Marriage

Marrying in Germany

The embassy does not perform marriages.

Only marriages performed at a registrar's office (Standesamt) are legally valid in Germany. Requirements for Canadians vary depending upon the couple's status in Germany and where they plan to marry. For regulations and requirements pertaining to your particular situation contact your local Standesamt.

You will be asked to present a long-form birth certificate indicating your parentage. If you do not already have one you may obtain it from the vital statistics office of the province or territory you were born in.

You may be asked for a Ledigkeitsbescheinigung, which is a certificate of non-impediment to marriage stating that you are single. This document does not exist in Canada, however we can issue a statement in lieu of certificate of non-impediment to marriage for you. To obtain one, mail your request to the Canadian Embassy in Berlin or the Consulates in Munich, Düsseldorf, Hamburg or Stuttgart with a photocopy of pages 2 and 3 of your valid passport, the fee and the address to which the document should be sent.

Instead of the Ledigkeitsbescheinigung certain Standesämter ask Canadians to make an affirmation of single status at the Standesamt for a fee.

Marrying in Canada

Regulations

Marriage regulations vary amongst provinces and territories within Canada. For information on marriage regulations, consult the office of vital statistics of the province or territory where you intend to marry. If you are not Canadian you should state this when making enquiries in case there are special requirements which apply to non-Canadians.

Canadian marriage certificates

Official Canadian marriage certificates are available from the Office of Vital Statistics of the province or territory where the event took place, after the marriage has been registered by the person who performed the marriage. This document is not to be confused with a commemorative document which might be issued by the person performing the marriage.

The vital statistics offices issue two types of marriage certificates. Only the long-form certificate, showing parentage, and legalised by the German Embassy in Ottawa or by a German consulate in the region where the marriage took place, is recognized by the German authorities.

Divorce

Canadian divorces are recognized in Germany and vice versa.