Getting married is an exciting time but also requires a certain amount of official paperwork – especially if you are a foreigner in Austria.
To make the process easier, we’ve put together a guide to tying the knot in the Alpine Republic, including the key appointments and documents you will need.
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Who can get married in Austria?
Men and women from the age of 18 can get married in Austria. Same-sex couples are allowed to get married in Austria, even if one of the spouses comes from a country that doesn’t recognise same-sex marriage.
However, marriage is prohibited between close blood relatives, including parents and children, siblings, uncles and nieces or aunts and nephews, and first cousins. The restrictions also cover certain adoptive relationships. Someone who is already married or in a registered partnership cannot marry again unless that relationship has legally ended.
Only civil marriages are legal in Austria so official paperwork is always conducted by a registrar, even if a symbolic ceremony takes place somewhere else.
What is the process?
For international residents in Austria, the process starts with contacting an Austrian registry office (Standesamt) to register for marriage and establish that both partners are legally allowed to marry.
Foreign nationals may need a certificate confirming that there are no legal obstacles to their marriage, often called an Ehefähigkeitszeugnis or certificate of no impediment. The exact document and where to obtain it depend on the person's nationality. In some cases, this involves contacting an embassy or consulate, while others can obtain the necessary paperwork directly from authorities in their home country.
For people from Germany, Italy and Switzerland, existing agreements also allow Austrian registry offices to obtain the marriageability certificate directly from the responsible registry office in their home country.
In Vienna, couples can reserve a wedding date through the city's registry offices, which are part of Municipal Department 63 (MA 63). After reserving a date, they must make an appointment to register for marriage and provide the necessary documents. Only then can the wedding date be confirmed.
Online reservations are possible when at least one partner lives in Austria. Couples who both live abroad need to contact the registry office directly.
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The registry office's confirmation that a couple is eligible to marry is valid for a maximum of six months. In Vienna, couples can register for marriage no earlier than six months before their planned wedding date. Foreign documents may have different validity periods, so check with the issuing authority.
If you need documents from your home country, check the applicable fees and validity periods with the issuing authority. Any certificates requested by the Austrian registry office should be kept safely and presented when required.
What documents do you need?
The documents required depend on your nationality and personal circumstances. You will generally need valid identification, such as a passport, along with civil-status documents such as your birth certificate.
The registry office may ask for additional documents, including proof of residence or evidence that you are legally free to marry. Check the exact requirements with the Standesamt before obtaining certificates or arranging translations.
And, if you or your partner are divorced, widowed or previously in a civil partnership, you will need to bring evidence that the relationship is dissolved or a death certificate.
Foreign birth certificates and other documents may need certified German translations and, depending on the country where they were issued, an apostille or diplomatic legalisation.
However, certain official documents issued in another EU country, including birth certificates and documents confirming marital status, do not need an apostille under EU rules. International or multilingual documents may also remove the need for a separate translation.
These documents are generally checked during the registration process. On the wedding day itself, both partners must bring valid official photo identification.
There are also fees to consider. According to the Austrian government's current guidance, the procedure to establish whether a couple is eligible to marry costs €74, while submitting foreign documents carries a fee of €193. Additional charges apply for the ceremony and may vary depending on the venue and services chosen.
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Tourist weddings in Austria
If you don't live in Austria but like the idea of getting married in the country, the process is similar.
You will need to register with an Austrian registry office, which will tell you what identification and civil-status documents to provide. Depending on your nationality, you may also need evidence from your home country confirming that you are legally allowed to marry.
In Vienna, couples who have never lived in Austria should contact the city's tourist-wedding department (Touristenhochzeiten) at touristenhochzeit@ma63.wien.gv.at.
The email should include both partners' full names, preferred wedding date, countries of birth, nationalities, residential addresses and marital status.
Couples who previously lived in Austria can instead contact their chosen Vienna registry office directly. If neither partner currently lives in Austria, an online wedding-date reservation is not possible.
There is no minimum period of residence in Austria before getting married, but couples should allow enough time to arrange appointments and obtain the required documents.
In Vienna, the online booking system does not offer wedding dates within the following four weeks. Couples hoping to marry at shorter notice should contact their chosen registry office directly.
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