Certification of a marriage abroad by a German registry office

Prerequisites

You can only have your marriage, which was concluded abroad, entered into the German marriage register if it was legally concluded. Furthermore, it must not contradict German law.

You can have your marriage registered,

• as a German national or German citizen
• as stateless, homeless foreigners or foreign refugees with habitual residence in Germany.

You are eligible to apply as

• Spouse
• if both spouses have died:
  • their parents or
  • their children.

Documents required

• Marriage certificate (marriage certificate) for the marriage concluded abroad, if necessary with certification by the competent foreign authority (apostille) or legalization by the German diplomatic mission abroad
• valid identity card, passport or travel document
• if applicable, naturalization certificate, certificate of citizenship
• Translations of all documents in foreign languages by sworn translators in the country

Other additional required documents:

• if the spouses were born in Germany:
  • the birth certificates
• If the spouses are born abroad:
  • Birth certificates certified by the competent foreign authority (Apostille) or legalized by the German diplomatic mission abroad
• Has a spouse been married before:
  • certified copy of the marriage register of the last previous marriage with dissolution note
  • Alternatively or in case of previous marriage abroad:
  • Evidence of the conclusion and dissolution of all previous marriages – for example, marriage certificates, death certificates, all divorce decrees (complete and with a note from the court stating when the judgment became final / "legal force note")
• if applicable, recognition of the foreign divorce by the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court

Has a spouse already entered into a registered civil partnership:

• Evidence of the establishment and dissolution of all civil partnerships

Please note

Since January 1, 2009, certified copies of the family register are no longer issued. The registry office continues to maintain the data from the family registers as a marriage register.
If you need proof, please request a marriage certificate.
If you have married abroad, you can apply to the registry office in your home town to have the marriage subsequently registered in the German marriage register.

Deadlines

No

Procedure

Please call the registry office in advance to find out more about the conditions and documents that the registry office requires from you.

• Gather the necessary documents and visit the registry office.
• The registrar checks whether certification by a German registry office is possible.
• If the requirements are met, the marriage can be registered in the marriage register.

If required, the registry office will issue you a marriage certificate after registration has been completed.

Processing time

Due to the workload of the registry offices, you must expect processing to take several months.

Fees

• Subsequent certification of a marriage concluded abroad and entry in the German marriage register: EUR 153.00 to EUR 519.00.


• Registration of a married name: EUR 35.50


• Marriage certificate: 18.00 EUR, each additional certificate: 8.00 EUR


• Certificate of name use: 18.00 EUR

Legal remedies

If the registry office refuses to re-certify a marriage concluded abroad, an application for instructions from the registry office in accordance with Section 49 PStG can be submitted to the Hamburg District Court, Sievekingplatz1.

Legal basis

§ 34 Civil Status Act (PStG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/__34.html