ROUTE

Getting Married in Germany

Marrying with foreign documents: apostilles and the certificate of no impediment (2–4 months!), registering at the Standesamt, and the paperwork after the ceremony.

✓ Checked: 15/08/2026

Getting married in Germany with foreign documents is not about the ceremony but about paperwork from your country of origin. The German part takes weeks, the foreign part months — and it is the latter that sets your real wedding date. A birth certificate with apostille, a certificate of no impediment with apostille, sworn translations, and for previous marriages the divorce decree with the same treatment: allow two to four months.

1

STEP

Documents: the Real Hurdle

For foreigners this is the longest step: apostilles, sworn translations and the certificate of no impediment take 2–4 months. Start here.
2

STEP

Registering the Marriage at the Standesamt

Both partners file in person at the registry office of their place of residence. Checks involving foreign law take 2–6 weeks.
3

STEP

After the Wedding: Name, Taxes, Status

The marriage certificate triggers three processes: tax class change, an optional name change, and a stronger residence status.

COSTS AND DEADLINES

What you pay for on this route

Marriage registrationmore if foreign law must be checked€40–100
Ceremony off-site/at weekendsper the city fee schedule

Deadlines you cannot miss

registration validity: 6 monthsRegistering the Marriage at the Standesamthard deadline

Amounts follow official fees as of each step’s verification date. Your city may charge a different rate — check the step itself.

› More about this route

The German part is predictable by comparison. Notice of marriage is given in person by both partners at the registry office where you live, with a fee of €40–100. Checking documents that involve another country takes two to six weeks. If one partner's German is not sufficient, the office will require a sworn interpreter — at your expense, typically €100–200.

One detail saves a lot of stress: the notice itself is valid for six months, and the ceremony has to fit inside that window. You do not have to marry where you filed, though: the notice can be forwarded to another registry office so the ceremony can take place in a finer building in another town.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

All possible documents for this route

Passport + residence permit
Birth certificate (apostille + sworn translation)
Certificate of no impediment (apostille + translation)
Meldebescheinigung
If previously married: divorce decree (apostille + translation)

WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME

Starting with the German side. Your wedding date is set not by official processing times but by apostilles and sworn translations from your country of origin — that is where you begin, two to four months ahead.
Ordering your birth certificate early “just to have it”. Many offices accept only a recent copy, often no older than six months, so ordering too early means ordering again.
Forgetting the six-month validity of the notice of marriage. If the ceremony falls outside it, the documents go stale and part of the check starts over.
Ordering a single marriage certificate. The tax office, insurers, sometimes the immigration office and your home country all want one at the same time, and reordering takes time — get several at once, including the international format.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE

How long does the whole path to the wedding take?▾

Count from the documents, not the ceremony calendar: apostilles, the certificate of no impediment and sworn translations take two to four months. The German side adds two to six weeks of checking. At popular registry offices both appointments and ceremony dates are booked months ahead, so start both queues in parallel.

What does the marriage itself cost?▾

Giving notice costs €40–100, while a ceremony outside the registry room or at the weekend is charged per the city's fee schedule. Budget separately for a sworn interpreter at €100–200 if one partner's German is insufficient, plus apostilles and translations, which depend on your country of origin.

Why does every couple get a different document list?▾

Because it depends on both partners' nationalities: every combination brings its own requirements, and some countries do not issue a certificate of no impediment at all, in which case a separate procedure applies. There is only one reliable approach — request the exact list in writing from your registry office before ordering any documents.

What should be done in the first month after the wedding?▾

Three things. Order several marriage certificates at once, including the international format. Adjust your tax classes: IV/IV is assigned automatically, III/V on application, and with unequal incomes the difference in net pay shows immediately. And if you changed your surname, update your passport, residence permit, bank and insurance policies.

WHAT USUALLY COMES NEXT

Having a Baby (Geburt)Step-by-step checklist after having a baby in Germany: birth registration, Kindergeld (€259/month), Elterngeld, child health insurance, and Kita enrolment. Your personalised route based on family status.German CitizenshipNaturalisation under the current rules: 5 years (spouses of Germans: 3), B1, the test, dual citizenship allowed — with a check of your path.WorkPersonal step-by-step checklist for starting work in Germany: Steuer-ID, Krankenkasse, Sozialversicherung and Steuerklasse. Adapts to your situation — employee or self-employed.Leaving the Church8–9 percent of your tax for a membership born from a registration checkbox. What it costs you, how to exit in one appointment — and what actually changes.Family ReunificationWho qualifies, the housing and income requirements, the A1 exceptions (Blue Card!), the embassy marathon with apostilles — and the family first steps after arrival.Divorce in GermanyThe year apart, the effect on your residence permit, filing through a lawyer and automatic pension sharing — the whole divorce route step by step.