Marriage in Greece can take the form of a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony (usually, orthodox, as most Greeks are Orthodox Christians). Foreigners can also get married here and our law firm is able to assist.
Of course, there are certain basic conditions to comply with. Our lawyers in Greece will present below the main regulations concerning wedding procedures. You can also rely on our team to help you in the process of preparing your marriage documentation.
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What are the main requirements for getting married in Greece?
Just like in other European countries, for the civil ceremony, the Greek authorities will require future spouses to provide a set of documents that attest their identity and the fact that they are free to get married, as per the applicable law in Greece.
Please mind that the marriage procedure will first be completed as a civil ceremony and after that, the couple can get married in a religious ceremony as well. If the 2nd option is also included in the marriage plans of the future spouses, please know that all the documents required by the Town Hall (where the civil marriage will take place) will also be necessary when addressing a local church.
Getting married in Greece can be done if the couple presents the following:
- the identity documents (if the spouses are Greek nationals) or the passports (where a spouse/both spouses are foreigners);
- the birth certificate of the applicants (where a spouse is a foreigner, additional steps must be completed);
- for those who have previously been married, the Certificate of Divorce/ Death Certificate of the previous spouse must be submitted to the file;
- a document issued in the country of origin of the applicant, which attests that the person getting married in Greece is free to marry;
- a copy of a newspaper that is issued in the Greek region where the spouses live, which announces their marriage.
For foreign spouses, please mind that all the official documents must be translated into Greek. The documents can be signed by a lawyer, by the representatives of the Greek consulate operating in that country or by the Greek Foreign Ministry (Department of Translation).
Foreigners who live in Greece and want to get married here must submit supporting documentation concerning their lawful residency in this country. For this, they need to present their current visas, residence permits and any other paperwork issued by the Ministry of Migration Policy and Asylum.
Our lawyers in Greece can offer in-depth details on the immigration-related obligations that can appear in this scenario. They also need to present adequate documentation attesting their current residency in Greece (one can buy a house in Greece or rent it and if the latter applies, the person needs to present documents such as rental contracts, utility bills, etc.).
Please mind that the application is made in person in the case of those who live in Greece. Persons who are not in Greece at the moment when they want to apply for a marriage license can do so through the consular missions of the Greek institutions. Our Greek lawyers can inform you on all the procedures that must be followed in this case.
Which are the laws regulating marriage in Greece?
The primary source of law with respect to marriage in Greece is the Book IV of the Code of Civil Procedure. The Civil Code also prescribes other legal matters related to marriage (the welfare of the family, the rights and obligations of the spouses, matters concerning children) but it also regulates all the aspects occurring in the situation of a divorce.
Our Greek law firm can represent clients interested in the procedure of getting married in Greece for foreigners, as well as the procedures concerning the dissolution of a marriage, where foreign spouses are involved. The main rules of law on marriage in Greece are the ones mentioned in the list below:
- Presidential Decree 391/1982, referring to the celebration of civil marriage;
- Law 344/1976, referring to the registration documents of married persons;
- Law 3719/2008, referring to family and children and the reforms included in the amended law;
- Presidential Decree 411/1989, on common property;
- Law 4356/2015, referring to cohabitation agreements.
There are other regulations that can apply to marriage and our Greek lawyers can offer more details.
Obtaining a marriage license in Greece – fees and timeframe
The submission of the documents mentioned above will result in a marriage license granted by the Greek authorities, through which it is attested that the individuals have the legal right to get married here.
The issuance of the document can done in a matter of days (around 1 week) and it is has a maximum validity of 6 months. Upon the submission of documents, the applicant must pay a processing fee of EUR 18 at the Municipality working in the region where the couple lives.
Marriage license rejection/appeal
The legislation states that the Greek authorities have the right to refuse the issuance of the marriage license, provided that the application does not meet the necessary standards. If this is the case, there are legal actions that can be taken against this decision.
For instance, the applicant can address the case to the Court of First Instance, which will review the decision. Our law firm in Greece can offer the necessary legal support in submitting documentation to the Greek courts.
We mention that this court has the right to irrevocably decide upon the case, in accordance with the rules of the Code of Civil Procedure. The legal proceedings are not lengthy in situations as this one, as since the day when the application is lodged to the court, the judges can issue a decision in a period of maximum 10 days. Our attorneys in Greece can offer further details concerning the procedure.
Our team of Greek lawyers can present all the conditions your paperwork must fulfill in order to avoid being rejected in the process of registering for marriage in Greece, so contact us now for more information.