Marriage Certificate Exhibition

Prerequisites

Certificates contain personal data, therefore their issuance is subject to data protection restrictions:

• You are eligible to apply under the following conditions:
  • They are at least 16 years old.
  • You are the spouse/civil partner to whom the document relates.
  • They are the parents of the spouses/life partners.
  • They are the child of the spouses/life partners.
• Other persons, including close relatives such as aunts and uncles, only receive a certificate if they can demonstrate a legitimate interest, for example through a letter from the probate court.
• If the marriage/civil partnership was entered into abroad, you must have it officially registered in Germany beforehand.

Documents required

• Your identity card or passport (a copy is required for written applications; online applications must be submitted electronically with the new identity card)
• If you are applying for or collecting the certificate on behalf of someone else, you will need a written power of attorney from the authorized person as well as their identification document.
• For other persons, including close relatives such as aunts and uncles, proof of their legal interest is required, for example a letter from the probate court, a court judgment or an enforceable title and, if applicable, a power of attorney.

Please note

If you no longer know the place of your marriage or civil partnership, please contact the General Register of Hamburg's registry offices in writing. They can determine which registry office the marriage took place or where the civil partnership was registered.

Marriage and civil partnership registers are kept at the relevant registry office for 80 years. After that, the complete books from which marriage certificates are issued are transferred to the state archives. Electronic registers have been in use since 2009.

For marriage or civil partnership certificates dating back more than 110 years, please contact the Hamburg State Archives (see links).

For vital events (birth, marriage, death) registered at a Hamburg registry office from 2009 onwards, further certificates can be issued at any Hamburg registry office. These certificates bear the annotation "Certificate pursuant to Section 67 Paragraph 3 of the Civil Status Act".

Civil status documents contain personal data; therefore, their issuance is subject to data protection restrictions.

Deadlines

no

Procedure

You apply for the marriage certificate, the marriage register extract, the certified copy from the marriage register, the multilingual extract from the marriage register (international marriage certificate), the civil partnership certificate or the certified copy from the civil partnership register at the competent registry office.

You can apply for the above-mentioned types of documents electronically online.

• Use the online service "Document Request" in the service portal on hamburg.de.
• You will be guided through the application process.

You can apply for the issuance of one of the above-mentioned certificates in person:

• Please check the opening hours with your local registry office in advance.
• An appointment may be required for personal application/collection.
• For identification purposes, you must present your identity card or passport, and if applicable, a power of attorney authorizing you to collect the document(s).
• You usually pay the fee electronically at the registry office.

You can apply for the above-mentioned documents in writing by post or email:

• You should send an informal letter to the relevant registry office requesting that they issue you a certificate. Please specify what type of certificate you require and how many copies you need.
• Your letter should contain the following information:
  • Name first Name
  • Place and date of marriage or establishment of civil partnership
  • the reason for the application
  • Your registered address
  • If known: registry office and registration number
• Please enclose a copy of your identity card or passport with your letter.
• You will receive the requested documents by mail.
• They pay the fees.
• Besides yourself, a person you trust may also order and collect the certificate on your behalf. They will need to present a written power of attorney, their own identity card or passport (original or copy), and their own identity card or passport.

Processing time

The processing time depends on the individual case.

Fees

• The fee for a certificate is €19.50.


• Each additional certificate of the same type ordered at the same time costs 8.50 EUR.


• Certificates for pension purposes and other social purposes are free of charge.

Example: You apply for two marriage certificates and one multilingual marriage certificate. The fee for the first certificate is €19.50 each; for the additional certificate, €8.50 is due in the same processing step. Total fees of €47.50 (€19.50 + €19.50 + €8.50) are due.

Legal remedies

If the issuance is refused, you can submit an application for a court order to the Hamburg District Court, Sievekingplatz 1.

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