Getting Legally Married in Germany as Non-EU Citizens: Steps, Challenges and Costs
When my wife moved to Germany, we wanted to get married here. She came in August and we were planning to have our Church ceremony and celebration in London the upcoming December. We planned that after she came over, we’d quickly do our legal wedding as it was required a month before we could do our Church wedding. Boy did that not work out as we’d planned. We thought getting married in Germany as an international couple would be easy but we were wrong. Little did we know, the marriage system was completely different to anything we were used to. Because we underestimated the process, we had to take a trip to Canada, as it was a lot simpler and quicker. The process, convenience and wait times change slightly dependent on your city, but we can only speak on our experience. Our experience is for two people who are not German or EU citizens. This blog will detail how to get legally married in Germany as a non-EU citizen. If you want to learn the steps, keep reading.
Notify the Standesamt
To start the process, you have to be registered, have been living in Germany for at least 21 days and notify the Standesamt. When my wife first moved, we wanted to start the process right away but we could not due to her registration. She had just moved and for the first couple of weeks, we were trying to find an apartment. After we found one, we had to register her because the Standesamt needs to be able to find you in the system. After that’s finished, you have to send an email to your local Standesamt expressing your desire to get married and the following information for both partners:
Names (First, Middle, Last)
Nationalities
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Previous Marital Status
Whether You Have Children or Not
After this, they’ll send you the legal marriage requirements for expats in Germany as well as other documents you’ll need.
Wait For a Reply From Standesamt
The waiting time for Standesamt marriage approval can take a long time. I mentioned that my wife arrived in Germany in August and we needed to get legally married before the end of November? Yeah… they finally replied us 09.02.2023. We sent the mail on 10.09.2022. Between September 2022 and February 2023 when they replied, we were able to: assess all possibilities for getting married in Europe, decided to fly to Canada, get married within 3 three days of being there, return, have our ceremony in December, go on honeymoon, come back to Germany, get a new job and move cities. We do not know why Standesamt marriage approval take so long. I’m also not saying this will always be the case but keep in mind that it can take a long time.
Side Note: Before we decided on going to Canada, we also looked for faster alternatives to getting married in Germany. If you would like to get married in Europe, Portugal and Denmark are some other good options.
Book an Appointment to Submit Application
The Standesamt will send you an email outlining the documents required for marriage in Germany for non-EU citizens. Here I will outline what was required for us and what it means.
Ehefähigkeitszeugnis (Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage) : This documents proves that both parties are legally free to get married. Canada and UK do not issue one so they said we would have to submit an exemption application to the Higher Regional Court. If I remember correctly, this process can take up to two months (I would just budget more time because I assume it could take even longer).
Birth Certificates
Residence Permit
Extended Registration Certificate: When you register in Germany, you have to disclose your marital status. Here, they want your extended registration certificate, which shows the information on your marital status.
Proof of Income
Affidavit: An affidavit is a voluntary statement issued under oath. They required my wife to sign one at the Standesamt.
All documents not in German must be translated.
Book Wedding at Standesamt
After your documents have been approved, you can finally book your wedding at the Standesamt. The ceremony will take place in German so you may need a certified translator.
Finally, the marriage process isn’t free. Here is the cost of getting married in Germany as a non-EU citizen:
Examination of Marriage Requirements: 66.00 Euros
Postage: 5.00 Euros
Affidavit: 21.00 Euros (per affidavit)
Sworn Interpreter: 21.00 Euros (if needed)
Marriage Certificate: 10.00 Euros (per certificate)
There is also the cost of the translation of documents if needed. Additionally, there may be other costs based on your situation.
