Greece Wedding Timeline From Abroad, Month by Month

Your Greece Wedding Timeline From Abroad: 18, 12, 6 and 3 Months Out

Planning a Greek wedding from London, Dublin or Toronto runs on two clocks. The first is the usual one: venue, photographer, guests. It rewards starting early. The second is the paperwork clock, and it punishes starting early, because the certificate that proves you are free to marry has to be recent when you hand it in.

Below, both clocks run side by side, worked back from the wedding date, for an example couple: Priya and Sam from Manchester, marrying in a civil ceremony in Chania in late September, with 70 guests flying in from the UK and India. (They are an illustration, not clients.)

TL;DR:

• 18 months out: choose the season, the region and whether the Greek ceremony is legal or symbolic.
• 12 months out: book the venue and photographer, ask the town hall for its document list, and put a wedding website live with travel details.
• 6 months out: order the documents with long lead times, and send invitations with an RSVP date.
• 3 months out: the no-impediment certificate should arrive about now, followed by translations, final numbers and the seating plan.
• In Greece: there is no residency rule, but you file in person and the licence takes about a week. Arrive at least ten days early for a civil wedding.

How many days do you have to be in Greece before getting married?

None, legally. The US Embassy in Athens says "You need not reside in Greece to marry in Greece", and the same rules apply to every foreigner.

What takes time is the licence. You file your documents in person at the town hall, and Greece's register of public procedures (mitos.gov.gr) says the mayor must wait one week from the application for any objections before issuing it. The US Embassy describes the same thing as about eight days. Then you book the ceremony itself.

So for a civil wedding, plan to land at least ten days before, and two weeks if a Greek public holiday falls in between. A few town halls let a representative with a power of attorney file for you, which lets you arrive later. Ask before you rely on it. If your Greek ceremony is symbolic and you marry legally at home, you can fly in two days before like your guests.

The paperwork clock, worked backwards

Two windows matter:

• Your documents must be fresh. Most town halls want the no-impediment certificate recent, often issued within the last six months. Irish citizens have a rule of their own: the Department of Foreign Affairs says the witnessed declaration can't be dated more than six months before the wedding, and you must apply at least four months before.
• The Greek licence lasts six months from issue, according to mitos. It can't run out on you if you file a few weeks before.

That gives a sweet spot: documents issued roughly three to four months before you file, and filing three to six weeks before the wedding.

18 months out: the decisions that move everything else

Legal or symbolic. Many couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Greece, which removes the Greek paperwork altogether. If the Greek ceremony is the legal one, every step below applies. Our Greece marriage laws guide explains civil, Orthodox and symbolic options.

Season and region. Your guests' flights and ferries matter as much as the view: Chania and Heraklion have international airports, while a small Cycladic island adds a boat to everyone's journey.

A guest count range. Sixty and a hundred guests lead to different venues. Our guide to the right guest count for a Greece wedding helps you pick a range before you look at anywhere.

12 months out: book, ask, publish

• Venue and photographer. In high season these two often book up first. Browse Greek venues and planners in our directory, and ask each one what is included and whether prices include VAT.
• Email the town hall. Ask for its document list for foreign partners, whether it wants an apostille or accepts EU multilingual forms, and whether a representative can file for you. Get the answer in writing. EU citizens should read getting married in Greece as an EU citizen first.
• Put a wedding website live. Guests flying in need dates, the nearest airport, ferry or transfer notes, and where to stay, long before an invitation. A wedding website with a travel page does that, in English and your guests' languages: WhiteClover sites can be written in English, Greek, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. You add each language's text yourself, and nothing is auto-translated.
• Save the date. A save the date at this point lets guests book flights before prices climb.

6 months out: the long-lead documents

Each nationality runs a different route, and some take weeks:

• UK: the GOV.UK service "Get documents for a marriage or civil partnership abroad" tells you which document Greece needs.
• US: an Affidavit of Marriage, signed at the US Embassy in Athens during your trip, then authenticated at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Ireland: apply online for a Certificate of Freedom to Marry, at least four months before the wedding.
• Canada and Australia: see our guide to marrying in Greece from Ireland, Canada or Australia.

Order fresh birth certificates now and get apostilles where your country needs them. The no-impediment certificate itself waits a little longer, so it is still recent when you file. Our certificate of no impediment guide has the detail.

On the guest side, send invitations with an RSVP date about eight to ten weeks before the wedding. Wedding RSVP collects attendance, meal choices and arrival days in one list, so Priya isn't merging WhatsApp replies from two time zones.

3 months out: certificates, numbers, seating

• The no-impediment certificate should be issued about now. Check the issue date against your filing date.
• Translations. Greek town halls generally want official Greek translations, which the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs translation service, a Greek consulate or a Greek lawyer can make. Book them as soon as the apostilled originals arrive, because the apostille goes on before the translation.
• RSVP deadline and final numbers. Your venue will want a number and dietary needs. Chase the stragglers.
• Transport and rooms. Confirm transfers from the airport and, if guests need them, ferries and coaches.
• Seating plan. Build it once replies are in. With WhiteClover, guests see their own table in the guest app from two hours before the event, and that is free.

In Greece: file, marry, register

1. File at the town hall, both of you, in person, with passports and the full document set. The one-week wait for objections starts here.
2. Collect the licence and book the ceremony time with the town hall. The ceremony fee is €0 to €150 depending on the municipality, and you need two adult witnesses, relatives included.
3. Marry. The US Embassy notes that one witness acts as interpreter, since the ceremony is in Greek.
4. Register within 40 days at the registry office (lixiarcheio) of the town where you married. A Greek marriage is not complete until this is done, and Ireland, for one, only recognises a foreign marriage that is entered on the local civil register.
5. Order the marriage certificate, plus an apostille if your home country needs one. Under EU rules, EU countries don't.

List every document with its issue date and expiry in a shared planning hub, so the two of you can see which certificate runs out first.

Want a second opinion on your dates?

We're not wedding planners. Email us at [email protected] and we'll suggest Greek vendors that fit your date, place and budget, and explain the paperwork and its timing. Neutral advice, free, and we pass your details to a vendor only once you say so. The destination wedding in Greece page shows how WhiteClover handles the guest side.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you plan a destination wedding in Greece? Twelve to eighteen months suits most couples marrying in high season, mainly because venues and photographers book up. The legal paperwork runs on a shorter clock of about six months.

How many days do you need to be in Greece before a civil wedding? There is no residency requirement. The town hall waits one week after you file before issuing the licence, so arrive at least ten days before the wedding.

When should I get my certificate of no impediment for Greece? Late enough that it is still recent when you file, often within six months of issue. Three to four months before you file is a safe target. Ask your town hall for its own window.

How long is a Greek marriage licence valid? Six months from issue, according to Greece's register of public procedures.

What happens if we don't register the marriage in Greece? It isn't legally complete. Couples must declare it at the local registry within 40 days of the ceremony.

Recommended

• Getting Married in Greece as an EU Citizen
• Getting Married in Greece as an Irish, Canadian or Australian Citizen
• Certificate of No Impediment for Greece
• 7 Essential Steps for Your Destination Wedding Checklist