Marriage registration

You must register your intended marriage in person at the registry office with jurisdiction over your place of residence or habitual residence.

To speed up the process, you can submit both your preferred date for the marriage and the information required to check your eligibility to marry to the registry office in advance by making a preliminary booking.

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

A civil marriage and a church wedding are separate from one another.

It is not compulsory to have witnesses present at the wedding ceremony. However, if you wish, you may appoint one or two people to act as witnesses.

You can decide whether you wish to take a joint or separate surname when you get married, either at the time of the wedding or at a later date.

• Section 10 of the Civil Status Act (PStG)
• Section 28 of the Ordinance Implementing the Civil Status Act (Civil Status Ordinance – PStV)
• Sections 1309–1310 of the German Civil Code (BGB)
• Section 1314 of the German Civil Code (BGB)
• Section 1353 of the German Civil Code (BGB)
• Section 104 of the German Civil Code (BGB)
• Section 13 of the Introductory Act to the Civil Code (EGBGB)

When submitting your application, you must provide:

• if you are a German national and are getting married for the first time:
  • a valid identity card or passport
  • extended registration certificate (issued no more than 4 weeks ago)
• if your birth was registered in this country:
  • a current certified extract from the (electronic) birth register or a current certified copy from the birth register (in paper form) issued by the registry office of the place of birth
• if your birth was registered abroad:
  • current birth certificate
• If you have previously been married or in a civil partnership, you will also need:
  • Marriage certificate and final divorce decree, or
  • Evidence of the formation and dissolution of the civil partnership, or
• if you are a widow or a widower:
  • the marriage certificate or
  • proof of the grounds for the civil partnership, and
  • the death certificate of the deceased
• If your divorce took place abroad, you should check with the registry office in advance to see whether a recognition procedure is required. Please bring the following with you:
  • all marriage certificates
  • all final divorce judgements (including the facts of the case and the grounds for the decision)
• If you, as prospective spouses, have children together or have custody of children from previous marriages, you will also need:
  • Children’s birth certificates
• If one of the parties to the marriage is from abroad, the following are required:
  • a valid identity card, passport or other form of identification
  • Proof of nationality, if this is not evident from the identity card or passport
  • extended registration certificate (issued no more than 4 weeks ago)
  • Birth certificate
  • Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage
  • documents in foreign languages

Notes:

For prospective spouses from countries where certificates of no impediment to marriage are not issued, it is advisable to seek advice at the registry office regarding exemption from the requirement to submit a certificate of no impediment to marriage. This exemption is granted by the President of the relevant Higher Regional Court. The registrar will accept the application and forward it.

As a general rule, the Registry Office requires complete translations into German of documents in foreign languages, carried out by a translator who is officially appointed and sworn in Germany. Foreign documents often also require certification by the relevant foreign authority. In such cases, the Registry Office will draw your attention to this.

• Further documents:
• The registry office may, in certain circumstances, request further documents, such as the naturalisation certificate.

The following people may register a marriage:

• adults

Further requirements:

• A marriage may not be contracted before the age of majority is reached.
• Marriage is not permitted between relatives in the direct line, for example parents and their children, or between siblings and half-siblings. This also applies, in principle, where the family relationship has arisen as a result of adoption.
• Bigamery is not permitted in Germany. Any previous marriage must have been dissolved – through death, divorce or some other final court judgement – before a new marriage can be contracted.

If a previous marriage was dissolved by divorce abroad, the divorce must generally first be expressly recognised in Germany before it becomes legally effective here. Exceptions to this principle apply primarily to most Member States of the European Union (EU). Any civil partnership entered into previously must also have been dissolved.

• Fee structure

• Contradiction
• Application for a court decision

• Registration of marriage in Brandenburg

  Display of performance in the source portal

• Marriage registration

  Display of performance in the source portal

• The registry office within whose jurisdiction one of the parties to the marriage (or engaged couple) has their place of residence (principal or secondary residence) or their habitual residence
• if you are resident or habitually resident abroad: the registry office that is to conduct the marriage

• Power of attorney for the registration of a marriage