One of the most important steps in your wedding planning process is obtaining the right documents for your wedding. In this section you will find all the information regarding the necessary certificates for getting married in Greece. We advise you to start collecting your paperwork about 3 months prior to your wedding. Once your documentation is ready, you shall send it to us for review. We have to review all documents at least 4 weeks before your wedding.

Also, don’t forget to bring the original documents with you. Bear in mind that all documents must stay in the City Hall in Kefalonia.

Please note that without the correct documents the civil wedding cannot be performed!

European Union Citizens

• Valid 10 year passports of both parties.
• Ful birth certificates of bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. Both parties are obliged to provide a full birth certificate, showing their parents’ full names. Shorter versions will not be accepted.
• Certificate of non-impediment to marry for both bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. This document confirms that you have not been married and that you are free to get married. The document can be issued in your local Registrar’s office and it must not be issued more than 3 months before your wedding.
• Divorce certificate, if any. If either party has been divorced, please provide a certified copy of the Decree Absolute.
• Death certificate of deceased spouse, if any.
• Official document about changing your name, if any.
• Adoption certificates, if any.
• An apostille stamp for each document of the above.

United Kingdom Citizens

• Valid 10 year passports of both parties.
• Full birth certificates of bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. Both parties are obliged to provide a full birth certificate, showing their parents’ full names. Shorter versions will not be accepted.
• Certificate of non-impediment to marry for both bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. This document confirms that you have not been married and that you are free to get married. The document can be issued in your local Registrar’s office and it must not be issued more than 3 months before your wedding.
• Divorce certificate, if any. If either party has been divorced, please provide a certified copy of the Decree Absolute.
• Death certificate of deceased spouse, if any.
• Official document about changing your name, if any.
• Adoption certificates, if any.
• An apostille stamp for each document of the above.

United States of America citizens

• Valid 10 year passports of both parties.
• Full birth certificates of bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. Both parties are obliged to provide a full birth certificate, showing their parents’ full names. Shorter versions will not be accepted.
• Certificate of non-impediment to marry for both bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. This document confirms that you have not been married and that you are free to get married. The document can be issued in your local Registrar’s office and it must not be issued more than 3 months before your wedding.
• Marriage license translated in Greek with an apostille stamp. This is valid for a wedding outside the state.
• Affidavit of single status (no translation and no apostille  required). We will email to you this form for completion – it must be stamped from the Registrar’s office.
• Divorce certificate, if any. If either party has been divorced, please provide a certified copy of the Decree Absolute.
• Death certificate of deceased spouse, if any.
• Official document about changing your name, if any.
• Adoption certificates, if any.
• An apostille stamp for each document of the above.

Russian Citizens

• International passports and Visas of both parties.
• Full birth certificates of bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. Both parties are obliged to provide a full birth certificate, showing their parents’ full names. Shorter versions will not be accepted.
• Certificate of non-impediment to marry for both bride and groom, with an apostille stamp and translated into Greek. This document confirms that you have not been married and that you are free to get married. The document can be issued in your local Registrar’s office and it must not be issued more than 3 months before your wedding.
• Marriage license with an apostille stamp and translated in Greek. You need to take it from ZAGS of your region.
• Divorce certificate, if any. If either party has been divorced, please provide a certified copy of the Decree Absolute.
• Death certificate of deceased spouse, if any.
• Official document about changing your name, if any.
• Adoption certificates, if any.
• An apostille stamp for each document of the above.

Catholic Wedding

• Valid 10 year passports of both parties.
• Baptism Certificate. This document should be requested and dated close to your wedding date.
• Confirmation Certificate. This document is the assurance that you are free from any canonical impediment for marriage.
1. These certificates must be obtained from the parish priest who baptized you, and must be dated within 3 months of your marriage.
2. If the date of your confirmation is not written in the parish you were baptized, you should ask for it from the parish in which you were confirmed.
3. Take these certificates to your present parish priest who should make the prenuptial inquiries and catechetical instruction.
• Freedom to marry certificate.
• Written permission must be obtained from your bishop to have your marriage performed out of your parish and here in Kefalonia. This is according to Canon 1115″ of the Codex Juris Canonici. Please discuss it with your pastor.
• Certificate stating you have completed the “Pre-cana” instruction class, retreat or meetings.
• Divorce certificate, if any. If either party has been divorced, please provide a certified copy of the Decree Absolute.
• Death certificate of deceased spouse, if any.
• Official document about changing your name, if any.
• Adoption certificates, if any.
• An apostille stamp for each document of the above.

Greek Orthodox Wedding

• Valid 10 year passports of both parties.
• Certificate of no previous marriage, officially certified by the archbishop of both parties’ area of residence.
• Certificate of non-impediment to marriage from the municipality where each applicant is resident. This document confirms that you have not been married and that you are free to married. The document can be issued in your local Registrar’s office and it must not be issued more than 3 months before your wedding.
• If one of the two persons who intend to get married is of another religious dogma (not Christian Orthodox, but still Christian), a Public Notary’s act is required, where it is stated that the children will be baptized Christian Orthodox.
• Divorce certificate, if any. If either party has been divorced, please provide a certified copy of the Decree Absolute.
• Death certificate of deceased spouse, if any.
• Official document about changing your name, if any.
• Adoption certificates, if any.
• An apostille stamp for each document of the above.

Original Documents

It is essential not to forget to bring the original documents with you, elsewhere the wedding cannot be accomplished.
According to the Greek law all the original documents that you will provide to us for your wedding will be kept in your marriage file at the City Hall.
This will include your birth certificates. Therefore it is a good idea to obtain certified copies of these if you want to keep them.

Translations

All documents require translation to Greek and must be translated and authenticated only by your local Greek Embassy or Consulate or official translators who are affiliated from the Greek Embassy or Consulate.
If it is more complicated for you then you can send us the authenticated original documents and we will take care of the translations here (only from English to Greek).
Please note that translation costs are extra – ask us about the exact cost.
Also, keep in mind that we are unable to arrange translations of documents that do not carry Apostille.

Apostille stamp

Each translated legal document must be sent with an apostille stamp. The apostille stamp is a special seal which is applied by legal authorities in order to certify that a document is a true and valid copy of the original. Apostille is applied in countries signatories of the Hague Convention, which was created in 1961, and which serves to shorten and replace the exhausting and time-consuming process of obtaining certification, when one had to go to various authorities for one single document to be sealed and certified. The apostille Stamp is necessary for official documents to be used outside of your country such as birth certificates, Certificates of no Impediment to marry and Free to Marry Affidavits.

Important notes

• Don’t forget to translate your Greek marriage certificate into your native language when you return home.
• Also, don’t forget to register your marriage at your country when you return.

If you have any questions about the documents or anything else please contact us .