Ehe: Umwandlung einer eingetragenen Lebenspartnerschaft in eine Ehe

We would like to convert our registered civil partnership into a marriage.

On 01.10.2017, the law introducing the right to marry for persons of the same sex came into force.

Existing civil partnerships can be converted into marriages if the civil partners declare in person and with simultaneous presence in the registry office that they want to conduct a marriage with each other. The conversion is therefore a marriage.

• Valid identity cards or passports
• the extended registration certificate, if a person is not registered in Bremen or an information block has been set up in the register of residents
• the current (not older than six months) certified copy of the civil partnership register or the current civil partnership certificate and the current certified copies of the birth register/birth certificates

  if the registered civil partnership was not established at the registry office where the conversion is carried out

The conversion must be registered with the registry office (comparable with the "Registration for marriage", see under "i Where can I find out more?").

The registered civil partnership must still exist.

The registrar's office in whose district one of the spouses is registered with their main or secondary residence is responsible for registering the conversion. The marriage itself can take place at any registry office.

The marriage itself can take place at any registry office.

The couple decides whether the transformation will take place at the desk or in one of the marriage rooms of the registry office.

Registration is possible only by prior appointment.

Since the conversion is a marriage, both partners must be present at the registry office on this date. If the conversion does not take place directly after the registration for conversion but, for example, as part of a formal ceremony at a later date, a power of attorney for the date of registration is possible. It is best to contact the registry office in advance.