Marriage registration

If a German citizen has entered into a marriage abroad that is valid under German law, the spouses can have the marriage entered in the marriage register at the responsible German civil registry. They will then receive a German marriage certificate.
It is not possible to register a “de facto” partnership registered in Australia in Germany.

If a married name declaration is to be submitted, this is included in the application for a marriage registration.

One spouse alone can apply for the marriage registration. However, if you wish to submit a married name declaration as part of the marriage registration, both spouses must attend the appointment in person.

A marriage registration is generally not mandatory, but is nevertheless recommended.

Necessary documents (as originals)

• Completed application form (please fill in legibly with a computer or block letters and do not sign the form yet!)
• Valid passports for both spouses (or German identity card/“Personalausweis”)
• Marriage certificate (official certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages, not “Celebrant's Certificate”)
• Proof of visa status of the German spouse (if they are not also an Australian citizen) by VEVO (not older than two weeks at the time of application)
• Birth certificates of both spouses
• Proof of citizenship for both spouses (passports or German identity card/“Personalausweis”)
• Naturalization certificate, if one spouse was naturalized, or citizenship certificate (if available)
• Proof of married name, if applicable (e.g. name change certificate by the German civil registry, Australian passport or Australian birth certificate of a joint child)
• Marriage certificates of all previous marriages, if applicable
• Proof of dissolution of all previous marriages, if applicable (e.g. death certificates or divorce orders/“divorce decree absolute”)
  • If the divorce took place in Australia, an Apostille is needed on the divorce order. You can obtain this from the court that issued the divorce order.
  • It may also be necessary to apply for a recognition of the foreign divorce in Germany.
• Birth certificates of all joint children of the spouses
• Proof of residence in Australia (e.g. Australian driver's licence)
• German deregistration certificate (“Abmeldebescheinigung”) from your last German place of residence or current registration certificate (“Meldebescheinigung”) from your most recent address in Germany
• Generally translations of foreign documents (usually not required for English or “international” documents, e.g. international birth certificates)
• If you wish to make a name declaration by choosing the foreign law of one spouse, proof that the spouses bear the intended name under the law of the respective country (e.g. passport or foreign marriage certificate issued by the authorities of that country)

Please understand that it may be necessary to submit further documents in the course of the procedure, depending on the case constellation and the competent German civil registry (Standesamt). It is therefore recommended that you contact the responsible civil registry in Germany in advance.

Fees

Your signatures on the application form and the copies of your documents must be certified for the civil registry. These certifications can only be carried out by a German mission abroad (including Honorary Consuls).

The fees for the certification of your signatures at the German mission abroad are 56.43 EUR (without name declaration) / 79.57 EUR (with name declaration). The fee for the certification of copies (including the making of copies) depends on the individual case. As a rule, if possible, a collective certification is made, which amounts to between 24.83 EUR (Embassy Canberra) and 26.21 EUR (Consulate General Sydney and all Honorary Consuls).

Please note our general information about fees and methods of payment.

Processing times

The processing times for marriage registrations vary between civil registries and cannot be estimated by the German missions abroad.

In many cases, the processing time is around three to six months, in some cases even significantly longer. The German missions abroad have no influence on the processing times and cannot predict the duration of the procedure.
The processing times for isolated name declarations do not usually differ from the processing times for marriage registrations.

Name declaration

Determination of a married name

The name of a German citizen does not automatically change through marriage. If the spouses wish to have a shared name, a married name declaration must be submitted. In the case of a marriage in Germany, this can be done directly at the civil marriage ceremony; in the case of a marriage abroad, the married name declaration may have to be submitted retrospectively.

Since 01 May 2025, it is possible under German law to choose a double name from the names of both spouses. However, the name may not consist of more than two parts. Double names can be written with or without a hyphen.

It is also possible to choose only one name as the married name. A companion name for only one spouse also remains possible.

For marriages entered into until 30.04.2025, a married name declaration must always be submitted to choose a married name; the new options (e.g. joint double name) are also available.

Spouses who already have a married name before 01.05.2025 may choose a new married name once. The new options (e.g. joint double name) are available to them.

If you have married on or after 01.05.2025 and have chosen a married name in Australia, this may also be accepted under German law if you have proof of the name change in Australia (e.g. Australian passport or “Name Change Certificate”). A married name declaration is then not required, but a marriage registration is recommended.

If you only have German citizenship, the Australian registry office will not usually provide you with proof of the name change. In this case, a married name declaration is required. It is recommended that you submit this as part of a marriage registration.

Please note that the name declaration is included in the application for a marriage registration. An isolated name declaration is possible, but is only recommended in certain cases or if a marriage entry already exists in a German register. The costs, processing times and necessary documents are usually the same as for a marriage registration, but this depends on the responsible German civil registry.

Unilateral name declaration after divorce or death of a spouse

If you are divorced or widowed, you can return to the name you had before the marriage or to your maiden name.

In addition to the above-mentioned documents, proof of the dissolution of the marriage is required, e.g. the death certificate or the divorce order (“divorce decree absolute”).
Furthermore, it is necessary to first apply for a recognition of the foreign divorce in Germany.

Application forms

• Married name declaration (joint declaration)
• Unilateral name declaration after divorce or death of a spouse

Certificate of no impediment to marriage

The certificate of no impediment to marriage is proof for a fiancé's so-called nubility or capacity to marry. The civil registry of the last place of residence in Germany is responsible for issuing a certificate of no impediment to marriage for German nationals. If you have never had a place of residence or habitual residence in Germany, the Civil Registry Office I in Berlin is responsible. Further information can be found on the website of Civil Registry Office I in Berlin.

Please contact your responsible civil registry in Germany directly to find out which documents should be sent to the civil registry with the application for a certificate of no impediment to marriage.
The signatures of the applicants on the application form (do not sign yet!) must be certified. Please make an appointment for this at your responsible Consulate (also Honorary Consuls). Please bring your passports with you to this appointment.

Getting married in Australia

The German missions in Australia have no authorization to act as civil registries and therefore cannot solemnise marriages. However, it is possible to get married under Australian law at an Australian registry office (Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages). For more information on the procedure and the necessary documents, please contact the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages of the state in which the marriage is to take place, as there is no uniform regulation for the whole of Australia.

After the wedding ceremony, a Certificate of Marriage/Marriage Certificate will be issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. German authorities might not always recognize these certificates. It is therefore advisable to have the marriage certificate authenticated by an Apostille before returning to Germany. It is also recommended to register the marriage in Germany (see above).

In Australia, there is also the option of being married by a licensed “Marriage Celebrant”. However, the “Certificate of Marriage” issued by these private individuals is not recognized as a marriage certificate in Germany. It is necessary for you to have an official marriage certificate issued by the relevant Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (see above). “Marriage Celebrants” must report their marriages to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 14 days of solemnising the marriage.

After a marriage, German nationals can change their name and choose a married name.

Getting married in Germany

Information on the requirements for marriage under civil law can be obtained from the civil registry of the place where you wish to marry. If one of the fiancées is not a German citizen, he or she will need a so-called “certificate of no impediment to marriage”. This document is issued by the country of origin and states that the requirements for marriage are also met according to the law of the country of origin, e.g. that the fiancé is not already married.

Please note that there is no registration system in Australia. The following documents can be submitted to the German civil registry:

Please clarify in advance with your civil registry which document should be submitted!

• “Single Status Certificate”, issued by the respective Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages of the state of residence
• “Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage”, issued by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT)

In some cases, the civil registry requires the non-German fiancé to provide an affidavit confirming that they are single. In this case, please contact the Consulate General Sydney in advance.

Divorce

Information on divorce and the recognition of a foreign divorce in Germany can be found here.