The documents required for the wedding defer, depending on the type of wedding. The essential documents are presented below for information, please cross-check with the local authorities or your wedding planner in advance.
Documents required for Civil wedding
- Passports
- Birth certificates and marriage licenses, officially translated in Greek
- In case of previous marriage, divorce papers officially translated in Greek
- After the ceremony, the couple has to register the wedding at the local court within 4 days
- The documents must be issued within 3 months prior to the wedding date
Documents required for Greek Orthodox wedding
Prerequisite for this kind of wedding is at least one of the two persons to be a Greek Orthodox and be baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church and the other baptized in the Christian faith.
- Marriage licence from the Greek Orthodox Church
- Baptismal certificates for the bride and groom
- All documents must be obtained in Greek and signed & stamped from the priest of your parish thus there should be no need for translation. Validation of the authenticity of the priests’ signature must be obtained from the Bishop of the local church.
- In case of previous marriage, divorce certificate from the court and from the Church if you had a previous Greek Orthodox wedding.
- The couple has to sign a paper in a notary office that the children will become Greek Orthodox
- The documents must be issued within 3 months prior to the wedding date.
- All documents must be translated only by Greek authorities, such as a Greek Consulate or Embassy (in your city or country) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens.