Apply for declaration of marital status

If you want to get married abroad, you may need a declaration of marital competence or an unmarried declaration. You can apply for these in person at the municipality.

Approach

This is how you apply for the statement:

  • You visit the municipality in person.
  • You need, from you and your partner:
    • your valid ID
    • a copy of your birth certificate
    • An extract from the basic registration of persons, showing your nationality and marital status
    • if you were previously married: the divorce certificate or death certificate
Cost

A declaration of marital competence costs €29.00 (2024) / €29.80 (2025). The multilingual model form costs €22.30 (2024) / €23.00 (2025). You pay at the time of your application.

(Rates 2024/2025)

Description

As a Dutch citizen, you can get married abroad. The country where you want to get married may ask for permission from your municipality. The municipality can then make a declaration of marital competence or an unmarried declaration for you. This is always multilingual.

A declaration of marital status is valid for 6 months. How long an unmarried declaration is valid varies by country.

Requirements

The Requirements To apply for a certificate of capacity to marry or declaration of unmarried status, the following are among others:

  • You or your partner have Dutch nationality.
  • You or your partner are registered in this municipality or you lived in this municipality before you left for abroad.