Apostilles for marriage outside of the UK

Recent trends indicate that more people are choosing to marry outside of the UK. This often requires the supply of several documents with an apostille certificate. It is recommended that you speak to your representative in the wedding location to verify what documents are required. Many hotels and travel companies provide a ‘wedding organiser’ that should be able to help. Alternatively contact the town hall, or church or venue that you intend to marry.

The most common documents required when marrying outside of the UK are-

Birth certificates
Certificates of no impediment

It is likely that you already have a copy of your birth certificate. Should you need a replacement or wish to purchase an additional copy you can order these online directly from the government. If required we can assist you in acquiring these for a small administration fee.

A certificate of no impediment is issued by your local registry office. It often takes several weeks for these to be issued as the process requires notices to be displayed prior to the issue of the certificate.

The following documents may also be required when marrying overseas-

Certified copy of passport
Adoption certificate
Affidavit that you are single or divorced and legally able to marry
Decree Absolute if you were previously married
Previous Marriage certificate
Death Certificate of your previous wife if now deceased

It must be stressed that this list is not exhaustive and that you should contact the country that you are travelling to for clarification of the documents required. This selection of documents is supplied for information only and is should not be taken as official advice.