Getting Married Abroad

Overseas weddings are becoming more popular but, before making the decision to get married abroad, and choosing the relevant destination, it is essential to understand what formalities and documents are required. They may take some time to complete and will involve some expense.

More often than not, some of the documents will need to be signed in front of or certified by a notary public.

Typical documents are:

• Full birth certificates, passports and proof of address
• Certified copies of a decree absolute if you are divorced, and a death certificate of your former spouse if you are widowed.
• Certified copies of your change of name deeds if you have changed your name since birth.
• Certificate of no impediment (CNI) which confirms that there is no legal obstacle to your marriage.
• Affidavit or statutory declaration – in countries where a CNI is not required, a sworn statement before a notary public may be needed to confirm eligibility for marriage.
• Apostille – some countries require further legalisation after notarisation, such as an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or consular legalisation, which we can arrange.

We have plenty of experience to guide you through the documentation. Although we can help with any country in the world, the most popular destinations we deal with are Italy, Turkey, Malta and Cyprus.

You do not need to (and, in fact, no longer can) register your overseas marriage in the UK. You can rely on your foreign marriage certificate but, if is not in English, you may need to have it professionally translated and certified.

If you would like to speak with a notary regarding getting married abroad, please contact Alis Ahmedova on aa@cwj.co.uk or by phone on 01689 887844.