Legal requirements for your wedding in Santorini.
It is obvious that a wedding abroad is a procedure that requires legal confirmation. Once you choose Santorini for your wedding you should keep in mind the legal requirements needed for this ceremony. The legal documents differ slightly from area to area. They also depend on the type of the wedding you will decide to hold. Your wedding planner in Greece is the only person able to help you, so make sure you keep in touch with the wedding planning team.
We will give you a first impression of what is needed. For further information, it is crucial you contact the wedding planning team.
• Your steps:
You have chosen Santorini wedding.
Step one: You choose the type of wedding in Santorini and you let us know about it. Your wedding planner will find out what documents are necessitated for your specific ceremony.
Step two: A list of the legal documents will be sent to you, at least 2 months before your wedding in Santorini. You should gather all the information or other documents needed and you will start the preparation.
Step three: When you have prepared all the documents you should send them to your wedding planner in Greece about 45 days before the ceremony. Our legal department will check these documents and will send them to the proper authority.
Step four: When the time of your Santorini wedding comes, you have to bring all the original documents with you. Keep in mind that these documents are kept in the authority’s Registry office so you will not take them back.
Step five: You are ready to marry your loved one in Santorini, the perfect wedding destination in Greece.
• Legal documents according to the type of your wedding:
1. Civil wedding:
-Passport copies.
-Full birth certificate of bride and groom, referring parents’ names and certified by Apostile stamp.
-Certificate document showing that there is no impediment for your upcoming wedding. Apostile stamp also required.
-In case one was previously married he/she will need a divorce certificate from the current authority.*
-If you have your name altered you, a verification document from Court is required.
– Adoption certificate.*
– Apostile stamp**. This stamp validates documents for international use. It is necessary for birth certificates and certificates for no marriage impediment.
-Wedding witnesses’ passport copies.
2. Orthodox wedding:
-Passport copies
-Both bride and groom must be baptized and have baptism records.
– Full birth certificate of the couple, referring parents’ names and certified by Apostile stamp.
-Verification letter from your local Church approved by the bishop. You should have the assurance to get married in Greece.
– Certificate document showing that there is no impediment for your upcoming wedding. Apostile stamp also required.
– In case one was previously married he/she will need a divorce certificate from the Church or Civil authority.
-If one is of another dogma but Christian, the wedding can be carried out but more legal documents are needed.*
– Apostile stamp. This stamp validates documents for international use. It is necessary for birth certificates and certificates for no marriage impediment.
-Greek Orthodox Church does not allow wedding between a Christian and a non-Christian.
-A wedding notice in the local newspaper and a copy of it, if asked.*
3. Catholic wedding:
-Both bride and groom must be baptized and have baptism records.
-Verification letter from your local Church approved by the bishop. You should have the assurance to get married in Greece.
– Certificate document showing that there is no impediment for your upcoming wedding. Apostile stamp also required.
-Your pastor or bishop should give you a written permission to hold a Catholic wedding in Greece.
-Verification that you have fulfilled the “Pre-Cana”
4. Mixed wedding
-Catholic and Orthodox: this type of wedding is possible. The only extra requirement is that the non-Orthodox one should officially state that children from this marriage will baptize Orthodox.
-Catholic and non-baptized: this type of wedding is not possible.
• What is the Apostile stamp?
Apostile stamp is a legislation method that confirms any documents for international use. It is established by the 1961 Hague Convention. If your country has not signed this convention the documents will be certified by the Foreign Ministry or Greek Embassy.
• Registration of your wedding:
The registration of both Civil and Religious ceremonies must be recorded by Santorini municipality. This registration should be done at least 40 days before your wedding. Any wedding that is not confirmed within 40 days will not have legal validity. Both bride and groom should be present in order to sign all documents required. This procedure can also be done by a representative. However this person should have the legal permission to act officially for this marriage.
• In general terms:
-All wedding documents should be certified, stamped and translated in the Greek Embassy of your country.
-The names in all documents should match together.
-The documents should be published recently, no more than 3 months ago.
-After the ceremony you have to register your wedding to vital statistics’ office. This means that you have to stay in Santorini at least 1 more working day. Be careful! Saturday and Sunday are not considered working days for civil services. So if the ceremony is held on Friday, you have to wait until Monday to register the wedding.
-The original wedding certificate, with Apostile stamp, will be sent to your address within 20 days.
-If a local newspaper notice is required, it should be translated in Greek as well as the names of the couple.
-In case any other requirement is needed by the local civil authorities or Church, we will inform you immediately about it.
*Please contact us for further information.
**Consult the chapter “What is the Apostile stamp?”
