How to Get Married in Germany as a U.S. Citizen

To get married in Germany as a U.S. citizen, you gather a specific set of American documents, have them apostilled and translated by a sworn translator, register your intent at a local registry office (Standesamt), and wait for a German court to issue an exemption that stands in for the Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage that the United States does not produce. Only the civil ceremony at the Standesamt is legally binding, and the whole process realistically takes two to four months.

Entering Germany for the Wedding

U.S. citizens can enter Germany without a visa for up to 90 days under the Schengen agreement, and that visa-free entry is enough to marry and go home. The U.S. Embassy cautions that 90 days can be tight once you factor in document gathering, the court exemption, and scheduling the ceremony itself. If your partner already lives in Germany, having them start the registration before you arrive saves real time.¹

If you intend to stay after the wedding rather than fly home, you still do not need a visa in advance. U.S. citizens are among a small group of nationalities allowed to enter Germany and apply for a residence permit at the local foreigners authority after arrival.²

Who Can Marry

Both partners must be at least 18. Since 2017, German law contains no exceptions to that minimum, regardless of citizenship, parental consent, or cultural background.³ Neither of you can be married to someone else. If a prior marriage ended, you will need proof of how it ended.

Documents to Bring From the United States

The Standesamt in the district where you or your partner lives will give you the definitive list, but plan on the following:

A valid U.S. passport. Military ID is not always accepted, so bring the passport regardless of your status.⁴
A certified original birth certificate from the vital records office in the state where you were born, listing your parents’ names. Hospital souvenir certificates are usually rejected. You will also need an apostille from the Secretary of State in the issuing state to authenticate the document internationally.⁴
Proof of eligibility to marry. If you are legally resident in Germany, all 16 states now let you swear an oath at the Standesamt confirming eligibility. If you are not a German resident, you instead obtain a notarized marriage affidavit from your home state.¹
If you were married before, a certified copy of the final divorce judgment plus a certificate of finality confirming the divorce was not overturned on appeal. Widowed applicants provide the deceased spouse’s death certificate.⁴
Certified German translations of every non-German document, produced by a sworn translator recognized in Germany. Your own translations will not be accepted.

Apostilles typically run $10 to $20 per document depending on the state. Order them early. Some states take weeks.

Registering at the Standesamt

Once your documents are in hand, you register your intent to marry (Anmeldung der Eheschließung). If either partner has a German address, you file at the Standesamt in that district. If neither of you lives in Germany, you file at the registry office where you want the ceremony held.⁵ Both partners should appear in person if possible; a power of attorney (Vollmacht) may be accepted for one absent partner at the registrar’s discretion.

The Court Exemption in Place of a Certificate of No Impediment

The United States does not issue a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage. Because Germany normally requires one from foreign nationals, the Standesamt forwards your file to the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) in your region, which issues an exemption called the Befreiung vom Ehefähigkeitszeugnis.¹

The court fee runs from €15 to €305, calculated on both partners’ combined net monthly income. If the court rejects the request or you withdraw it, you pay half the normal fee, minimum €15.⁶

This is the bottleneck. Some couples get the exemption in a few weeks; others wait two months or more, and there is no way to accelerate it. Once you have it, your application to marry stays valid for six months, so book the ceremony inside that window.

The Civil Ceremony

Only a civil ceremony at the Standesamt is legally binding. A religious ceremony has no legal weight, though since 2009 you may hold one before or after the civil ceremony.⁷

Both partners must be present.⁸ Witnesses are optional; if you bring one or two, each must be over 18 with valid passport or ID. Give the registrar their names at least eight days before the wedding.⁹

If either partner cannot follow legal proceedings in German, a certified interpreter must attend. You hire and pay for the interpreter yourself. Right after the ceremony, the Standesamt issues the German marriage certificate (Eheurkunde). Order several certified copies on the spot. You will use them for name changes, residence permits, and U.S. document updates.

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

Realistic expenses to budget for:

Court exemption fee: €15 to €305, income-based⁶
Standesamt registration and ceremony: typically €40 to €150 for a weekday ceremony, more for Saturdays or special venues
Apostilles: $10 to $20 per document
Sworn translations: roughly €30 to €60 per page
Interpreter for the ceremony, if needed: commonly €150 to €300

From first document request to wedding day, plan on two to four months. Getting birth certificates and apostilles from the U.S. can eat several weeks by itself, and the court exemption adds another stretch. Couples who start three to four months out avoid the worst of the crunch.

Choosing a Married Name

German name law is more restrictive than most Americans expect, but a reform effective May 1, 2025, expanded the options. Couples can now choose a combined surname made from both partners’ last names, with or without a hyphen. The combined name cannot have more than two parts.¹⁰ Your current choices:

One partner’s surname becomes the married name for both
A combined surname drawn from both (e.g., “Miller-Schmidt” or “Miller Schmidt”)
Each partner keeps their own name, with no shared married name

The spouse whose name is not chosen as the married name may add their birth name, hyphenated, before or after it. Couples who married under the old rules can use a transition provision to adopt a hyphenated combined name.¹¹

Getting Your Marriage Recognized Back Home

A marriage legally performed in Germany is generally valid in the United States under the principle that a marriage valid where celebrated is valid everywhere. No separate federal registration exists. What you do need to handle is your personal paperwork if you changed your name.

To update your U.S. passport with a new married name, file Form DS-82 with your most recent passport, an original or certified German marriage certificate, a passport photo, and the applicable fee. Expedited service adds $60.¹²

The Social Security Administration accepts a marriage document as proof of a legal name change, but you must submit originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.¹³

Staying in Germany After the Wedding

If you plan to live in Germany afterward, the residence permit process is simpler for Americans than for most other nationalities. You enter without a visa and apply at the local foreigners authority (Ausländerbehörde) once you arrive.² Bring your marriage certificate, both passports, proof of health insurance, evidence of income or support, and your rental agreement.

U.S. citizens are also exempt from the A1 German-language proficiency requirement that applies to most non-EU spouses in family reunification cases. The exemption applies whether your spouse is German or another nationality holding a German residence permit.¹⁴ Once your residence permit is issued, you can work in Germany without restriction.¹⁵

1
U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Germany. Marriage Abroad FAQs
2
Federal Foreign Office. Intended Marriage in Germany and Subsequent Stay
3
Federal Foreign Office. Marriage in Germany
4
7th Army Training Command. How to Get Married in Germany
5
Federal Foreign Office. International Marriages
6
Bundesportal. Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage Exemption
7
Library of Congress Blogs. Marriage Law in Germany
8
7th Army Training Command. How to Get Married in Germany
9
U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach. Getting Married in Germany
10
Federal Foreign Office. Name Declaration for Spouses
11
Federal Foreign Office. New Naming Law as of 1 May 2025
12
U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
13
Social Security Administration. U.S. Citizen – Adult Name Change on Social Security Card
14
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Proof of Knowledge of Basic German for Spousal Reunification from Abroad
15
Make it in Germany. Spouses Joining Citizens of Non-EU Countries