Marrying in Greece from Ireland, Canada, Australia

Getting Married in Greece as an Irish, Canadian or Australian Citizen

Irish, Canadian and Australian couples searching for a Greek wedding mostly find guides for Americans and Brits. The Greek side is the same for everyone. What differs is the document your own government gives you to prove you are free to marry, and three governments handle it in three very different ways: Ireland sends you a certificate by post, Canada emails you a letter saying it doesn't issue one, and Australia charges for a certificate that its embassy in Athens usually has ready in two working days.

The details below come from each government's own pages, checked in October 2026.

TL;DR:

• Ireland: apply online to the Department of Foreign Affairs for a Certificate of Freedom to Marry, at least four months before the wedding. €66 per Irish applicant.
• Canada: Canada does not issue certificates of non-impediment. Email Global Affairs Canada for a "statement in lieu", and ask the Greek town hall which other documents it wants.
• Australia: DFAT issues a Certificate of No Impediment. At the embassy in Athens it costs AUD 181.
• All three countries treat a Greek marriage that was legal in Greece as valid at home. None asks you to register it there, and Australia says you can't.

What every couple needs on the Greek side

Each foreign partner files documents in person at the town hall (dimarchio) where you will marry. Greece's register of public procedures, mitos.gov.gr, lists for a foreign partner: a statement from your consular or other competent authority that there is no impediment to your marriage, a birth certificate from your country translated into Greek, and a passport.

For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, which includes Ireland, Canada and Australia, mitos says documents are accepted "only with an apostille" and translated into Greek by a Greek translator. Ireland is also in the EU, which changes the apostille part (see below).

After you file, the town hall waits one week for objections and then issues the licence, which is valid for six months. The ceremony fee is €0 to €150 depending on the municipality, and you need two adult witnesses. Then the marriage must be declared at the local registry (lixiarcheio) within 40 days. Our Greece marriage laws guide for foreigners covers this part in full.

Every town hall adds its own requests, so email the one you want before ordering anything.

Irish citizens: the Certificate of Freedom to Marry

The Department of Foreign Affairs issues a Certificate of Freedom to Marry, also called a Civil Letter of Freedom, Certificate de Coutume or Nulla Osta. Its page sets out the process:

1. Online questionnaire. You answer questions about yourself and the wedding, then print a statutory declaration and a checklist of supporting documents. Save them straight away, because you can't retrieve them later.
2. Witnessed declaration. Sign the declaration in front of a notary public, a Commissioner for Oaths or a solicitor (abroad: an Irish consular officer or a notary). It can't be dated more than six months before the wedding.
3. Post the originals. Your checklist says exactly what to send. It may include your long-form birth certificate, a photocopy of your passport and, if relevant, your divorce decree or late spouse's death certificate, all by registered post. There is no public office in Dublin. Originals come back to you.

When: at least four months before the wedding. The department says to expect the certificate "within 8 weeks of the date of marriage" if you applied in the correct timeframe. Cost: €60 plus €6 postage and handling, so €66 per Irish applicant. Apply less than 28 days before the wedding and a €60 late fee is added, which the department says is not a guarantee of making your date.

Because Ireland is an EU member, EU Regulation 2016/1191 exempts Irish civil status documents from the apostille when they are presented in Greece. Some Greek registrars still ask for one, as the German embassy in Athens warns about German certificates, so check with your town hall. Our post on marrying in Greece as an EU citizen explains the regulation.

Do I need to register my marriage in Ireland if I get married abroad?

The Irish government's page sets one condition and no Irish registration step: a marriage abroad "will only be recognised in Ireland if it is entered on the civil register of the country where the ceremony took place and provided all legal formalities have been followed." In Greece that means the lixiarcheio registration within 40 days. Without it the marriage is incomplete in Greece and Ireland won't recognise it.

Canadian citizens: the statement in lieu

Global Affairs Canada says it directly: "Canada does not issue certificates or letters of non-impediment to marriage."

What it offers is a statement in lieu: a letter saying that Canada doesn't issue these certificates. It says nothing about your civil status. You get it by emailing [email protected], and it arrives as an electronic document. Some Canadian offices abroad can prepare a paper version for a fee.

Because the statement proves nothing about you, the Greek town hall may ask for something else. Global Affairs names two common alternatives:

• a marriage search letter from the Vital Statistics office of your province or territory, confirming whether a marriage is registered for you there,
• a single status affidavit, sworn before a notary or other authorised official.

Its advice is to tell the foreign authority that Canada does not issue the certificate and ask what else it will accept. Do that first, in writing.

Apostilles: Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024, so Canadian documents now get an apostille instead of the older authentication and Greek consular legalisation. Global Affairs Canada and some provincial authorities issue them.

Is a Greek marriage valid in Canada?

The Government of Canada's travel advice says: "Marriages that are legally performed in a foreign country are usually valid in Canada, and you do not need to register them in Canada."

Australian citizens: the Certificate of No Impediment

DFAT issues Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage. Smartraveller has the application form: you can fill it in on screen or print it, but you can't use an eSignature. You need a valid Australian passport and, if relevant, your divorce certificate or your late partner's death certificate.

If you are already in Greece, the Australian Embassy in Athens witnesses CNI applications and issues CNIs. Its notes:

• an appointment is needed for notarial services, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:30, though CNI documents can be submitted by post,
• the CNI is usually ready for collection within two working days,
• the fee from January 2026 is AUD 181 per CNI, and an apostille or authentication on an Australian public document is AUD 105 per document.

The embassy can only legalise original Australian public documents. Apostille your birth certificate before you leave if you can.

Can I register my overseas marriage in Australia?

No. Smartraveller says "You can't register an overseas marriage in Australia", but that in most cases it is legally recognised. To be recognised, the marriage must have been valid where it took place and valid under Australian law had it happened in Australia. Australia doesn't recognise overseas marriages where either person was already married, not old enough, too closely related or forced to marry. A foreign marriage certificate is usually accepted as proof, and Smartraveller suggests asking a lawyer if you need certainty.

The three routes side by side

Time zones and guest lists

Couples in Sydney or Toronto often plan with a Greek venue in a very different time zone, with guests on two continents. A wedding website with travel days, ferry notes and the venue map answers most questions before they reach your inbox, and wedding RSVP collects replies, meal choices and arrival dates in one list. Guests in Canada can get their invitation by text message, email or a shared link. Our destination wedding in Greece page shows how the guest side fits together.

Ask us about vendors and paperwork

We're not wedding planners. Email us at [email protected] and we'll suggest Greek vendors that fit your date, island and budget, and explain the paperwork from Ireland, Canada or Australia. Neutral advice, free, and we pass your details to a vendor only once you say so.

Frequently asked questions

Can Australians legally get married in Greece? Yes. You need a Certificate of No Impediment from DFAT, an apostilled birth certificate with an official Greek translation, and your passport. The marriage is usually recognised in Australia, though it can't be registered there.

How long before the wedding should Irish citizens apply for the Certificate of Freedom to Marry? At least four months before. Your witnessed statutory declaration can't be dated more than six months before the wedding, so don't sign it too early either.

Does Canada issue a certificate of no impediment for Greece? No. Global Affairs Canada issues a statement in lieu, and the Greek town hall may ask for a provincial marriage search letter or a single status affidavit instead.

Do I need to register a Greek marriage in Ireland, Canada or Australia? No. Canada says you don't need to, Australia says you can't, and Ireland recognises it if it is entered on the Greek civil register. In Greece, that registration must happen within 40 days of the wedding.

How many days do we need to be in Greece before the wedding? There is no residency rule, but you file in person and the licence comes about a week later. Our Greece wedding timeline from abroad works through the dates.

Recommended

• Getting Married in Greece as an EU Citizen
• Certificate of No Impediment for Greece
• Greece Marriage Laws Guide for Foreigners
• Your Greece Wedding Timeline From Abroad