You can have your marriage, which was solemnized abroad, officially registered in Germany at a later date.
Subsequent certification is only carried out upon request.
You are not obligated to have your marriage officially registered retroactively. Marriage certificates from abroad are often recognized in Germany.
You can receive a German marriage certificate after the subsequent registration has been completed.
More Information
Publisher
Hamburg
Last update or date of publication
Contact
The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.
Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 18:00 (and beyond these times in some regions).
Call 115 nowGovernment service telephone number calls are charged at local rates.
You can find out which documents are required in your case by contacting the relevant registry office.
It is not possible to provide a general and definitive answer regarding which documents are required due to individual circumstances. Your local registry office will be happy to advise you on your specific situation. Please contact your local registry office before submitting your application.
Preconditions
- Your marriage abroad will be recognized if the regulations applicable in the country of marriage were observed and the marriage was performed before a legally authorized person.
- The marriage complies with German law.
- One of you already possesses German citizenship or is a stateless, homeless foreign person or a foreign refugee with habitual residence in Germany.
- If neither of you is a German citizen and you married in Germany, then you must have been married by an authorized official from your home country (for example, at a consulate).
- The following are eligible to apply:
- Both spouses
- If both are deceased:
- Their parents
- Their children
Hints
The registry office responsible for registering the birth is the one at your current or last German place of residence. If you or any of your direct descendants have never had a residence in Germany, Registry Office I in Berlin is responsible.
For questions regarding the required documents and the procedure, please contact the relevant registry office preferably in writing or by email.
If you live abroad, you can submit the application in writing or through your competent foreign mission.
Subsequent certification is only carried out upon request and is subject to a fee:
- The subsequent registration of a marriage abroad, after review of the individual case, costs from EUR 175.00 to EUR 575.00.
- The fee amount is calculated based on the examination effort.
- Marriage certificate: 19.50 EUR
- Each additional certificate issued at the same time: EUR 8.50
- International marriage certificate: 19.50 EUR
- Certified extract from the marriage register: EUR 19.50
- Each additional certified register extract issued at the same time: EUR 8.50
Basis for legal action
§ 34 Civil Status Act (PStG)
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/__34.html
Legal Remedies
Application for instructions from the registry office at the Hamburg District Court, Sievekingplatz 1, if one of the Hamburg registry offices is responsible.
Related Links
- General register of the Hamburg registry officesCurrently this link is only available in german
- Registry office I in BerlinCurrently this link is only available in german
- State Archives, civil status documentsCurrently this link is only available in german
Procedure
- You apply for the registration of your marriage at the registry office responsible for your German place of residence or the German place of residence of the person entitled to apply. If neither a current nor a former German place of residence can be determined, you can apply for registration at the Berlin I registry office.
- Before applying, inquire at the registry office about which documents you will need.
- You compile the required documents and send them with your application to the responsible authority.
- The relevant registry office checks whether the registration can take place.
- If the requirements are met, the marriage will be entered in the German marriage register.
- If needed, you can apply for marriage certificates after your registration has been completed.
Deadlines
No
Processing time
The processing time depends on the individual case.