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If you have married and need a new marriage certificate or a printout from the marriage register, you can apply for this at the registry office. To do this, please contact the registry office in whose district you got married.

The marriage certificate proves the marriage of you and your spouse. It contains the first and last names from the time of the marriage and before, the birth names of the spouses from the time of the marriage, the place and date of birth of the spouses, the place and date of the marriage and, if applicable, a subsequent certification of the dissolution of the marriage through divorce or death or annulment of the marriage by court decision.

You can obtain the marriage certificate in the following forms:

• marriage certificate
• Multilingual marriage certificate, also known colloquially as an international marriage certificate
• Certified printout from the marriage register

A certified printout from the marriage register shows all the data entered by the registry office in connection with your marriage.

If the personal details of the spouses change, for example due to a change of name, divorce or annulment of the marriage by court order, the marriage entry is supplemented by subsequent notarizations. An updated marriage certificate can then be issued on request.

Marriage certificates contain personal data, so their issue is subject to data protection restrictions:

• You are entitled to apply under the following conditions:
  • You are at least 16 years old.
  • You are the spouse to whom the certificate relates.
  • You are the parent of one of the spouses.
  • You are a child of the spouses.
• Close relatives, such as siblings or grandchildren, as well as persons without any family connection can only apply for a certificate if they can credibly demonstrate a legal interest, for example by means of a letter from the probate court.
• If the marriage was concluded abroad, you must first have it certified at the registry office in Germany.

To apply for a marriage certificate, you will need

• Your identity card or passport (a copy if applying in writing, online you must authenticate yourself electronically using an identity card with online ID function),
• if you are applying for or collecting the card through a representative: written authorization from the authorized person and the representative's ID card or passport,
• for other persons, including close relatives such as aunts and uncles, proof of their legal interest, for example a letter from the probate court, a court judgment or an enforceable title.

Costs may be incurred for the issue of a marriage certificate. Please contact the relevant registry office.

You can apply for a marriage certificate in person or in writing.

Apply for a marriage certificate in person:

• An appointment may be required to apply in person.
• You must present your identity card or passport.
• You pay the fee directly at the registry office when you apply.
• In addition to yourself, a person you trust may also order and collect the certificate on your behalf. In addition to a written power of attorney, they must present their identity card or passport (original or copy) and their own identity card or passport.

Apply for a marriage certificate in writing:

• Address an informal letter to the relevant registry office requesting that a marriage certificate be issued to you.
• Your letter should contain the following information:
  • Surname, first name
  • Your registration address
  • Place and date of the marriage and, if applicable, establishment of the civil partnership
  • if known: Registry office and notarization number
  • the reason for the application
  • If applicable, further proof, for example of legal interest
• Enclose a copy of your identity card or passport with the letter.
• You will then receive a notification of fees and the marriage certificate.

Registry office

• § 5 Absatz 5 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG)
• § 57 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG)
• §§ 61 bis 66 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG)
• § 48 Absatz 1 Personenstandsverordnung (PStV)
• § 50 Absatz 1 Personenstandsverordnung (PStV)

Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs (BMI)