Weddings on Saturdays

Prerequisites

You must register the planned marriage at the registry office at the place of residence of one of the spouses.
If you would like to get married in another registry office, you will receive a certificate from your local registry office confirming registration and verification of your ability to marry.

If one of you speaks little or no German, you must bring a sworn interpreter.

Documents required

well in advance:

• Registration of the marriage at the registry office of the main or secondary residence of one of the spouses.

on the day of the marriage:

• Confirmation of the date from the registry office where the marriage is to take place,
• ID card or passport.

Please note

• The marriage usually takes place in the registry office. You can ask your registry office whether marriages outside the registry office are also offered and which locations are possible. Appointments are also offered on some Saturdays.

Emergency marriage:

• In the event of an acute, life-threatening illness, your marriage can, under certain circumstances, be held at very short notice in hospital, a care facility or at home. The registry office at your place of residence is responsible for registering the marriage. Please contact your local registry office immediately by phone or email.

Two foreign nationals can also marry before a marriage celebrant duly authorized by the government of their home country in the form prescribed by the law of that country, provided that one of the engaged couple is a national of that country and neither of the parties to the marriage is also a German citizen. A marriage in a German registry office is then no longer necessary.

Deadlines

The marriage registration is valid for 6 months.

Procedure

• On the day of the wedding, arrive at the registry office approximately twenty minutes before the agreed time.
• There is only limited space for your guests in the registry offices. Please inquire in advance about the maximum number of visitors.
• Remember your identification documents. These will be checked by a registry office employee before the marriage.
• Any witnesses must also be able to show identification.
• In addition to an identification document, an interpreter must also be licensed to work as an interpreter.
• The registrar will pick you up in the waiting area and lead you to the wedding room.
• During the marriage ceremony, the registrar will ask you whether you wish to enter into marriage with each other.
• They say “I do” one after the other.
• After saying “I do” you can exchange your rings.
• The documents submitted when registering the marriage will be returned to you after the marriage together with the marriage certificate.

Processing time

The marriage ceremony usually takes 20 - 30 minutes.

Fees

• The costs depend on the individual case and can vary.


• The costs for the marriage depend on the respective administrative effort. Please contact the responsible authority.

Legal remedies

If the registry office refuses to perform the marriage ceremony, you can submit an application for the court to instruct the registry office to do so at the Hamburg District Court, Sievekingplatz 1, in accordance with Section 49 PStG.

Legal basis

§§ 1310 ff. German Civil Code (BGB)

http://www.gesetze-im-inter-net.de/bgb/BJNR001950896.html#BJNR001950896BJNG020802377




§ 14 PStG

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/__14.html




§ 29 PStV

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstv/__29.html




Art. 13 EGBGB

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgbeg/BJNR006049896.html