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If you want to get married, you must register the marriage in advance.

You must register your intended marriage in person at the registry office in whose jurisdiction you have your place of residence or habitual abode.

To speed up the procedure, you can send the registry office your preferred date for the marriage as well as the data required to check your eligibility for marriage by pre-registering.

The place where you register the marriage does not have to be the place where your marriage is to take place. In principle, you can get married at any registry office in Germany.

A civil marriage and a church wedding are independent of each other.

No witnesses need to be present at the marriage ceremony. However, if you wish, you can appoint one or two people as witnesses.

You can decide at the wedding or at a later date whether you wish to have a joint or separate surname.

When applying, you must submit

• if you have German citizenship and are entering into your first marriage:
  • valid identity card or passport
  • Certificate from the registration office (usually not older than 4 weeks) showing your first and last names, marital status, place of residence and nationality
• if your birth was certified in Germany
  • current certified extract from the (electronic) register of births or current certified copy from the register of births (in paper form) from the registry office of the place of birth
• if your birth was certified abroad:
  • current birth certificate
• if you were already married or in a civil partnership, you will also need
  • Marriage certificate and final divorce decree or
  • Proof of the establishment and dissolution of the civil partnership or
• if your former partner has died in the meantime:
  • the marriage certificate or
  • proof of the establishment of the civil partnership and
  • the death certificate of the former partner
• If your divorce took place abroad, you should find out in advance from the registry office whether a recognition procedure is required. Please bring the following with you
  • all marriage certificates
  • all legally binding divorce decrees (with facts and reasons for the decision)
  • a complete translation by a sworn translator in Germany
• if you and your future spouse have children together or if you have custody of children from previous marriages, you will also need
  • Birth certificates of the children
• for a partner from abroad are required
  • valid identity card/passport or other proof of identification
  • Proof of nationality, if this is not evident from the identity card or passport
  • Certificate from the registration office (usually not older than 4 weeks) showing the first and last names, marital status, place of residence and nationality
  • birth certificate
  • Certificate of no impediment to marriage
  • Foreign-language documents with translation, if not on an international form

Notes:

For partners from countries in which no certificates of no impediment to marriage are issued, it is advisable to seek advice from the registry office about exemption from the obligation to present a certificate of no impediment to marriage. This is issued by the President of the Higher Regional Court. The registrar takes the application and forwards it.

All documents must be in the original. For foreign-language documents, the registry office generally requires complete translations into German, prepared by a publicly appointed and sworn translator in Germany. Foreign documents often also require certification by the competent foreign authority. In such a case, the registry office will draw your attention to this.

• Further documents:
  • The registry office may request further documents under certain circumstances.

The following may register a marriage

• persons of full age

Further requirements:

• The marriage may not be entered into before the person reaches the age of majority (18 years of age).
• Marriage between relatives in a direct line (e.g. parents and their children) and between siblings and half-siblings is not permitted. This also applies in principle if the relationship was established by adoption.
• Double marriages are not permitted in Germany. A previous marriage must have been dissolved by death, divorce or other legally binding court judgment before a new marriage can be entered into.
• If a previous marriage was divorced abroad, the divorce must generally first be expressly recognized in Germany in order for it to take effect here. There are exceptions to this principle, particularly in most European Union (EU) countries. A previously established civil partnership must also be dissolved.

• Examination of the marriage requirements when registering a marriage or issuing a certificate of no impediment to marriage if only German law is to be observed: 44 euros
• Examination of the marriage requirements if foreign law is to be observed: 70-140 euros (depending on the effort involved)
• Marriage performed by a registry office other than the one responsible for registering the marriage: 33 euros
• if the marriage is to take place outside normal opening hours or outside the offices of the registry office:. 66-100 euros (depending on the cost)
• Recording of an application for recognition of a foreign decision in matrimonial matters for submission to the competent judicial authority or review of a foreign decision in matrimonial or civil partnership matters by the registry office: 30 euros

You must apply to register your marriage in person at your local registry office.

• To register the marriage, you usually visit the relevant registry office together with your partner or fiancé/fiancée. You will receive all the necessary information there.
• If one of you is unable to attend, the other can register the marriage alone. The registry office requires written authorization from the partner who is unable to attend.
• If the registry office finds that there are no obstacles to the marriage, you will be informed that the marriage can take place. The notification can be made verbally, in writing or electronically.

Depending on the individual case

If, after completing the examination, the registrar determines that the requirements for marriage have been met, you can get married within 6 months. After that, the marriage must be registered again.

Application for a court decision.

• Marriage registration
• the place where the marriage is registered does not necessarily have to be the place where the marriage is to take place
• Marriage can take place at any registry office in Germany
• The following can register a marriage
  • persons of legal age
• Information from: competent registry office
• responsible:
  • Registry office in whose jurisdiction one of the spouses (fiancées) has his or her residence (main or secondary residence) or habitual abode
  • in the case of residence or habitual abode abroad: registry office that is to conduct the marriage

Registry office in whose jurisdiction one of the spouses (fiancées) has his or her place of residence (main or secondary residence) or habitual abode

In the case of residence or habitual abode abroad: competent German mission abroad (embassy/consulate) or registry office that is to conduct the marriage

Registry office in whose jurisdiction one of the spouses (fiancées) has his or her residence (main or secondary residence) or habitual abode

In the case of residence or habitual abode abroad: registry office where the marriage is to take place

• Forms: yes
• Online procedure possible: yes, for pre-registration
• Written form required: yes
• Personal appearance required: yes