Greece

Documents required to marry in Greece

Greece is a gorgeous country and would make a deeply romantic country to marry. There's many Greek Islands to choose from; Crete and Santorini are popular places, with venues including The Minos Beach Art Hotel and EROSANTORINI. The process of getting married in Greece can be fairly tedious, however, there is no residency requirement to marry in Greece. Therefore, we would typically recommend marrying in the UK and then celebrating a non-legal wedding blessing/celebration once you're in Greece - minus the hassle! However, if you are set in your mind on formally tying the knot in Greece, these are the steps you need to take:

1. In order to marry in Greece, you will need to acquire a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) from the UK. This is a legal document that states that it is legal for you and your partner to wed. Confusingly, the CNI is only valid for 3 months (from the date of issue) if you are Scottish, while if you are from England, Wales or Northern Ireland, there is no expiry date. 
2. This CNI will then have to be legalised by a British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and then translated into Greek by a professional translator. It is essential that the translator has been authorised by the Greek Embassy in London.
3. The next step is to get certification by the Greek Consulate in London. As long as you have used an official translator and all your documents (listed below) are in order, there is no reason why this step should create any issues.
4. Once all of this has been authorised, take all your documentation to the relevant registry office in Greece and apply for a marriage licence. In order to do this, you will also have to give notice of your intent to marry in the local Greek newspaper.
5. The marriage licence will take at the minimum 7 days to be issued, although it can take a few months. It will be valid for 6 months thereafter. 
6. After getting the marriage licence, you and your partner will have to submit an application to marry to the relevant Mayor of the place where you wish to marry. Once this has been approved, you're all set to marry!
7. Be wary that the rules and regulations can vary slightly depending on the island or region. If you are in any doubt, contact the British embassy in Athens and they will be able to walk you through the process.

Necessary Documents

• Passport
• Passport sized photos
• Birth certificate
• Copy of the 2 witnesses' passports
• Fee
• A Certificate of No Impediment (CNI)
• Divorce certificate (if necessary from previous marriage)
• Death certificate (if you have been widowed)

Same-Sex Weddings

Same-sex weddings are not legal, although many couples choose to have a symbolic blessing in Greece.

Sources

• https://www.gov.uk/marriage-abroad/y/greece/uk/partner_british/opposite_sex
• https://www.vitalcertificates.co.uk/getting-married-in-greece.html
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/getting-married-in-greece_n_1262842.html

Sources updated on 16th May 2024

This information is appropriate for UK nationals getting married overseas. We always advise that you contact the relevant embassy for information before booking any trips. This information is up to date to the best of our knowledge.