A practical guide for international couples planning a legally recognised wedding abroad, in Greece or in Crete.

What documents do we actually need to make our wedding in Greece legally valid?

The answer depends mainly on where you are from and which country issued your documents.

An EU couple, a British couple and a couple coming from outside Europe may need different certificates, different forms of authentication and documents with different validity periods.

The good news is that the overall process is usually quite similar.

Most couples will need:

• an official duplicate or certified copy of their birth certificate

• a document confirming that they are legally free to marry

• a valid passport or national ID where accepted

• an Apostille or other legalisation where required

• official translations into Greek
  
  

If either of you has been married before, adopted or has another specific civil-status situation, additional documents may be required.

Once your documents are correctly prepared, ELEMENTS COMPANY takes care of the communication and administration with the Greek authorities.

1. What documents do you need to legally get married in Greece?

There is no single checklist that applies to every nationality.

The basic documentation usually includes:

• a duplicate or official certified copy of your birth certificate

• proof that you are legally free to marry

• a valid passport or other accepted identity document

• authentication or legalisation of the documents where required

• official Greek translations
  
  

Each partner needs their own set of documents.

The exact name of the document proving that you are free to marry varies from country to country.

It may be called:

• Certificate of No Impediment

• Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry

• Certificate of Marital Status

• Marriage Licence

• or another equivalent document issued by your national authority
  
  

This is why the first thing we need to know is:

What nationality are both partners?

2. If you are from the European Union

For EU citizens, the overall process is generally similar.

You will normally need an official birth certificate and a document from your home country confirming that you are legally able to marry.

However, the exact document is not identical in every EU country.

For example, some countries issue a specific certificate of legal capacity to marry, while others use a different document or declaration.

The authority issuing the documents, their validity and the exact procedure therefore depend on your country.

Do EU documents need an Apostille?

European regulations simplify the use of certain public documents between EU Member States.

In practice, however, we need to prepare the documents according to the requirements of the specific Greek authority that will actually register your marriage.

3. If you are from the United Kingdom

The overall process is similar, but British documents and terminology are different.

British citizens will usually need:

• an official birth certificate

• a valid passport

• proof that they are legally free to marry

• an Apostille where required

• official Greek translations
  
  

For British citizens, proof that you are free to marry may take the form of a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) or another appropriate document depending on your circumstances.

Pay attention to validity periods

Documents confirming your legal capacity to marry are often time-sensitive.

For British couples, for example, a Certificate of No Impediment may have a shorter practical validity period than equivalent documents issued in some EU countries.

This is why we always check the requirements based on:

• nationality

• place of residence

• wedding date

• municipality where the marriage will be registered
  
  

Do not order all your documents a year in advance.

Apostille for UK documents

British documents that require an Apostille can be processed through the relevant UK legalisation system.

This can be arranged without necessarily visiting the authority in person, depending on the type of document and current procedure.

Once we know which documents apply to your situation, we can tell you what needs to be authenticated before anything is sent to Greece.

4. If you are from outside the EU or UK

The same general principle still applies:

birth certificate → proof that you are free to marry → authentication/legalisation → Greek translation

What changes is the way the documents are authenticated.

Depending on the country that issued them, you may need:

• an Apostille

• additional official authentication

• consular legalisation

• another form of verification before the Greek authorities can accept the documents
  
  

Every country has its own system.

For couples coming from outside the EU, we therefore strongly recommend contacting us before ordering or legalising anything.

Tell us where both of you are from and we will confirm the process for your specific situation.

5. When should you start preparing your wedding documents?

There is no single timing rule for every nationality because different documents have different validity periods.

As a general rule, we recommend starting the process approximately three to four months before the wedding.

This usually gives enough time to:

• obtain the required civil documents

• arrange Apostilles or other legalisation

• prepare translations

• send scans for checking

• correct anything if necessary

• deliver the originals to Greece
  
  

Starting too late creates unnecessary stress.

Starting too early can be just as problematic if one of your certificates expires before the wedding.

6. Do the documents need to be translated into Greek?

Yes.

For the civil weddings ELEMENTS COMPANY organises in Greece, the required foreign documents must be prepared in an officially acceptable Greek translation.

This is not only about translating the meaning of the document.

Greek authorities work in Greek and use the Greek alphabet, so names, surnames and other personal information must also be recorded correctly.

For Czech documents, for example, ELEMENTS COMPANY works with a Czech-Greek lawyer who prepares the required translations and documentation.

For other languages, the process depends on the language and country involved.

We do not maintain certified translators for every language in the world, so in some cases you may need to arrange an appropriate certified translator in your own country.

We will tell you what needs to be translated and in what form before you arrange it.

7. What about multilingual EU forms?

If you are an EU citizen, your local authority may offer you a multilingual standard form intended to simplify the use of public documents within the European Union.

In theory, these forms are designed to reduce the need for additional translation.

In practice, for the civil weddings we organise in Greece, we need to prepare the documentation according to what the local Greek authority actually accepts.

Where an official Greek translation is required for the process, a multilingual form does not replace it.

8. What happens once your documents are ready?

Once your documents have been correctly issued and authenticated, you send us scans first.

This allows us to:

• check the documentation

• arrange or coordinate the Greek translations

• prepare the required certified copies

• start communicating with the Greek authorities

• prepare the paperwork for the civil marriage
  
  

We will eventually need the originals as well.

If you arrive in Crete with enough time before the ceremony, you can give them to us in person.

If you arrive shortly before the wedding, it may be safer to send the documents in advance using a tracked delivery service.

Original civil documents are definitely not something you want travelling internationally without a tracking number.

9. What if you have been married before?

If either partner has previously been married, additional documentation will be required.

This will normally include an official document proving that the previous marriage has legally ended.

For example:

• a final divorce document

• or another official civil-status record depending on the country
  
  

The document may also need authentication and an official Greek translation.

Tell us about any previous marriage at the beginning of the process so we can confirm exactly what is required.

10. What if you were adopted?

If either partner was adopted, additional civil-status documents may be required.

The exact paperwork depends on your country, your birth record and how the adoption is recorded by your national authorities.

We therefore handle these situations individually.

Being adopted does not mean that getting married in Greece is a problem.

It simply means we need to check the paperwork before starting the standard process.

11. What if you and your partner have different nationalities?

Then we check each partner separately.

A British-German couple, for example, does not automatically follow one shared document checklist.

One partner may need a Certificate of No Impediment while the other may receive a completely different certificate from their national registry.

That is completely normal.

The two sets of documents are then prepared together for the Greek marriage procedure.

12. What do you need on the wedding day?

By the time the wedding day arrives, most of the paperwork is already behind you.

For the civil ceremony, you will also need two adult witnesses.

They sign the marriage documentation together with:

• the couple

• the witnesses

• the authorised representative conducting the civil ceremony
  
  

If you are planning a very small wedding or are travelling without guests, ELEMENTS COMPANY can help arrange witnesses for you.

The signed documentation is then used to register the marriage and issue the Greek marriage certificate.

13. What happens after the wedding?

The next step is the Greek marriage certificate.

Once the marriage has been registered, the certificate is issued by the local authority.

From there, what happens depends on your home country.

The Greek marriage certificate may need:

• an Apostille or other authentication

• an official translation

• registration with your national or local civil registry
  
  

Some countries require foreign marriages to be formally registered after you return home.

Others recognise a valid Greek marriage without an additional registration procedure.

We therefore check the post-wedding requirements according to your nationality.

If a translation into your local language is required, you may need to arrange it through an authorised translator in your own country.

Is getting legally married abroad complicated?

Written down in one long guide, the process can look worse than it actually is.

For most uncomplicated cases, it is essentially:

1. Find out which documents your country issues.

2. Obtain the required authentication or Apostille.

3. Send us the scans.

4. ELEMENTS COMPANY prepares and coordinates the Greek side of the paperwork.

5. Deliver the originals.

6. Come to Greece and get married.

The most important thing is not to guess.

Different nationalities have different certificates, validity periods and legalisation requirements.

Once we know where you are both from, the process becomes much clearer.

FAQ: Documents for a Legal Wedding Abroad and in Greece

What documents do foreigners need to get married in Greece?

Most couples need an official birth certificate, proof that they are legally free to marry, valid identity documents, appropriate authentication or legalisation and official Greek translations. The exact requirements depend on nationality.

Does each partner need their own documents?

Yes. Each partner needs their own set of civil-status documents.

Do I need a Certificate of No Impediment to get married in Greece?

It depends on your nationality. The UK commonly uses a Certificate of No Impediment, while other countries may issue a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry, marital-status certificate or another equivalent document.

Do I need an Apostille for a wedding in Greece?

It depends on the country that issued the document and the requirements applying to your case. Some documents use an Apostille, while documents from other countries may require a different form of legalisation.

How early should we prepare the documents?

For many international couples, approximately three to four months before the wedding is a sensible starting point. The exact timing depends on the validity period of the documents issued by your country.

Do the documents have to be translated into Greek?

Yes. For the civil-wedding process ELEMENTS COMPANY handles in Greece, the required foreign documents must be prepared in an officially acceptable Greek translation.

What if one partner is from the EU and the other is British or from another country?

We check each nationality separately and prepare the two document sets for the same Greek marriage procedure.

Is a legal wedding in Greece recognised in my home country?

A legally valid Greek marriage is generally recognised internationally, but the procedure after the wedding depends on your home country. You may need to translate, authenticate or register the Greek marriage certificate with your local authority.

Planning a Legal Wedding Abroad or in Greece?

If you want a legally recognised wedding by the sea but do not want to spend weeks trying to understand Apostilles, Certificates of No Impediment, translations and Greek bureaucracy, talk to us.

Simply tell us:

where both of you are from, where you currently live, when you want to get married and where in Greece or Crete you are planning the wedding.

We will check your situation and tell you what the process looks like for your specific nationalities.

You plan the wedding. ELEMENTS COMPANY takes care of the Greek side.