Visas & Customs Requirements

Marriage:

You do not have to be a resident of Greece to marry there, but the bureaucratic procedure may take several weeks to complete before a marriage certificate may be obtained. Marriage licenses can be obtained prior to getting to Greece and are, in general, accepted in Greece. American marriage licenses are accepted provided they do not contain any restrictive statements such as you are recently divorced and have a waiting period, etc. In general, here's what any foreign citizens need for the civil ceremony in Greece:

• birth certificate translated into Greek
• an official statement stating that the future bride and groom are not presently married
• photocopies of the passports

The marriage license is issued seven days after the papers are submitted and is valid for six months. Before the license is issued, both the future bride and groom should jointly submit another application to the Mayor, containing the date of the ceremony.

Two witnesses - both having either a passport or Greek ID card - must attend the wedding ceremony. Also, you will need an interpreter as the ceremony is held in Greek.

The marriage certificate is issued within 3 days of the wedding. After you were given the marriage certificate, make sure to register your marriage at the Bureau of Vital Statistics. If you forget to do that, your marriage won't be valid.

Technically that's what the law says. However, there can be situations when you'll get the papers later, so make sure to ask around: either your contact in Greece or someone who got married in Greece.