Certificate of no impediment to marriage
Do you want to get married abroad? Then you will need a certificate of no impediment to marriage in many countries.
Description
If Germans or persons subject to German law wish to marry abroad, they need a certificate of no impediment to marriage in many countries. If the foreign country requires a certificate of eligibility for marriage from the German diplomatic mission abroad instead, you must present a certificate of eligibility for marriage there. If both fiancées are German nationals, a certificate of no impediment to marriage is usually sufficient for both.
You can find out whether you need a certificate of no impediment to marriage at the foreign registry office, at the foreign representation in the Federal Republic of Germany or at the German representation in the country of marriage.
If you want to get married in Austria, Switzerland or Luxembourg, the certificate of no impediment to marriage can also be requested directly from the registry office/civil registry office responsible there as part of the marriage registration procedure there.
The registry offices in Munich only issue a certificate of no impediment to marriage if the German partner is registered in Munich as their main or secondary residence.
The certificate of no impediment to marriage confirms that there are no obstacles to your planned marriage under German law. This requires data and documents from both future spouses.
You apply for the certificate of no impediment to marriage at the registry office in your place of residence.
Prerequisites
Both fiancées must be of legal age.
Required documents
Valid passport or identity card
For unmarried Germans not living abroad:
- If your main place of residence is not in Munich: current (not older than 6 months) registration certificate stating marital status and nationality from the registration office of your main place of residence.
- Birth certificate or certified printout from the register of births, available from the registry office of the place of birth if necessary.
Note: A foreign connection exists if one of the future spouses
- has a foreign nationality
- was not born in Germany or was adopted abroad
- has entered into a previous marriage/ civil partnership abroad
- a previous marriage/ civil partnership was divorced abroad
Additionally for Germans who were married in Germany:
- Marriage certificate or notarised printout from the marriage/life partnership register of the last marriage/life partnership, if necessary available from the registry office of the place of marriage. The dissolution of the marriage/life partnership should be registered.
- If the divorce or death of the former spouse is not entered on the marriage certificate, also: divorce/annulment decree with a final judgement or death certificate of the spouse/life partner.
- If you have been married several times, please list all marriages and civil partnerships. Possible evidence: older marriage/civil partnership certificates, family register transcripts, death certificates, divorce/annulment judgements.
Additionally for unmarried foreign nationals:
- Birth certificate with details of parents
- official certificate of current marital status, not older than 6 months, usually available at the place of residence of the foreign spouse abroad or at the competent foreign registry office or registry office.
- If the documents are not multilingual: additional translation by a sworn translator recognised in Germany or by the German diplomatic mission abroad.
- Passport or identity card (legible copy)
In all other cases, if
- You were not born or adopted in Germany,
- Your last marriage took place abroad or a previous marriage was divorced abroad,
- You have already entered into a registered civil partnership,
- the foreign spouse was already married,
unfortunately, it is not possible to provide generalised information. Please use our contact form for personalised information.
Questions & Answers
In principle, the registry office at your place of residence is responsible. If you have more than one place of residence, you can choose one of the competent registry offices. If the German fiancée no longer resides in Germany, the certificate of no impediment to marriage must be applied for at the registry office of the last place of residence. If there has never been a residence in Germany or only a temporary residence, the registrar of the registry office I in Berlin, Schönstedtstraße 5, 13357 Berlin, is responsible.
No. The registry offices in Munich and Munich-Pasing have separate districts.
Only the Munich-Pasing registry office is responsible for Munich districts 21 (Pasing - Obermenzing), 22 (Aubing - Lochhausen - Langwied) and 23 (Allach - Untermenzing).
For all other districts, only the Munich registry office is responsible.
You may not marry a person who is a minor, to whom you are too closely related or who is already married. In order for this to be checked, the registry office needs documents from both future spouses.
Not all countries require a certificate of no impediment to marriage. If a certificate of your current marital status is sufficient, please apply for a registration certificate stating your marital status and nationality from the registration office at your place of residence.
We ask for your understanding that due to the large number of cases, especially those with a foreign connection, it is not possible to provide telephone counselling on the documents you need in individual cases.