Ehefähigkeitszeugnis für Ausländer

• § 1309 Abs. 1 und 2 Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB)
• Art. 5 und Art. 13 Einführungsgesetz zum Bürgerlichen Gesetzbuch (EGBGB)
• Verordnung (EU) 2016/1191 (EU_ApostilleVO)

If you are a foreign national and wish to marry in Germany, you must always present a certificate of matrimonial capacity from your home country. In this certificate of no impediment to marriage, the internal authority of your home country confirms that there is no impediment to the intended marriage under the law of your home country

If you have several nationalities, one of which is German, you do not need a certificate of no impediment to marriage. Otherwise, the nationality with which you have the closest relationship is decisive.

If it is not possible to issue a certificate of no impediment to marriage (for example, because your home country does not provide for such a certificate), you can apply to the President of the Higher Regional Court (OLG) for an exemption from providing a certificate of no impediment to marriage. The OLG will then check whether you can enter into the intended marriage or whether the relevant home country law prohibits you from entering into the marriage.

Certificates of no impediment to marriage (non-binding list) are issued, for example, by

• Albania
• Bulgaria
• Denmark
• Finland
• Greece
• Great Britain
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Cape Verde
• Kenya
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Mozambique
• New Zealand
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Austria
• Poland
• Portugal
• Samoa
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Tanzania
• Czech Republic
• Turkey

Contact point

Internal authority of your home country

Please enquire at your representation/embassy.

Please enquire at your representation/embassy.

Varies, please enquire at your representation/embassy.

Please enquire at your diplomatic or consular mission/embassy.

Tip:

• In the case of documents from another EU member state, it is possible to receive translation assistance from the issuing authority at the same time.
• A translation by an interpreter for presentation in another EU member state is then generally no longer required.
• You should therefore apply for the translation assistance at the same time as the certificate of no impediment to marriage and indicate the EU member state in which you wish to use the certificate of no impediment to marriage.

Varies, please enquire at your representation/embassy.

Varies, enquire at your representation/embassy.

Note: A certificate of no impediment to marriage is valid for six months.