You have made up your mind: ‘We want to get married!’ Then register the marriage in person at the registry office of your place of residence, at the earliest 6 months before your desired date. You will need some documents for the on-site appointment (see point 2).
Please note: You can only arrange your wedding date with us after you have registered, unfortunately it is not possible to book in advance.
Important: You can register at the registry office in the town where one of you is officially registered as having your main or secondary residence. If you then want to get married somewhere else, the registry office where you register will send all the documents there.
Are we your municipality of residence? Then we will be happy to provide you with the required documents.
You are welcome to send us your personal details (first name, surname, date of birth, nationality, marital status, address) by e-mail (standesamt@herzogenaurach.de). A member of staff at the registry office will be happy to provide you with information as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide generalised information.
As soon as you or the registry office have received all the documents, an appointment can be made to register the marriage.
Marriages can take place from Monday to Thursday in the mornings and afternoons.
On Friday, the last wedding ceremony takes place at 12.00 noon.
Wedding ceremonies on Saturday
During the summer months, the registry office in Herzogenaurach offers wedding ceremonies on six Saturdays at fixed times. The dates can only be booked when the marriage is registered. The registration of the marriage can be made at the earliest 6 months before the planned wedding.
The following dates are available in 2025:
- 10 May 2025
- 14 June 2025
- 12 July 2025
- 09 August 2025
- 13 September 2025
- 11 October 2025
After registering the marriage at the registry office, the marriage must be solemnised within 6 months. You can have a maximum of 2 witnesses to the marriage. On the day of the wedding, the spouses, interpreters (if applicable) and witnesses need a valid identity card or passport. Please arrive at the door of the wedding room at least 5 minutes before the start of the ceremony.
If a marriage ceremony has to be cancelled, please contact the registry office staff by telephone in good time. The further procedure will then be discussed by telephone.
The wedding room in the castle
The wedding room is located in the renovated castle building, Marktplatz 11, 1st floor. There are currently 19 chairs in the wedding room for you, your witnesses and your guests. There is no music system in the wedding room itself. Of course, you can arrange with the registry office to bring your own music box to accompany your ceremony.
Please note that the throwing of rice, confetti or similar is not permitted in the castle building or in the castle courtyard.
In principle, marriages performed abroad are also recognised if the marriage ceremony has been performed and registered by the competent authorities in the usual and prescribed form for the respective country.
It is important to find out in good time which documents are required for the marriage. Information can be obtained from the German diplomatic mission in the respective country, but also from the consulate (or embassy) of the respective country in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Germans who wish to marry abroad must present a certificate of no impediment to marriage in certain countries. Please clarify the question of whether a certificate of no impediment to marriage must be presented with the diplomatic mission of the respective country.
What is a certificate of no impediment to marriage?
A certificate of no impediment to marriage is a multilingual certificate issued by the German registry office for marriage abroad in which both parties to the marriage are named.
It certifies that there are no known obstacles to the intended marriage under German law. Therefore, documents from both fiancées must always be presented for the certificate to be issued.
Is a certificate of no impediment to marriage always required?
If a German or a person who is subject to German law wishes to marry abroad, the local marriage authority (usually the registry office) often requires a certificate of no impediment to marriage.
A certificate of no impediment to marriage is also required if the country in which the marriage is to take place requests a consular certificate from the German diplomatic mission abroad regarding the marriage requirements of the German fiancé. In this case, the certificate of no impediment to marriage issued by the German diplomatic mission abroad enables the certificate to be issued.
Who is responsible for issuing a certificate of no impediment to marriage?
- The German registry office in the place where the German fiancé is resident is responsible for issuing a certificate of no impediment to marriage.
- If there is no longer a place of residence in Germany, the registry office of the last place of residence in Germany is responsible.
- If there was never or only temporarily a residence in Germany, the application for a certificate of no impediment to marriage must be addressed to the registrar of the registry office I in Berlin, Schönstedtstraße 5, 13357 Berlin.
- If the marriage is to take place in Austria, Switzerland or Luxembourg, the certificate of no impediment to marriage can also be requested directly from the registry office or civil status office responsible there as part of the marriage registration procedure.
What documents are required for the issue of a certificate of no impediment to marriage?
As both fiancées are listed by name in the certificate of no impediment to marriage, corresponding certificates and documents are also required for both fiancées. If both fiancées are German nationals and single, the documents to be submitted are the same as for a marriage in Germany.
If one of the fiancées was already married, was born abroad or is a foreign national, the required documents will be provided during a personal consultation at the registry office.
After the marriage abroad
It should be noted that foreign marriage certificates may only be recognised in Germany after official certification (‘apostille’, e.g. USA) by the foreign authorities or after legalisation by the respective German diplomatic mission abroad.
As the name options provided for under German law are often not available abroad, you should visit the registry office after returning to Germany and submit a name declaration together with your spouse.
After the marriage abroad
It should be noted that foreign marriage certificates may only be recognised in Germany after official authentication (‘apostille’, e.g. USA) by the foreign authorities or after legalisation by the respective German diplomatic mission abroad.
As the name options provided for under German law are often not available abroad, you should visit the registry office after returning to Germany and submit a name declaration together with your spouse.
It is also possible to submit an application for notarisation in a German marriage register (subject to a fee).
Documents in a foreign language must be submitted in the original with a translation. The translator must be publicly appointed and sworn in the Federal Republic of Germany. Addresses of publicly appointed and sworn translators can be obtained from the registry office.
