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Getting Married in Cyprus

Information regarding the procedures for wedding in Cyprus, including where to register, what documents are necessary and whether declaring the marriage is required.

The process for foreign nationals to legally marry in Cyprus is fairly straightforward. It is a civil marriage, covered by the Marriage Law 104 (I) of 2003. Application for marriage must be made in person to the marriage officer at a municipal office.

Application for Marriage in Cyprus

Those wishing to marry in Cyprus can follow one of two routes:

Solemnize the marriage via Notice of Marriage - marriage can take place 15 days to 3 months after application
Solemnize the marriage via Special Procedure - marriage can take place less than 15 days after application

Any person found making illegal or false statements in their application may be imprisoned

Note: Same-sex marriage is not permitted in Cyprus.

Marrying via Notice of Marriage

The marrying parties must apply jointly, in person, to the Marriage Officer of the Municipality of the area in which they want to marry, and complete a Notice of Marriage which confirms a mutual desire to marry each other.

There are various documents to be presented and criteria to be satisfied for the Notice of Marriage to be properly completed. They are the following:

Each person must present proof of identity, age and nationality: valid passport (and possibly birth certificate). If an applicant is under 18 years of age they must provide a letter from their parent or legal guardian stating that they approve of the marriage.
Each person must affirm (by declaring on oath) that they "know of no impediment or other lawful hindrance to their marriage".
Each person must prove that they are single either by showing that they have never been married, or by proving that any previous marriage is over.
- Proof of never having been married:
  The person must present (if possible) an official document certifying that they have never been married. If a certificate cannot be presented, or if the Marriage Officer has doubts, the applicant may be asked to make a sworn declaration at the Registrar of a District Court that they are unmarried.
- Proof of termination of any previous marriages:
  Widows and widowers must supply the Death Certificate of their deceased partner. They may be required to affirm (declare on oath) that they have not been married since.
  Divorcees must present their Decree Absolute affirming that a previous marriage is legally over.

Once the Notice of Marriage is completed the ceremony must take place between 15 days and 3 months after the date on the notice. If the marriage has not taken place within three months, the marriage notice is no longer valid and the application process must be repeated.

Marrying via Special Procedure

In urgent circumstances, the Marriage Officer may agree that the marriage needs to occur sooner than 15 days after application. The cost of a marriage by Special Procedure is more than twice that of a marriage by Notice of Marriage.

For Municipal Office contact details: Click here

Ceremonies

Civil Ceremony

A short (10-15 minute) marriage ceremony is performed by the marriage officer in the mayor's office on the agreed date. The couple will be given a Certificate of Marriage which is recognised as valid in most countries. Further certified copies can be bought through the Municipal Marriage Office.

Religious Ceremony

Once the criteria of the Marriage Notice have been met, the marriage may be performed by a registered minister of religion in church. This will have to be arranged separately by the couple planning the wedding. An alternative to this is to have the civil marriage at the mayor's office and complete the ceremony with a blessing in a church (this option is recommended by the US Consulate, especially if one partner is a non-US citizen who may apply for an immigrant visa to the USA at any point in the future).

Declaring the Marriage

Most English-speaking countries (including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia) do not require their citizens living in Cyprus to register their marriage in Cyprus with their Embassy.

Same-Sex Marriage

At present, same-sex marriage is not legal in Cyprus and the legal partnership of a couple that has taken place in a country that recognises same-sex marriage or civil partnerships is not recognised in Cyprus. Moves are underway to allow gay couples to marry under a civil ceremony.