Marriage Certificate Exhibition

Prerequisites

Marriage certificates contain personal data, so their issuance is subject to data protection restrictions:

• You are entitled to apply under the following conditions:
  • You are at least 16 years old.
  • You are the spouse to whom the document relates.
  • You are the parents of the spouses.
  • You are the spouse's child.
• Other people, including close relatives such as aunts and uncles, only receive a certificate if they can credibly demonstrate a legal interest, for example with a letter from the probate court.
• If the marriage was concluded abroad, you must first have it certified in Germany.

Documents required

To apply for a marriage license you will need:

• Your identity card or passport (if applying in writing, a copy, online you have to authenticate yourself electronically with the new identity card)
• if requested or collected by a representative: written authorization from the authorized person, their identity card or passport and the representative’s identity card or passport
• for other people, i.e. also close relatives such as aunts and uncles, proof of their legal interest, for example a letter from the probate court, a court judgment or an enforceable title

Please note

Marriage registers and civil partnership registers are kept for 80 years in the competent registry office. After that, the entire books from which the marriage certificates are issued go to the State Archives. There have been electronic registers since 2009.

Deadlines

no

Procedure

You can apply for a marriage certificate in person or in writing.

Applying for a marriage certificate in person:

• An appointment may be required to apply in person.
• You must present your ID card or passport.
• You pay the fee directly when applying at the registry office.
• In addition to yourself, a person you trust may order and collect the certificate for you. In addition to a written power of attorney, they present their identity card or passport (original or copy) and their own identity card or passport.

• Send an informal letter to the relevant registry office asking them to issue you a marriage certificate.
• Your letter should contain the following information:
  • Name first Name
  • your registration address
  • Place and date of marriage and, if applicable, establishment of civil partnership
  • if known: registry office and certification number
  • the reason for the application
  • if necessary, further evidence, for example for the legal interest
• Enclose a copy of your identity card or passport with the letter.
• You will then receive a notification of fees and the marriage certificate.

Fees

• The fee for a certificate is 18.00 EUR.


• Each additional certificate of the same type ordered at the same time costs EUR 8.00.

Legal remedies

• Application for a court decision

Legal basis

• §§ 55 to 58 Personal Status Act (PStG)
  https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/BJNR012210007.html#BJNR012210007BJNG002100000


• §§ 61 to 68 Personal Status Act (PStG)
  https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/BJNR012210007.html#BJNR012210007BJNG002200000


• §§ 48 to 50 Civil Status Ordinance (PStV)
  https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstv/BJNR226300008.html#BJNR226300008BJNG001200000