Foreign marriage or partnership registration in the Netherlands
Did you marry or become a registered partner not in the Netherlands but in another country? Register your marriage or partnership at municipality where you are registered.
Note
- Partners' rights vary from country to country.
- A registered partnership or same-sex marriage is not possible everywhere.
- Not all countries recognize same-sex marriage or registered partnerships from other countries.
Approach
This is how you get your foreign marriage or registered partnership registered in the Netherlands:
- You register your marriage or registered partnership at the municipality where you are registered.
- You will need:
- the original deed with legalization or apostille, possibly translated by a sworn translator, or
- The original deed and a multilingual model form
- your valid ID
- possibly your declaration that you are not marrying or entering into a registered partnership to obtain a residence permit for you or your partner (Declaration of Registration of Marriage).
Cost
For costs, check with the State Department.
Description
Are you getting married or entering into a registered partnership in a country other than the Netherlands? Check which country's laws apply. This can be important for your rights and obligations as partners. For example, with inheritances, paying taxes or if you have children.
After your marriage or registered partnership in another country, you must register it in the Netherlands. Not every marriage is valid in the Netherlands. For example, both partners must be 18 years of age or older at the time of registration.
Terms
The conditions for registering a foreign marriage or registered partnership in the Netherlands include:
- If the marriage or registered partnership was concluded in a country within the European Union:
- You have a deed and multilingual model form.
- If the marriage or registered partnership was concluded in a country outside the European Union:
- The deed is in Dutch, English, German or French. Otherwise, have the document translated by a sworn translator in the Netherlands.
- The deed is legalized or has an apostille stamp.
- Marriage or registered partnership is not intended to help your partner or yourself get a residence permit. The municipality asks you to put that in a statement (Declaration of Registration of Marriage), if:
- you or your partner (or both) are not Dutch,
- you or your partner (or both) do not have the nationality of a country in the European Union,
- you or your partner (or both) are not nationals of Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland,
- you do not have a permanent residence permit.