Visas & Customs Requirements

Marriage:

Only marriages performed at a registrar's office ("Standesamt") are legally valid in Germany. A church ceremony may be held later, if desired. Consular officers cannot perform marriages and you do not need to register your marriage with the Embassy or Consulate.

If an American citizen marries a German citizen, he or she does not acquire German citizenship, nor does the German citizen acquire US citizenship. If you wish to live in the U.S. after marrying, the American spouse will need to apply for an Immigrant Visa on behalf of the non-American spouse.

Documents requirements

This depends on what the registrar's office ("Standesamt") requires and may vary from case to case. The Standesamt therefore requires that you make an appointment and discuss with them what is required for you.

There are, however, some standard requirements that apply in almost all cases:

• Your birth certificate.
  • It is a German requirement that all documents must have been issued within the last six months; therefore you may have to obtain a new copy of your birth certificate. The Embassy or Consulate cannot obtain documents on your behalf and cannot provide translations of documents. More information about obtaining vital records in the U.S., such as birth certificates, can be found at How to obtain vital records.
• For U. S. documents to be accepted by the German authorities, they also require that you provide an Apostille.
• All foreigners marrying in Germany require an "Ehefähigkeitszeugnis" which is a Certificate of Free Status stating that you are legally free to marry. This document may be obtained at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin or at a U.S. Consulate WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MUNICH. Residents of Bavaria may take the oath on this document directly at the Standesamt and do not need to come to the Consulate.

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