Greece Marriage Laws Guide for Foreigners (2026)

Greece Marriage Laws Guide for Foreigners (2026)

Last checked: October 2026, against Greek government, embassy and church sources. Rules differ between town halls, so confirm the details with the one where you will marry.

Marrying in Greece is more manageable than most blogs make it sound. You need the right proof that you are free to marry, stamped and translated the way Greece wants, and a realistic idea of how long the town hall takes. This guide covers civil and church weddings for foreign, mixed Greek and same-sex couples.

TL;DR:

• A legal wedding in Greece is civil (town hall) or religious. A symbolic ceremony has no legal effect.
• The civil licence is free, takes about a week and is valid for six months.
• There is no residency requirement. The US Embassy: "You need not reside in Greece to marry in Greece."
• Foreign documents need an apostille (or EU exemption) and an official Greek translation. Private translators are refused.
• In church, the koumbaros must be Orthodox, and some dates are closed to weddings.
• Register the marriage at the registry office (ληξιαρχείο) within 40 days.

Civil, Religious or Symbolic?

The Greek Civil Code (article 1367) recognises two forms. A civil wedding is your declaration before the mayor, or a deputy, and two witnesses. A religious wedding is performed by an Orthodox priest or a minister of another faith known in Greece, under that faith's rules. Both are equally valid, and a civil wedding does not stop you having a church wedding later.

A symbolic ceremony is not a marriage. Many destination packages on Santorini and Mykonos are symbolic, so ask your venue in writing: "Will this ceremony be registered at the local ληξιαρχείο?" If not, marry legally first, at home or at a Greek town hall.

How the Civil Licence Works

Greece's national register of administrative procedures (mitos.gov.gr, updated 25 September 2026) says the civil marriage licence:

• is issued by the mayor free of charge,
• is issued after the town hall waits one week for objections,
• is valid for six months.

With the licence, you jointly apply to the town hall where you will marry, which fixes the date, time and place. You need two witnesses with ID, and the US Embassy notes that one acts as interpreter, since the ceremony is in Greek. The ceremony fee ranges from €0 to €150, depending on the municipality.

The eight days are not a residency rule

Older guides, including an earlier version of this one, describe an "eight working day publication" or an eight-day residence rule. The official pages say otherwise. The US Embassy: town halls "generally issue the marriage license eight days after the submission of the application". Rethymno issues the licence a week after filing and allows the wedding only after the eighth day from issue. So allow about two to three weeks between filing and the ceremony.

The newspaper notice

The Civil Code (article 1369) requires the planned marriage to be posted at the town hall and, in a large city, published in a daily newspaper. Vari asks for an Athens daily with your names in Greek and Latin letters, Rethymno names two local papers, and the US Embassy mentions it only when one partner is Greek. Ask your town hall.

Documents by Nationality

Every foreign partner proves who they are, that they are free to marry, and that any earlier marriage has ended. Our certificate of no impediment guide covers the freedom-to-marry document country by country.

The Municipality of Vari Voula Vouliagmeni publishes a clear list. It is written for foreigners who live in Greece, so use it as a guide and ask your own town hall for theirs:

• a statement from your consulate or another competent authority of your country that there is no impediment to your marriage, issued within six months and authenticated by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Vari exempts 21 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France and Italy),
• a birth certificate issued within six months, with an apostille,
• a final divorce decree or death certificate if you were married before,
• official Greek translations, a passport, and €15 stamp duty per person.

UK citizens

British documents follow the non-EU route: an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office, then an official Greek translation.

GOV.UK sends you to its online service, "Get documents for a marriage or civil partnership abroad". It tells you whether Greece wants a certificate of no impediment (CNI) or a marital status affirmation, and lets you apply and pay with a valid British passport.

This guide used to say the CNI comes from your register office after a 28-day notice. Register offices still issue CNIs that way where needed (Ceredigion council: after "the 28 day statutory waiting period after entering notice"). But GOV.UK no longer has a Greece-specific page, and its online service decides which route applies. Follow what it says.

US citizens

The US Embassy in Athens lists an Affidavit of Marriage signed before a consular officer in Athens (USD 50 per person, online appointment), authenticated at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Akadimias 3 (€30), plus an apostilled birth certificate with official translation. You also need an entry stamp in your passport, without which "you will not be permitted to marry in Greece". Plan on at least two days in Athens, and see whether Americans can legally marry in Greece.

EU citizens and convention countries

Since 16 February 2019, EU Regulation 2016/1191 exempts public documents from one EU country, including birth, marriage, capacity to marry and marital status, from the apostille in another. You can also request a multilingual standard form to attach, which eases translation.

Greece has also ratified a convention on a multilingual certificate of capacity to marry. According to Vari, it is valid for six months and accepted from Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey, with no legalisation, only an official translation.

Canada, Ireland, Australia and others

• Canada does not issue certificates of non-impediment. Global Affairs Canada issues a "statement in lieu", and the town hall may ask for other documents, such as a single status affidavit.
• Ireland: the Department of Foreign Affairs issues a Certificate of Freedom to Marry (Civil Letter of Freedom) through an online application.
• Australia: see DFAT's Smartraveller page on certificates of no impediment.

Otherwise, ask your embassy in Athens what it issues, and ask the town hall whether it accepts it.

When one partner is Greek

The Greek partner applies at the town hall where they live, online on gov.gr if they have TAXISnet codes. A Greek partner living abroad signs the application, a sworn declaration and an authorisation for someone to file for them at a Greek consulate, as Rethymno's page explains.

Apostille and Translations

The Hague Apostille Convention has 130 contracting parties (HCCH status table, updated June 2026), including the UK, US, Canada and Australia. Greece has objected to some newer members, and their documents still need consular legalisation through a Greek consulate. Check the HCCH status table and ask the town hall if your country joined recently. The apostille goes on the original first, then the translation is made.

Translations are accepted only from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs translation service, an authorised official at a Greek consulate, graduates of the Ionian University translation department, or a Greek lawyer under specific conditions. Translations by foreign authorities or private translation offices are refused, Vari notes, citing a 2014 foreign ministry circular.

The Timeline, Worked Backwards

A certificate issued too early runs out before you file.

Costs You Should Budget For

Translations, home-country certificates and travel cost extra and vary.

Church Weddings

Greek Orthodox

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece sets the requirements:

• A foreign Orthodox partner brings a baptism certificate from their parish plus single and family status certificates. Foreign church documents need the Holy Synod's endorsement in Athens and an apostille. Non-EU citizens are also asked for proof of legal stay, so ask the parish what it accepts.
• A mixed marriage with a Catholic or Protestant who has Trinitarian baptism is allowed κατ' οικονομίαν (by dispensation). The non-Orthodox partner brings a baptism certificate, a single status certificate and a declaration that children will be raised Orthodox. Someone unbaptised cannot marry in the Orthodox Church unless baptised first.
• The koumbaros signs the marriage declaration with the couple, and the Metropolis of Thessaloniki tells priests to check that the koumbaros is a baptised Orthodox Christian.
• Weddings take place in the parish church. Private chapels and hotels need the Metropolitan's permission, and monastery churches are ruled out.

The Synod's text does not cover Crete or the Dodecanese, which belong to other church jurisdictions, so ask the local Metropolis there.

Closed dates are set by each Metropolis. Thessaloniki bans weddings in Lent and Holy Week, on 5 January, 29 August and 14 September, from 17 to 25 December, and during the fast in the first two weeks of August.

Other faiths

Ministers of faiths known in Greece perform legally valid weddings. The US Embassy lists Athens contacts for the Catholic cathedral, a Protestant church and the Jewish Community.

Many mixed couples marry civilly first and in church later: see civil vs religious weddings in Greece.

Same-Sex Couples

Greece legalised same-sex civil marriage on 15 February 2024 (Law 5089/2024), the first Orthodox Christian country to do so. The civil process, documents and fees are the same as for any couple. Church weddings are not available.

For two foreign partners, the Civil Code (article 13) applies the law of the nationality of either partner to the conditions for marriage. If at least one of you comes from a country that allows same-sex marriage, or one of you is Greek, the route should be open. If neither home country allows it, ask the town hall before booking, and check recognition back home.

After the Wedding: Register It, Then Get the Certificate

"Marriages are not legal in Greece until registered", the US Embassy warns. Register at the ληξιαρχείο of the place where you married within 40 days, with a fee if late. Either spouse can do it, or someone with a power of attorney. After a church wedding, the priest gives you the signed declaration to file.

1. Order the marriage certificate (ληξιαρχική πράξη γάμου). It is free, and the registry has up to ten days. With Greek TAXISnet codes you can request it on gov.gr.
2. Get the apostille. For Greek civil registry documents it is free, from the Decentralised Administration or a KEP citizens' centre. With Greek codes, gov.gr adds an electronic apostille to a certificate issued online.
3. Use it at home. GOV.UK recognises a foreign marriage that was lawful where it happened and would be allowed under UK law. The US Embassy tells Americans to check with their state.

What a Local Planner Actually Does

A planner who knows your town hall catches the wrong translator, the expired certificate and the church date inside the August fast. Read what to know before planning a Greek wedding and our destination wedding checklist. Still choosing a country? See Greece vs Cyprus.

Your Wedding Day Sorted: Let WhiteClover Handle the Rest

WhiteClover is built for couples planning a destination wedding in Greece from afar. Guests reply on your RSVP page, find directions and the schedule on your wedding website, and each document goes on the planning hub checklist with its own deadline, such as "translations back by 1 May". You queue at the embassy. WhiteClover keeps track of the rest. Add your guests while the town hall issues the licence.

FAQ

Is there a residency requirement to marry in Greece? No. The US Embassy states you need not reside in Greece. The eight days often quoted is roughly how long the town hall takes to issue the licence.

Do British couples still follow the EU route after Brexit? No. UK documents need an FCDO apostille and an official Greek translation. If one of you also holds an EU passport, ask the town hall whether you can use the EU route with it.

Can same-sex foreign couples marry in Greece? Yes, in a civil ceremony, with the same documents as other couples. If neither partner's home country allows same-sex marriage, check with the town hall first.

Do we both need to be in Greece to file? For the ceremony, yes, since the declarations are made in person. For filing, it depends on the town hall: Vari accepts a representative, while the US Embassy tells Americans to file in person.