penalty applies to any person, not being married, that contracts marriage with a person already marriage with civil effects.

The penalty is more severe if the offender has misled the person with whom he contracted marriage, about own civil state.

If the marriage contracted before by the bigamist has been declared invalid or annulled, the crime is extinguished.

To know more about marriage in Italy, please see also:

Divorce in Italy

Lawyers in Italy: the banns of marriage

Transcription in Italy of marriages contracted abroad

Italian lawyers for U.S. nationals in Italy

What to do if you are arrested in Italy

English speaking lawyers in Italy

For more information, please contact Attorney at law in Rome