Applying for a marriage certificate

You can apply for a marriage certificate in person or in writing.

Apply for a marriage certificate 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.

Apply for a marriage certificate in writing:

• Address an informal letter to the relevant registry office requesting that a marriage certificate be issued to you.
• Your letter should contain the following information:
  • Surname, first name
  • Your registration address
  • Place and date of the marriage and, if applicable, establishment of the civil partnership
  • if known: Registry office and notarization number
  • the reason for the application
  • If applicable, further proof, for example of legal interest
• Enclose a copy of your identity card or passport with the letter.
• You will then receive a notification of fees and the marriage certificate.

The marriage certificate is usually issued by the registry office that keeps the marriage register with the marriage entry.

Marriage certificates contain personal data, so their issue is subject to data protection restrictions:

• You are entitled to apply under the following conditions:
  • You are at least 16 years old.
  • You are the spouse to whom the certificate relates.
  • You are the parent of one of the spouses.
  • You are a child of the spouses.
• Close relatives, such as siblings or grandchildren, as well as persons without any family connection can only apply for a certificate if they can credibly demonstrate a legal interest, for example by means of a letter from the probate court.
• If the marriage was concluded abroad, you must first have it certified at the registry office in Germany.

To apply for a marriage certificate, you will need

• Your identity card or passport (a copy if applying in writing, online you must authenticate yourself electronically using an identity card with online ID function),
• if you are applying for or collecting the card through a representative: written authorization from the authorized person and the representative's ID card or passport,
• 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.

Costs may be incurred for the issue of a marriage certificate. Please contact the relevant registry office.

• § 5 Absatz 5 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG)
• § 57 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG)
• §§ 61 bis 66 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG)
• § 48 Absatz 1 Personenstandsverordnung (PStV)
• § 50 Absatz 1 Personenstandsverordnung (PStV)

• Application for a court decision

Forms:
Online procedure possible:
Written form required:
Personal appearance required for oral applications:

20.06.2024

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.