Marriage abroad; application for a certificate of no impediment to marriage

A certificate of matrimonial capacity is a certificate issued by the competent German registry office for marriage abroad, in which both fiancées are named. It certifies that there are no known obstacles to the intended marriage under German law.

In order to apply for a certificate of no impediment to marriage, at least one of the fiancées must be a German citizen. Furthermore, the same requirements must be met as for an application for marriage:

• You must both be of legal age.
• You must not be related to each other in a direct line or be full or half siblings.
• If you were already married or in a registered marriage, the previous marriage or civil partnership must have been dissolved.

In any case, please contact the relevant registry office in advance regarding the required documents. They will be happy to advise you.