Getting Married Abroad: The UK Documents You Need
Marrying overseas? We notarise and apostille every document your wedding venue, town hall or consulate will ask for — accurate, accepted worldwide, and on a fixed fee.
Tell us where you’re marrying
Send us your destination and date and we’ll confirm exactly which documents you need — no obligation.
What documents do you need to get married abroad?
Most couples marrying abroad must prove their identity and prove they are free to marry. The core UK documents are:
- A Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) or a sworn Certificate of Freedom to Marry — your proof there is no legal barrier to the marriage.
- A current passport, often as a notarised passport copy, for proof of identity.
- Your birth certificate, frequently apostilled.
- If you have married before, your decree absolute; if widowed, the relevant death certificate and marriage certificate.
- For some countries, an adoption certificate, evidence of residency, parental consent, or blood tests.
Which documents need notarising and apostilling?
Foreign authorities cannot verify a UK signature on sight, so your documents pass through a legalisation chain: notarisation, then an FCDO apostille, then — for countries outside the Hague Convention — embassy or consulate attestation. We explain the full chain on our document legalisation hub; this guide focuses on the wedding documents themselves.
Where are you marrying?
Requirements vary by country. Filter the guide below to see the legalisation route and the free-to-marry document your destination expects. Document-heavy countries — where a civil wedding needs a full legalised set — are where we add the most value.
| Destination | Legalisation route | Free-to-marry document | Wedding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document-heavy destinations (full legalised set) | |||
| Italy | Apostille (Hague) | CNI + Certificate of Nulla Osta (sworn before a notary) | Legally binding |
| France | Apostille (Hague) | CNI + Certificate de Coutume + certificate of celibacy | Legally binding |
| Spain (incl. Ibiza) | Apostille (Hague) | CNI; residency & timing for some civil weddings | Legally binding |
| Greece (incl. Santorini) | Apostille (Hague) | CNI | Legally binding |
| Cyprus | Apostille (Hague) | CNI | Legally binding |
| Mexico | Apostille (Hague) | CNI + sworn Spanish translation; blood tests common | Legally binding |
| Mauritius | Apostille (Hague) | CNI or declaration | Legally binding |
| Thailand | Consular legalisation (non-Hague) | Sworn affirmation of freedom to marry | Legally binding |
| China | Apostille (Hague) | Single-status affirmation with full disclosure of prior marriages | Legally binding |
| UAE | Embassy attestation (non-Hague) | Single-status certificate, attested | Legally binding |
| Lighter & symbolic destinations | |||
| Jamaica & much of the Caribbean | Local marriage licence | Passport, birth certificate, decree absolute if divorced | Binding locally |
| Maldives | n/a | None (symbolic ceremony) | Symbolic only |
| Las Vegas / USA | Local state licence | Passport; no CNI | Legally binding |
| Denmark | Apostille (Hague) | Passport, birth certificate; minimal | Legally binding |
| Gibraltar | Apostille (Hague) | Passport, birth certificate, decree absolute if divorced | Legally binding |
| Portugal, Croatia, Montenegro, South Africa, Seychelles, Bali, Canada | Mostly apostille (Hague) | Usually a CNI for a civil ceremony | Mostly binding |
This guide is a starting point. Marriage laws change and your venue or town hall has the final word — we confirm your exact documents before you commit to dates.
Which country-specific requirements catch couples out?
- Italy — a Certificate of Nulla Osta is sworn before a notary in addition to your CNI. See our Nulla Osta guide.
- France — the Certificate de Coutume and certificate of celibacy are required on top of proof of identity.
- Spain — civil weddings can carry residency and legal residency requirements; build in extra lead time.
- Mexico — documents are apostilled then need a sworn Spanish translation; blood tests are common.
- China — apostilled documents are accepted, but the affirmation requires full disclosure of every previous marriage.
- Thailand — outside the Hague Convention for now, so documents follow consular legalisation, not an apostille.
When should you start, and what does it cost?
We work on fixed fees with no hidden costs. Notarisation is charged per document with the FCDO apostille added on top — see current turnaround options and pricing on our apostille service page. For the exact documents your destination expects, our country guide in the document legalisation hub sets out the requirements country by country.
Book before you fly. Apostilles, sworn translations and any embassy attestation all take time, and a wedding date will not wait. As soon as you have your destination and date, send us your list.
What can a notary do — and what can we not do?
A notary notarises your documents and declarations and prepares them for international use. A notary cannot issue the apostille itself — that is the FCDO’s role — and cannot waive a foreign country’s own marriage laws. What we do is manage the whole chain: notarise, obtain the FCDO apostille, and arrange embassy attestation where a non-Hague country requires it. As both a solicitor and notary practice, we can advise as well as notarise.
Overseas wedding document FAQs
Do I need a Certificate of No Impediment to get married abroad?
Will my overseas marriage be legally recognised in the UK?
How far in advance should I start?
What if I have been divorced or widowed?
Do my documents need translating?
Can you handle non-Hague countries like the UAE or Thailand?
Edward Young Notaries & Lawyers
19 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1PH
Telephone: +44 20 7499 2605 · Email: notary@notarypubliclondon.co.uk
Regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury · Members of The Notaries Society · STEP-qualified · ACSP-registered
Marrying abroad? Let’s get your documents right.
Tell us your destination and date and we’ll confirm exactly what you need — notarised, apostilled and ready, on a fixed fee.