The Legal Requirements
The wedding ceremony will be conducted in English and all paperwork including the Marriage Certificate, which is fully recognised in the United Kingdom, will be issued in English. Two witnesses will be required in accordance with Cyprus Law. We will be only too pleased to provide witnesses should the happy couple require this. Marriage In Cyprus will take care of you at all times. It is always best at the time of the registration to order an extra copy of the marriage certificate.Both Bride and Groom should be in Cyprus for at least 3 working days before the wedding. However, as long as we have checked your paperwork in advance, the three day rule does not always apply. We do recommend that you book a two-week holiday so that the wedding preparations can go smoothly, but a one-week holiday can also be accommodated.
You will need to have the following ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (photocopies are not accepted). Failure to provide these original documents will result in your wedding being cancelled:
UK Citizens
- Birth Certificates.
- Adoption Certificates (if applicable).
- Passports (Full 10 year passports with at least 3 months remaining following your return date.)
- A sworn affidavit signed by a Solicitor or Notary Public, indicating you are single and free to be married. This must have an official stamp and be valid for 3 - 6 months. It is best obtained 8 to 12 weeks before your wedding date. Please send a copy of this to us as soon as you have it so we can check it out and put your mind at rest.
Important: Please make sure that the document carries the wording “Solicitor" or "Notary Public”. If it is on headed company paper, the header must carry the wording "Solicitor" or "Notary Public". The stamp itself must also state the word “Solicitor" or "Notary Public”. Without this the document will not be accepted. - Scottish and Welsh citizens may also obtain a "Certificate of No Impediment" from the District Registrar.
- For Catholic Church weddings you will also need a pre-marital enquiry/freedom to marry paper (issued by the Church through your local priest) and your baptism records. These must be sent from your local Priest to your Regional Bishop, who, upon receipt of these items, will forward them on to a Nicosia address which will be supplied. We have a special form which will assist you.
- Decree Absolute (in the case of divorced individuals).
- Death Certificate (only in the case of widows or widowers).
- Change of Name records should this apply. (These must be stamped by a solicitor.)
- At least one Baptism Certificate will be required for church weddings.
Non-UK Citizens
- If you are from a country other than the United Kingdom, it may be necessary for you to have your papers stamped by various ministries in your own country. Each country has different regulations and different departments dealing with these matters. You may need an Apostille Seal, please telephone your embassy in order to find out where to obtain this special seal. After your wedding, you may also be required to visit your country's embassy and the Ministry of Justice here in Cyprus in order to have the papers stamped with the Apostille Seal. Therefore, it would be best to have at least 3 to 4 days after your wedding to obtain these stamps and papers.
- Irish passport holders will need a “Certificat de Coutume” obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ireland or the Irish Embassy in London. This certificate is valid for 120 days from the date of issue.
It is the client's responsibility to bring all ORIGINAL documentation.
You will also need either a Special Licence or a Form B Licence. These are a permits, issued by the Ministry of the Interior of Cyprus, that allow couples to be married on the island. The Special Form B is required for a marriage outside of the Municipality Office, i.e. in a church or an hotel. All the original documents mentioned above are needed in order to obtain your special licence and Marriage In Cyprus will provide transport and escort, free of charge, to obtain this
You must be over 18 years of age.
Other Information
Once married, a certified copy of the marriage certificate is sent to the Ministry of Interior in Cyprus for their records. A second copy is sent to the British High Commission in Nicosia.
Any future copies should be obtained via the relevant municipality where the marriage registration took place, stating the name of the bride and groom and the date and venue of the marriage. It is advised that each couple obtain two true copies of the wedding certificate at the time of registration.
We retain the services of an English lawyer, who will be happy to contact you should you wish her to draw up the correct papers (i.e. your sworn affidavits/declarations). She will do this for a very modest fee. Please contact us for further details.
Church weddings carry a cancellation fee of approx. €265
Ceremonies are generally not available on Saturday, Sunday or Public Holidays. However, some hotels and churches may perform a wedding on a Saturday at our request.
Once you arrive at your resort your wedding co-ordinator will contact you.