How can someone access Catholic religious services in San Marino?

Catholic services such as Mass, sacraments, catechesis and parish activities are normally arranged directly with the relevant parish or the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro. Parish-specific conditions, appointments and contributions can vary.

Can families choose an alternative to Catholic religion lessons in San Marino public schools?

Yes. Parents, legal representatives or adult pupils choose at enrolment whether to attend Catholic religion teaching or Etica, cultura e società, the alternative subject provided under Law 96/2019. The choice must not lead to religious discrimination.

What civil steps are required for a religious marriage in San Marino?

A couple must complete civil marriage publications through the Ufficio di Stato Civile, Servizi Demografici ed Elettorali even when the ceremony is religious. The request is normally made about 30 days beforehand, publication lasts at least eight days, the fee is €50 and the ceremony must occur within 180 days.

How are non-Catholic religious communities treated in San Marino?

Freedom of conscience, worship and religious equality apply to non-Catholic communities in San Marino. These communities generally use civil associations or their own structures, but no complete public affiliation register or fully established registration system for every religious organisation has been evidenced.

What rules apply to religious burial arrangements in San Marino?

Religious burial is allowed within the legal framework, and the Congresso di Stato may designate cemetery areas for non-Catholic religious use. Non-standard rites must meet public-order, security, health, architectural and dimensional requirements and may require a nulla osta from the competent Commissario della Legge.

Religion in San Marino

Religion in San Marino is shaped by a Catholic majority, parish life and legal freedom of conscience and worship. The Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro, the church administration covering San Marino and part of Italy, works through the San Marino Vicariate, which includes nine castelli (municipalities) and 12 parishes. Smaller communities, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baha’is, Muslims, Jews, Orthodox Christians and Waldensians, follow their own access arrangements.

Tip

Choose the Catholic parish, relevant minority community, school or State office according to the concrete matter; San Marino has no single central religion service or complete affiliation register. Confirm community-specific conditions, appointments and fees directly, and handle religious ceremonies alongside separate civil procedures when legal recognition is required. Written confirmation is especially useful for school choices, religious marriages, burials and non-Catholic arrangements.

byChiara&Francesco

San Marino has a Catholic majority, but its legal framework protects equality regardless of religion and freedom of conscience and worship. The reviewed constitutional text does not establish a State religion. Restrictions on worship are limited to exceptional cases involving serious public-order or public-interest reasons. Education law also prohibits religious discrimination. Catholic religious life includes Mass, liturgy, prayer, sacraments, processions, pilgrimages, catechesis and parish pastoral work. The Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro provides territorial Catholic governance across San Marino and part of Italy. Within San Marino, the Vicariato San Marino covers nine castelli and 12 parishes. People normally arrange Catholic services directly with the relevant parish or the Diocese. Private worship does not require a general State permit on the basis of the reviewed rules. Non-Catholic communities are present but their organization is more fragmented. The documented communities include Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baha’is, Muslims, Jews, Orthodox Christians and Waldensians. They generally operate through civil associations or their own community structures; the Jewish community is noted as an exception in the available review. San Marino has no complete public register of religious affiliation and no systematic official statistics by confession. No general religion tax has been evidenced. Public schools teach Catholic religion in all non-university grades under the 2018 agreement between San Marino and the Holy See. The subject has equal curricular status and dignity, but parents, legal representatives or adult pupils choose whether to attend it at enrolment. Law 96/2019 provides Etica, cultura e società as the alternative subject from the 2019–2020 school year. Around 10% of pupils chose the alternative in the 2022–2023 school year; implementation and curricula should be confirmed with the school or the Department of Education because they can be reviewed. Religiously significant dates include every Sunday, 1 January, 6 January, 5 February for Sant’Agata, Corpus Christi, 15 August, 1 November, 2 November, 8 December, 25 December and 3 September for San Marino. Sant’Agata and San Marino combine religious and national significance. Parish fees or donations for sacraments are not published through one uniform nationwide tariff, so the relevant parish or community must provide the current amount. Religious life events follow the rules of the relevant community and include baptism, first communion, confirmation, confession, anointing of the sick, religious marriage and funerals. A religious marriage does not replace civil registration. The couple must complete civil marriage publications through the Ufficio di Stato Civile, Servizi Demografici ed Elettorali: the request is normally made about 30 days before the planned ceremony, the publication lasts at least eight days, the State publication fee is €50 and the ceremony must take place within 180 days. The parish receives the civil notification through the official process. San Marino recorded 19 religious and 73 civil marriages in 2025; in the first quarter of 2026, it recorded three religious and six civil marriages. Religiously compliant burial is permitted within the applicable legal framework. The Congresso di Stato may designate cemetery areas for non-Catholic religious use. Alternative rites must respect requirements concerning dimensions, architecture, public order, security and health. A non-standard burial requires a nulla osta, meaning formal clearance, from the competent Commissario della Legge. Cemetery concessions and administrative charges are separate from any parish or community contribution. Public authorities have reported good relations among religious communities and attention to intercultural and interreligious dialogue. Dialogue in San Marino appears mainly through projects and events rather than through a single permanent State interreligious body. Legislative matters belong to the Consiglio Grande e Generale, executive designations to the Congresso di Stato, school implementation to the education authorities and civil-status or cemetery records to the Ufficio di Stato Civile, Servizi Demografici ed Elettorali.