Warm weather, whitewashed villas and cobalt seas all make the perfect backdrop to a wedding on a Greek island.

Romance and perfect weather aside, visitors wishing to get married on a Greek island or anywhere in Greece should know that having a legal ceremony will involve the collection of important documents, apostilles and translations (in some cases) before arrival. For assistance in navigating legalities, it is helpful to employ a wedding planner who will do the legwork for you once you forward the necessary documents. You will pay more than the 35 euros (30 euros for the marriage license, 5 euros for a wedding announcement) normally incurred to do it yourself, but at least your pre- and post-wedding time won’t be spoiled by bureaucracy.

An easier way to handle legalities is to:
a) file the marriage license and sign papers in a civil ceremony back home, then have the “real” wedding in Greece — this method provides certain benefits in that it does not involve the language, laws, apostilles and translations, while giving you the freedom and flexibility to plan your itinerary and visit islands without the restrictions of a foreign country;
or
b) acquire a marriage license back home without restrictions (i.e. not “only good in the state of NY”), apply an apostille, have it translated at the Greek Consulate and give it to your wedding planner or priest to proceed without having to submit further documents.

Recommendations from wedding planners:

1. Reserve a date at least 3 months in advance if between May and October
2. Forward your documents with apostilles to the wedding planner at least 1 month before the wedding date if you wish to get a marriage license and have a legal ceremony in Greece
3. Finalize your preferences at least 30 days before arrival to insure your needs are met or alternatives are found in advance to avoid surprises

Additional advice:

- The period from late June to early September is notoriously hot, humid and busy; if crowds and heat are undesirable factors of a dream wedding, it is best to choose a date in April, May or October
- Take the time to investigate different wedding planners: Attention to detail on their respective websites is sometimes a reflection of their capability to provide attention to detail for your wedding
- Every type of ceremony is done in Greece — big and small, civil ceremonies, religious ceremonies of many denominations, symbolic ceremonies, renewal of vows and gay weddings, with or without Greek traditions — BUT not all of them are provided by all wedding planners. Be sure to inquire about this and any detail that is not clearly outlined. Do not assume anything.
- Ask to see the portfolio of the photographer, who is likely local, and have specific examples of photography style, wedding cake or flowers to communicate your wishes.

You may not need a wedding planner if you are familiar with the location of your choice, especially if you have trusted contacts or family to help you. Tour operators and hotel owners sometimes have good contacts and can assist with arrangements, if necessary

Also note that wedding cakes in Greece usually consist of one cutout bottom layer of cake, a middle layer of custard/mousse and whipped cream on top and/or the sides. Raspberry filling, fondant, tiers and other elements that are staples in your homeland are not commonly used here. i.e., An American style fondant wedding cake is considered a luxury item and priced accordingly. I recommend arranging consultations/tastings and reviewing portfolios to find the one that suits you and your price range, much like you would back home if you have the time and opportunity.

Having a legal ceremony

If having a legal ceremony in Greece is important to you, these are the normal requirements for the majority of EU and non-EU citizens worldwide — your wedding planner can inform you of additional or lesser requirements specific to your country.

I have provided this information purely as a reference to assist you in your decision to handle legalities in Greece or at home. * If at least one of you is a resident of Greece of any nationality, the following does not apply to you and you must instead see “Getting married in Greece — for residents.”

You must be at least 18 years old and will need:

1. One photocopy of each passport

2. One photocopy of each witnesses’ passport, if providing two of your own

3. A printed birth certificate for each applicant, certified in the past 5 years with an apostille (see below for details on apostilles)

4. A copy of divorce decrees (if any) certified in the past 5 years with an apostille per document

5. A copy of death certificates of previous spouses (if any), certified in the past 5 years with an apostille per document

6. Certified copy of a court order name change (if applicable)

7. Certified affidavit stating you are single and free to marry without impediment, signed within three (3) months of the wedding date

For Americans: a) Citizens can go to the U.S. Embassy in Athens’ Notarial Unit located in U.S. Citizen Services between 9:00-14:00, no appointment needed, with passport, $30 cash or the equivalent in euros for each Affidavit, which will be given at the window and completed in Greek on one side and English on the other. If you do not understand or write Greek, an Embassy official can assist you. The Affidavit will be examined and approved while you wait; OR b) secure a “single” status letter from your State Registrar AND a notary of public statement certified that you are free to marry. (You must inquire at your local State Registrar for guidance, and I have not provided examples because they are different in each U.S. state).

For Australians: Certificate of Non-Impediment for each applicant from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, issued within 3 months of your wedding date.

For Brits: Non-impediment forms for each applicant certified within 3 months of the wedding date.

For Canadians: A notary of public statement certifying that you are free to marry.

For South Africa: Certificate of marital status.

8. Your preference as to whether future children will take one name or the other or both. Laws back home will take precedent over your stated preference, but you will still be expected to answer.

9. Must stay at least one (1) working day after the ceremony to register your marriage at the Greek Registry Office (Lixiarxeio). This means if you are married on Friday, you cannot depart for another island and must stay until at least Monday evening; if Monday happens to be a Greek holiday, then you are obligated to stay until Tuesday evening.

It has been stated that you must be in Greece at least 8 days before the wedding date, but this is usually the time it takes to secure and issue a marriage license. If you have your own marriage license or have hired a wedding planner to secure one for you in advance, the 8 days is not always necessary.

Getting an apostille

An apostille is a seal applied to a certified document to signify its legal authenticity for international use under the terms of the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.

For more specific information, please see “How to get an apostille.”

Translations

Translations are required for birth certificates, divorce decrees and death certificates (not passports), and your wedding planner may or may not offer this as part of their services. All nationalities have two options, according to Greek law.

For more specific information, see “Translation of documents for Greek, EU and non-EU citizens.”

Location notes

Weddings take place in a church, City Hall, Mayor’s Office or a pre-approved location of choice, not a registrar’s office or foreign embassy/consulate.

According to Orthodox Christian religious law, only two people of the same faith are allowed to marry in an Orthodox church and must provide baptism certificates as proof or must state an intent to convert. This is the straight, correct way.

However, priests all over Greece make exceptions for people of different faiths; this is frowned upon by the Orthodox church and technically violates religious law.

Closing notes

* All original documents and apostilles will be permanently on file at the Greek Registrar’s Office, and therefore not returned to you. Request certified copies of your marriage certificate if you are not provided with sufficient copies for your needs back home and personal files.

* Choosing a location and hiring a wedding planner is a unique and personal choice, therefore I am unable to make recommendations.

Related posts

If you think this process is lengthy, get a taste of the bureaucracy faced by residents of Greece when getting married by reading “Getting married in Greece — for residents.” It might make you feel better.

Congratulations and much happiness!

Article updated April 12, 2008

An apostille is a seal applied to a certified document to signify its legal authenticity for international use under the terms of the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.

It must be obtained from the location in which the event took place and a record created. So if you were born in Sweden, married in California and divorced in Florida, you need to get a certified birth certificate and apostille from Sweden; a certified marriage certificate and apostille in California; and an official divorce decree and apostille from Florida. It does not matter where you live now.

If you are an American in Greece looking to get an apostille for your New York birth certificate, you must obtain your apostille from New York; apostilles are not available at the American Embassy or KEP. The only apostilles issued in Greece are apostilles for documents originating in Greece.

One apostille per document is required — it is unacceptable to secure one apostille for an entire lot, even if the birth certificates, divorce decree and death certificate are from the same location. i.e. If you have two birth certificates, you need one apostille each.

In America:

All documents need to be certified by a clerk within the last 5 years or a new document must be issued before requesting an apostille. Apostilles are obtained from the Secretary of State in the state it was executed. See the above example for clarification.

Most Secretary of State regional offices require that you or a family member appear in person to request an apostille, though some may accept requests by mail. Fees range from $2-35 per document, depending on the state and type of service, and must be paid with a check, money order or credit card (no cash). Go to the U.S. State Department’s website to find specific information for each American state.

Please note that the Secretary of State regional office refers to the local state and representative, not United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who is in the national office.

In Australia:

An apostille may be obtained from a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade state or territory office. See their website for details and locations.

In China:
Apostille Service Office, High Court Registry
LG115, High Court Building
38 Queensway
Hong Kong
(852) 2825 4226

In Greece:

Apostilles for documents originating in Greece are issued at KEP (Citizen Service Centres). Call ‘1564′ or appear in person at any of their locations throughout the mainland and islands. For those abroad seeking apostilles for documents originating in Greece, inquire at the Greek Consulate in your homeland.

In the Netherlands:
Staatscommissie voor het Internationaal Privaatrecht
Scheveningseweg 6
2517 KT Den Haag
+31 70 363 3303

In South Africa:
Legalisation Section
Eikendal Building
Tulbagh Park
1234 Church Street
Colbyn, Pretoria
(012) 351 1268

In Sweden:
Ministry of Justice
Division for Family and Business Law (L2)
103 33 Stockholm
+46 (8 ) 405 1000

In the UK:
The Legalisation Office
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Old Admiralty Bldg
The Mall
London SW1A 2LG

If your country is not listed, please check with appropriate justice, registry or legalization authorities in your homeland.

Related posts

“Translation of documents to Greek“
“Certify a photocopy or other document in Greece“
“How to get a health certificate for your Greek permit“

Article updated February 15, 2008
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Example is from education-1.net and shows an apostille from California. The apostille from another state or country will look different.

Foreigners in Greece, Greeks abroad or Greek citizens seeking to go abroad to university or for immigration purposes may be requested to have documents translated into Greek or another language during a process involving bureaucracy. i.e. Getting married, converting a driver’s license, applying for a residence/work permit, applying for citizenship, applying at a foreign university, immigration and so on.

Two options are regarded as acceptable by Greek authorities:

1) In Greece:

The Translation Department at the Foreign Ministry
10 Arionos Street
Monastiraki/Psyrri
(210) 328-5713
Open from 9:00-13:00 (go early)

1st floor - From/to Albanian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Croatian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Uzbek, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian and Czech to/from Greek.

2nd floor - From/to English to/from Greek.

3rd floor - From/to Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish and Finnish to/from Greek. A window offering to certify photocopies is also available.

* Bring the original document or a certified copy, a pen and cash, should you need 2-day expedited service (a pricelist can be found *here*). The one-week service is otherwise free. Some sources say you can pay when you pick up the document, but it’s easier and faster to pay up front since the person accepting your documents for translation can also take your money and issue a cashier’s receipt without you going to a second window and waiting in line again.

* Fill out one form per document in Greek or English. (i.e. If the birth certificate has an apostille with letter attached, you would need two forms even though they are attached; they are considered to be different types of documents not a fusion of the same. If the birth certificate itself spanned two pages, then it is one document requiring one form).

* Submit your documents and forms, pay for expedited service at the same window and keep your protocol number and cashier’s receipt (if applicable).

* Pick up the documents on or after the date given. You must have the protocol receipt, cashier’s receipt (if you paid for expedited service) and ID, no exceptions.

Note: It is not necessary to submit originals with apostilles for translation if you need them for another reason. You can make copies of these documents, have them certified at the police station and use these (see my article “How to certify a photocopy at the police station“). I found there were no objections. Just carry the originals for inspection by anyone wanting to see them.

2) Outside Greece

The Greek Consulate in your homeland should provide translation services, but call or write to inquire since appointments are sometimes required.

Another option

Translation by a lawyer is permitted in some but not all cases. However, interpretations can vary between lawyers, which is the reason Greek authorities will sometimes not allow this as an option. In addition, you will pay a fee, and prices vary according to lawyer. i.e. 75 euros for a birth certificate, 20 euros for a passport.

Article last updated on March 12, 2008
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