Legal Requirements
Your Documentation and Legal Requirements
Please read carefully the following details of the documents / legal requirements that are laid down by the Greek authorities to enable you to marry in Greece. If you have any questions please contact us.
All documents must be originals OR certified copies and all must be legalised by an Apostille Stamp* obtained from the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO). We will confirm the date your documents must be in Rhodes, and the address to send them to.
- Full new A4 Birth Certificate issued from your local Registrar (Not earlier than 6 months prior to the wedding date, with your parent's details on) - one for Bride & one for the Groom. If you were born outside the United Kingdom you must provide your original birth certificate and Apostille Stamp from the country you were born in and translated only into Greek at the Greek embassy from which the document originates from.
- Certificate of Non-Impediment (Freedom to Marry) - one for Bride & one for the Groom. This document confirms you are free to marry, is obtained from your local registrar, and takes 28 days to be issued. Very important - this cannot be issued more than six months before your wedding day if you have an English Birth Certificate (if you have an Irish or Scottish it cannot be issued more than three months before your wedding). Irish couples also require an additional document that we will provide once your CNI has been issued, which must be stamped at the Greek Embassy in Dublin.
You will have to inform your local registrar of the address of your ceremony location, which we will provide you with. This document is retained by the Town Hall in Rhodes. We recommend you call your registry office as soon as you book your wedding to make your appointment, or confirm their appointment system. - When going to the appointment, you must take your passports, birth certificates and any name change documents or divorce papers with you, and the registrar must use 'Formerly known As' if you have different names on your documents, ie, if you were previously married and your passport surname is different from maiden name or your passport does not write your middle name.
- If you were born outside the United Kingdom and have not resided in the UK long enough to obtain a CNI from the UK you must provide your CNI and Apostille Stamp from the country you were born in and translated into Greek only at the Greek embassy from which the document originates.
- Passport - We also require photocopies of the identity information page, from both parties. Apostille Stamp isn't required.
- Names - All names on all documents must match exactly - your Birth Certificate, Certificate of Non-Impediment, Passport etc must show all names exactly the same including middle names, titles and previous names. If the names do not match you will require a change name document/Deed Poll Certificate, which will also need to have an Apostille Stamp. There is no exception to this.
- If you are divorced - a Decree Absolute signed by notary or solicitor & Apostille Stamp
- If you have been adopted - Adoption Certificate signed by notary or solicitor & Apostille Stamp
- If you are widowed - Spouse's Death Certificate and previous Marriage Certificate signed by notary or solicitor & Apostille Stamp
- If you have changed your name other than by marriage - Deed Poll Certificate or Statutory Declaration signed by notary or solicitor. (Please note: this also includes divorcees who have reverted back to their maiden name). Please ensure your DPC has been signed by a solicitor or notary.
- If you are under 18 - Statutory declaration of consent of parent or guardian signed and stamped by a solicitor.
*What is an Apostille Stamp?
An Apostille Stamp legalises your documents and confirms they are true copies, which is necessary for the legalisation procedure to take place in Greece. Further information can be found on the FCO website: https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised they cost £45 per document, payable to the FCO.
We suggest you call the FCO before posting to check that all your documents are correct and in order.
All documents will be held in the local registrar office in Rhodes and are not returned to you.
Translations
Translations are arranged in Rhodes, with four documents included in our package cost (UK documents only). There will be a supplement to pay for additional documents or for document from another country.
Responsibility
It is your responsibility to submit the correct documents in plenty of time. We cannot guarantee that your wedding ceremony will go ahead if your paperwork is incorrect or you fail to send it in enough time for use to get translated and submitted in good time to the relevant Town Hall. We have to submit your translated documents no later than two weeks prior to your wedding date; failure to submit in time may result in your wedding ceremony not going ahead.
Sending Documents
We recommend you use DHL to send your documents to Rhodes, as they are the only company who can deliver to Justine's address due to the remote area she lives in.
Please do not use normal postal services or Royal Mail Parcelforce, as they do not track your documents to Rhodes.
