Marriage paperwork: official starting points

Start with the place where the legal ceremony happens

This is a directory of official starting points, not a complete set of marriage requirements. Choose the country and then the competent local office for your circumstances. The four links below cover the United States, Spain, Berlin and France. Berlin's instructions do not establish rules for all of Germany; other countries are not covered here yet.

Keep the application separate from proof of marriage

When contacting an office, specify whether you are preparing to marry or need a record of an existing marriage. Tell it the planned location and date, residence and any foreign documents involved. Ask the office to identify the correct procedure rather than relying on the translated phrase “marriage license” for every country.

Turn the official answer into a task

Record the office, source URL, date checked and next appointment in your own checklist. Retain its written answer if a document or circumstance is unusual. This page does not quote fees, waiting periods, validity windows or a universal document list; confirm those details with the office before booking an application.

• Which office handles our circumstances and ceremony location?
• Which documents, translations and appointments apply to us?
• What are the current fees, deadlines and validity periods?
• Who returns the completed paperwork, and how do we obtain the marriage record?

United States — documents and issuing authority

USAGov — marriage certificate or license

United States — documents and issuing authority

Spain — authorization and registration

Ministerio de Justicia — Autorización / Inscripción de Matrimonio

Spain — authorization and registration

Germany — Berlin procedures only

Berlin.de — Eheschließung

Germany — Berlin procedures only

France — official marriage navigator

Service Public — Mariage en France

France — official marriage navigator

Content and linked sources reviewed: 2026-09-04.