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If you have married and need a new marriage certificate, you can apply for one at the registry office. To do this, please contact the registry office where you got married.

The marriage certificate is proof of the marriage between you and your spouse. It contains the first and last names at the time of the marriage and before, the place and date of birth of the spouses, the place and date of the marriage and details of the religious community of the spouses.

You can obtain the marriage certificate in the following forms:

• Marriage certificate
• International marriage certificate
• Certified printout from the marriage register

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

You will receive the certificate, including any subsequent certificates, as a printout from the electronic register.

If the personal details of the spouse change, for example due to a change of name or a divorce, the marriage entry will be supplemented by a subsequent certificate. A new 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 parents of the spouses.
  • You are a child of the spouses.
• Other persons, including close relatives such as aunts and uncles, will only receive 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 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 with the new identity card)
• if you are applying for or collecting the certificate through a representative: written authorization from the authorized person, their ID card or passport and the ID card or passport of the representative
• 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

• § Section 57 of the Civil Status Act (PStG)
• § Sections 61-66 of the Civil Status Act (PStG)
• § Section 5 (5) of the Civil Status Act (PStG)
• § Section 48 (1) of the Ordinance on Civil Status (PStV)
• § Section 50 (1) of the Ordinance on Civil Status (PStV)

• Information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior on civil status law

Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community