My partner or I am a foreign national. What do we need to do to get married in Berlin?

If one of you is a foreign national, became a German citizen later or was born abroad, the marriage application in Berlin (Anmeldung der Eheschließung) follows special rules.

You apply at the Standesamt (registry office) in the district where one of you has a main or secondary address (Haupt- oder Nebenwohnsitz). All 12 Berlin districts have a Standesamt. Before applying, you need a personal preliminary meeting at the Standesamt, where you find out which documents you need.

Documents must be originals, with no alterations, holes or lamination. Documents not in German must be translated into German by a certified translator. Documents from some countries need an apostille (Apostille) or legalisation by the German embassy (Legalisation). Documents such as a birth certificate and proof of citizenship may be required.

In some cases the foreign partner needs a certificate of no impediment to marriage (Ehefähigkeitszeugnis). If it can't be obtained, you can ask the court for an exemption (Befreiung). The fee for this depends on income.

You both need to go to the application in person. If one of you can't come for an important reason, they can give written authorisation. If your German isn't good enough, you need to bring a sworn interpreter.

Fees: 45 euros for the application and checking the marriage requirements. If foreign law applies, another 45 euros for each partner. The marriage certificate (Eheurkunde) costs 12 euros. You can apply at the earliest 6 months before your wedding date. The application is valid for 6 months, and in that time you can marry at any Standesamt in Germany.