It’s not as hard as you think to get married in Cyprus and you can have either a civil cermony or a religious ceremony on our Island of Love. We have detailed some of the most common queries you may have about getting married in Cyprus below but if you have any questions not answered here, feel free to get in touch.
Overview of Marriage Ceremonies in Cyprus
- Ceremonies in Cyprus are fully legal and recognised in the UK.
- Ceremonies and paperwork including the Marriage Certificate are all in English.Â
- Bride and Groom should preferably be in Cyprus at least 3 working days before the wedding.
- You will need to bring original documents when booking your wedding (see below for more details).
- You must apply for a marriage license at the local Municipal Office whether you are having a civil or religious ceremony. Contact details for Municipal Offices can be found here.
- Two witnesses are required in accordance to Cyprus Law.
- Weddings generally do not take place on Saturday, Sunday or on Public Holidays, however some hotels and churches may perform weddings on a Saturday at an extra charge.
- Cancellation fees for church weddings are approximately €265.
- Extra copies of your Marriage Certificate can be ordered from the local Municipal Office after the wedding but you can order an extra copy at the time of registration.
Applying for a Marriage License
The Bride and Groom will need to apply in person to the Marriage Officer in the local Munipality Office in order to book their wedding. You will need to have original documents with you and fill in a ‘Notice of Marriage’ form and submit it to the Marriage Officer indicating your intention to marry each other and your identification details based on your passport.
Both parties will have to affirm in front of the Marriage Officer that they know of no lawful impediment to their marriage and that consent has been obtained in the instance of consent being required*.
*If either party is under 18 and neither a widow or widower, they will be required to produce written consent of the father or if he is dead or incapable, the mother or any other lawful guardian of such party to the Marriage Officer.
When these formalities have been completed, the marriage must be celebrated within 15 clear days at the earliest, or within 3 months at the latest, from the date the notice is given.
Original Documents
You will need the following original documents when you apply for your Marriage License:
- Birth Certificates
- Adoption Certificates (if applicable)
- Passports (full 10 year passports)
- A sworn affidavit signed by a solicitor indicating that you are single and free to be married
- 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
If you are a non-UK citizen, you may need to have an Apostille Seal and you may need 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. Contact your embassy to check what documentation may be required.
For US residents, an Affidavit of No Marriage or Affidavit of Divorcee must be completed and notarized and then must be legalized by use of an Apostille Seal.
Religious Ceremonies
The same procedure must be followed in applying for a Marriage License at the Municipal Office but the religious ceremony can be held in a church. You will need to make arrangements with the Registered Minister and the church and you can find contact details for religious venues here.