'How to Get Married in Germany: Documents, Standesamt, and the

A marriage in Germany has legal effect only after registration at the Standesamt. A religious ceremony, a celebration in a castle, or a wedding party may be an important part of the day, but the Ehe, meaning the official marriage, is formalized by the civil registry officer. For foreigners, the main challenge is usually not the ceremony itself, but the documents: certificates, translations, proof of marital status, and the rules of the specific city.

Below is a practical step-by-step outline for a couple who wants to register a marriage in Germany, especially if at least one partner is not a German citizen, was naturalized, or was born abroad.

In Short: What You Need to Do

1. Choose the Standesamt and find out the local rules in advance.
2. Attend a consultation if there is foreign citizenship, a birth abroad, or documents not issued in Germany.
3. Collect the original documents, translations, and, if necessary, an apostille or legalization.
4. Submit the Anmeldung der Eheschliessung no earlier than 6 months before the desired date.
5. After the requirements are checked, get married at any Standesamt in Germany within the validity period of the Anmeldung.

Who Can Get Married in Germany

The general conditions are simple, but the Standesamt verifies them through documents:

• both partners have reached the legal marriageable age;
• neither partner is already in an existing marriage or registered partnership;
• both personally and freely declare their wish to marry;
• there is no prohibited close family relationship between the partners;
• if foreign law applies, there is no impediment under the law of the relevant country.

In Germany, since October 1, 2017, marriage has been available to couples regardless of gender. The previously existing form of registered partnership for same-sex couples is no longer the main new format for formalizing a relationship: now it is marriage.

Where Marriage Is Registered

The official registration takes place through the Standesamt. If one of the partners has a primary or secondary address in Germany, you usually need to apply to the Standesamt responsible for the place where one of the partners is registered. After reviewing the documents, this Standesamt can authorize the ceremony in another German city.

If neither partner lives in Germany, the competent office is usually the Standesamt in the city where the couple wants to hold the registration. In practice, booking rules, the list of documents, and the available dates differ greatly from city to city, so before preparing documents it is best to open the website of the relevant Standesamt or write to them directly.

What Changes When There Is a Foreign Element

For the Standesamt, this is not only a situation where one partner is a citizen of another country. In many cities, Auslandsbeteiligung also includes cases where a partner was naturalized, was born abroad, or presents documents issued by a foreign authority.

In that situation, the Standesamt usually schedules a consultation. During it, they review citizenship, place of birth, previous marriages, divorces, documents from the country of origin, and the need for a translation, apostille, legalization, or an exemption from the Ehefaehigkeitszeugnis.

Which Documents a Foreigner May Need

The exact list is provided by the Standesamt. Usually, you need to prepare:

• a valid passport or identity card;
• a birth certificate or an extract from the birth register;
• an extended certificate of address registration in Germany, if the specific Standesamt requires it;
• proof of marital status;
• an Ehefaehigkeitszeugnis, if the country of citizenship issues such a document;
• a court decision on divorce, the death certificate of a former spouse, or other documents showing the end of a previous marriage, if applicable;
• translations of the documents into German prepared by a sworn translator in Germany;
• an apostille or legalization for certain foreign documents if Germany requires additional proof of authenticity.

If the country does not issue an Ehefaehigkeitszeugnis or the document cannot be provided, the Standesamt will explain whether an Antrag auf Befreiung von der Beibringung des Ehefaehigkeitszeugnisses through the competent court is required. This should not be arranged using an internet template: the requirements depend on the couple’s citizenship and personal history.

The official Justiz-Dolmetscher register is useful for finding sworn translators. It is important to keep the original documents: as a rule, the Standesamt works with originals rather than simple copies.

Step-by-Step Registration Process

1. Check the Standesamt and Book a Consultation

It is best to start several months before the desired date, and even earlier if documents from another country are involved. In cities with a high workload, available dates for consultations and ceremonies may fill up quickly.

During the consultation, the Standesamt tells you which documents your particular couple needs. This is especially important if there were previous marriages, a divorce outside Germany, different citizenships, a name change, or documents in another alphabet.

2. Prepare the Documents and Translations

First, obtain the documents in the country of issue or through the consulate. Then check whether an apostille or legalization is required. After that, order the translation from a sworn translator. Translating a document before the apostille is sometimes impractical: the Standesamt may ask for the entire set, including the authentication markings, to be translated.

If the document is written in an alphabet other than Latin, the Standesamt may additionally require a correct transliteration of the name according to the applicable standard. It is better to clarify this before ordering the translation.

3. Submit the Anmeldung der Eheschliessung

The application for marriage registration is usually submitted no earlier than 6 months before the desired date. At many Standesamt offices, both partners appear in person. If one partner cannot come, it is often possible for the other partner to submit the application with a written power of attorney; if neither can come, written alternatives may be possible, but this has to be agreed with the specific authority.

After submission, the Standesamt checks the Ehevoraussetzungen, meaning the requirements for marriage. When the review is completed, the couple receives confirmation that the marriage can take place.

4. Reserve the Ceremony

After the successful review, you can hold the ceremony at the chosen Standesamt. If you want to get married somewhere other than the office where you submitted the documents, agree on the date with the ceremony city in advance. Responsibility for finding an available slot usually remains with the couple.

Popular dates, Fridays, Saturdays, and off-site locations are booked more quickly. Additional venues such as historic halls, castles, or city villas are often charged separately.

5. Attend the Ceremony

You need to bring an identity document or passport to the registration. If one partner does not understand German well enough, the Standesamt may require a sworn interpreter. Witnesses are usually not mandatory in modern Germany, but many couples invite them by tradition or because of the rules of the specific ceremony venue.

How Long the Anmeldung der Eheschliessung Remains Valid

After the review, the Anmeldung der Eheschliessung remains valid for 6 months. You must get married within that period. If the couple does not manage to do so, the procedure usually has to start again, including updating documents that have a limited validity period.

How Much Marriage in Germany Costs

There is no single amount for all of Germany. The costs depend on the city, foreign participation, additional reviews, and the format of the ceremony. The budget should include:

• the fee for the Anmeldung der Eheschliessung and the document review;
• additional fees if foreign law applies;
• costs for an apostille, legalization, obtaining certificates, and sending documents;
• sworn translations;
• payment for the Ehefaehigkeitszeugnis or the exemption procedure from it, if required;
• marriage certificates, including an international certificate;
• an additional charge for a ceremony outside normal hours, at another Standesamt, or in a special venue;
• the interpreter’s services at the ceremony, if the Standesamt requires one.

For example, the Berlin ServicePortal lists a basic fee for the Anmeldung and separate surcharges for foreign law, a ceremony outside business hours, a ceremony outside the Standesamt premises, and certificates. In other cities, the amounts may differ, so the exact cost has to be calculated from the page of the chosen Standesamt.

What People Often Forget

• Documents from another country are not always accepted without an apostille or legalization.
• A birth certificate and an extract from the birth register are not always the same thing.
• A divorce outside Germany may require additional recognition.
• Certificates of address registration and some register extracts have a limited period of validity.
• An interpreter for the ceremony is needed not for convenience, but for legal clarity if a partner does not understand German well enough.
• Registration in one city does not guarantee an available ceremony date in another.

FAQ

Can foreigners get married in Germany without a residence permit?

A German residence permit itself is not a universal requirement for getting married. But the Standesamt verifies identity, citizenship, marital status, and documents. If neither partner lives in Germany, you usually need to apply to the Standesamt in the city where the ceremony is planned.

Can we have a religious ceremony instead of registering at the Standesamt?

No. A religious ceremony does not replace state marriage registration. It can be a separate part of the celebration, but the legal marriage arises through the Standesamt. If this is about a church ceremony, clarify the community’s conditions in advance and its connection to church tax in Germany.

Can we choose any city for the ceremony?

Yes, after the document review you can get married at any German Standesamt. But the Anmeldung usually has to be submitted through the Standesamt responsible for the place where one of the partners is registered, if the couple has an address in Germany.

Do we have to change our surname after marriage?

No, this is not mandatory. The question of the surname is discussed separately with the Standesamt. The possibilities depend on German law and, in some cases, foreign law.

Conclusion

The main rule for getting married in Germany is this: first the Standesamt and the documents, then the date and the celebration. The more foreign elements there are in the couple’s background, the earlier it is worth starting the preparation. There is no universal list of documents, but there is a clear logic: prove identity, age, marital status, the absence of impediments to marriage, and the legal validity of foreign documents. After the legal part, you can plan the celebration separately and German wedding traditions and customs.