Marriage certificate; application

If you have married and need a new marriage certificate, you can apply for one at the registry office. To do this, please contact the registry office where you got married.

The marriage certificate is proof of the marriage between you and your spouse. It contains the first and last names at the time of the marriage and before, the place and date of birth of the spouses, the place and date of the marriage and details of the religious community of the spouses.

You can obtain the marriage certificate in the following forms:

• Marriage certificate, possibly with translation assistance for use in EU countries
• Multilingual marriage certificate (this is valid in all countries that are party to the Convention of September 8, 1976 on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records.
• Certified printout from the marriage register

A certified printout from the marriage register shows all the data entered by the registry office in connection with your marriage.

You will receive the certificate, including any subsequent certificates, as a printout from the register.

If the spouses' civil status data changes, for example due to a change of name or divorce, the marriage entry will be supplemented by a subsequent certificate. A new marriage certificate can then be issued on request.

Supplement 6th paragraph: Certified printouts and certified copies from the civil status registers are reproductions of the respective entries including subsequent certifications and information on changes under family law as well as corrections.

The following persons over the age of 16 are eligible to apply:

• Persons to whom the register entry relates
• Ancestors and descendants (e.g. parents, children, grandchildren)
• other persons who can credibly demonstrate a legal interest (e.g. by means of a letter from the probate court, a court judgment or an enforceable title)

You must apply for the marriage certificate at the registry office where the marriage took place.

Applying in person:

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

Written application:

• Address an informal letter to the relevant registry office asking them to issue you with a marriage certificate.
• Your letter should contain the following information:
  • Surname, first name
  • Your registration address
  • Place and date of the marriage and, if applicable, conversion of the civil partnership
  • if known: Registry office and notarization number
  • If applicable, further proof, e.g. of legal interest or exemption from fees.
• Enclose a copy of your identity card or passport with the letter.

Please enquire in advance at the registry office about payment options and the specific fee amount.

Electronic application:

• If available, call up the online procedure of the registry office.
• If necessary, authenticate yourself using the online ID function of your ID card.
• Enter the required data and upload any required documents.
• Submit the online application.

Marriage certificates and certified register printouts can only be issued up to a period of 80 years from the marriage registers after they have been recorded in the registers at the registry offices. In other cases, the archive of the municipality to which the registry office belongs is responsible.

On average, the certificate office needs 2-3 weeks (including post) to process the order. Applications for certificates will of course be processed as quickly as possible.

• You must submit your application:
  
  • if you appear in person: Your identity card or passport (if applying in writing: a copy)
  • if the application is made or collected by a representative:
    • written power of attorney from the authorized person,
    • their identity card or passport and
    • the identity card or passport of the representative
  • for other persons, including 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

• Fee for a marriage certificate: EUR 12.00
• Fee for a certified printout: 12,00 EUR
• Fee for a multilingual marriage certificate: EUR 12.00
• Fee for issuing a translation aid (multilingual form pursuant to Art. 7 Regulation (EU) No. 2016/1191): EUR 12.00