Here you will learn what you need to know about getting married in Germany and India and how to obtain a German marriage certificate.

Marriage in Germany

In Germany, marriages are performed exclusively before a civil registrar. To do so, both fiancés must, among other things, submit a certificate of no impediment to marriage from their home country.

German citizens can apply for a certificate of no impediment to marriage at the registry office of their current place of residence in Germany or, if residing abroad, at their last place of residence in Germany. If you have never resided in Germany, the Registry Office I in Berlin is responsible for you. Please contact the responsible registry office directly to inquire about the required documents for the application. If the application form has to be submitted with signature certification or if certified copies of your civil status documents are required, you are welcome to schedule an appointment at the responsible mission.

For Indian nationals, however, the relevant Indian legal provisions do not provide a formal legal basis for the issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage. The Indian Special Marriage Act of 1954, which serves as a marriage law for members of all religions, lists in Chapter II, Section 4 the requirements that a person wishing to marry must meet. The determination of whether these requirements are met rests with either the competent Indian Registrar of Marriages or the competent Magistrate. However, not all Indian states issue such a certificate. The certificate is also not based on civil registry records as is the case in Germany. Therefore, please check with your competent registry office in Germany which documents you have to submit in your individual case. In many cases an application for exemption from providing the certificate of no impediment to marriage must be filed with the competent High Court in Germany. This may involve a document verification, which the registry office will ask for at the competent German mission in India through administrative assistance (please see Verification of Indian Documents – LINK: new link).

Marriage in India

Marriages can no longer be solemnized in German missions abroad.

Marriages solemnized in India are generally recognized in Germany provided they meet the formal requirements of Indian law and the substantive legal requirements of the respective home country of the engaged couple (e.g. minimum age requirements).

In India, you can marry under civil law or according to various religious traditions:
•under the ‘Hindu Marriage Act’ if both parties are Hindus at the time of the marriage.
This also includes, within the meaning of the ‘Hindu Marriage Act,’ members of the Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities;
•under the ‘Christian Marriage Act’, if at least one of the fiancés is Christian and the other fiancé is not a Hindu as defined by the ‘Hindu Marriage Act’;
•according to ‘Muslim tradition’, if the fiancé is Muslim and the fiancée is Muslim, Christian, or Jewish;
•under the ‘Special Marriage Act’ at the civil registry office; this option is available to members of all religions.

You can find additional information in this information sheet and in the FAQs of the Federal Foreign Office.
Please contact the competent Indian authorities if you have questions about the documents required for your wedding and the procedure.

You may be asked by the competent Indian authority to submit a so-called “No Objection Certificate (NOC)” which confirms your eligibility to marry and the mission’s approval of your planned wedding. You can apply for the certificate at the competent German mission. To do so, you must submit a valid German certificate of no impediment to marriage in original form, which you can apply for at the competent registry office in Germany. You will also need to bring along your passport and a fee of 36.00 euros (payable in cash in Indian rupees at the current exchange rate).

You can book an appointment to have the certificate issued here.

In any case, make sure to have your marriage registered with the competent Registrar of Marriages or the competent Magistrate and to receive a formal marriage registration certificate with a registration number.

German Marriage Certificate related to a marriage solemnized abroad

The Embassy also recommends having your foreign marriage registered with the competent German registry office (Section 34 of the Civil Status Act). This will provide you with a German marriage certificate, which can offer many advantages. A German marriage certificate serves as proof of the validity of the marriage solemnized abroad in Germany and of the names in the marriage. Unlike an Indian or other foreign marriage certificate, which may need to undergo a verification or may require legalization or an apostille or have to be translated before use in Germany, a German marriage certificate can be used directly in the German and European legal systems well into the future. However, this registration is not mandatory.
Information on possible names in the marriage can be found here.

Only the spouses are eligible to apply for the registration in the German marriage register during their lifetimes. At least one spouse must hold German citizenship at the time of application. A joint application by the spouses is not required; each spouse may apply for the registration without the other’s consent.
The registry office in Germany at the place where the spouses are residing, last resided, or have their habitual residence at is responsible for the registration. If no jurisdiction arises from this, the Registry Office I Berlin is responsible.

The application for registration of the marriage solemnized abroad may be submitted to the responsible German mission; the mission will then forward the application to the registry office in charge and hand out the requested marriage certificate to you once the registry office has completed processing. Please note that in addition to the fees you pay during your appointment at the mission, processing fees will also be charged by the civil registry office. The civil registry office will send you a separate payment request upon receipt of the application.
Both spouses must appear in person at the responsible mission for an appointment. If you do not wish to submit a name declaration for a joint married name, the presence of one spouse is sufficient.

During the appointment the spouses’ signatures on the application will be certified, for which a fee of 60.00 EUR (without a name declaration) or 85.00 EUR (with a name declaration, payable in cash in Indian rupees at the daily exchange rate) applies. If one spouse is in Germany and a name declaration is desired, his or her signature must be notarized and the original must be presented by the spouse appearing in person when applying for the registration of the marriage. In addition, certified copies of the documents to be submitted to the registry office along with the application will be prepared. Please bring the originals of the required documents and a fee of 24.00 euros (payable in cash in Indian rupees at the current exchange rate).
Please note that documents in foreign languages must be accompanied by a German translation prepared by a sworn translator. Documents originally issued in English may be accepted; however, translations into English are not accepted.
Foreign civil status documents generally require an apostille or legalization in order to be recognized under German law. In the case of Indian documents, a document verification by a trusted lawyer may be required.

The following documents must be presented in original form along with 2 copies each at the appointment:
- Filled out application form for the registration of a foreign marriage in the marriage register, not yet signed
- Passports of both spouses
- If the German spouse has been naturalized in Germany: Certificate of naturalization
- Birth certificates of both spouses
- Marriage (registration) certificate
- For religious marriages, please also provide a temple certificate/Gurudwara certificate/Nikkah nama
- For religious marriages, please also provide photos of the marriage ceremony
- Proof of the dissolution of any previous marriages (e.g. divorce decree or death certificate of the former spouse), if applicable
- Proof of the spouses’ residence in India (visa, OCI card, etc.)
- Certificate of deregistration from the last place of residence of one or both spouses in Germany (‘Abmeldebescheinigung’)
- If applicable, proof of name in the marriage/civil partnership (e.g. certificate of name from the German registry office)

The information provided is based on our current knowledge and experience. We cannot guarantee its completeness or accuracy, particularly due to changes that may have occurred in the meantime.