A marriage registered abroad is valid. Is it possible to get married abroad? Bali: the last paradise on earth

Interesting! Despite the fact that officially registering a marriage abroad is not a cheap pleasure, such a ceremony can be much cheaper for newlyweds than if it took place in their homeland.

For example, most hotels abroad offer huge discounts to newlyweds and special conditions for living, which is undoubtedly very convenient.

Important point! If the state in which the ceremony is planned is not one of the countries of the Hague Convention, then there will be difficulties in legalizing documents for marriage.

In order to give the papers legal force, the couple will have to visit the consulate of a foreign country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Russian legislation does not prohibit registering a marriage between Russian citizens and foreign citizens.

However, people often have a question: is a marriage entered into abroad valid on the territory of the Russian Federation?

According to Art. 158 of the Family Code of Russia (FC RF), a marriage registered abroad is recognized as valid on the territory of the Russian Federation if, during its conclusion, all the requirements put forward by the legislation of a foreign state were met, and also if there are no circumstances under which entry into a family union is not allowed ( Article 14 of the RF IC).

Article 14 of the RF IC. Circumstances preventing marriage

Marriage between:

• persons of whom at least one person is already in another registered marriage;
• close relatives (relatives in a direct ascending and descending line (parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren), full and half (having a common father or mother) brothers and sisters);
  adoptive parents and adopted children;
• persons of whom at least one person has been declared incompetent by a court due to a mental disorder.

Two options for the registration ceremony can be organized abroad marriage union:

• official registration;
• symbolic ceremony.

The difference between them is that in the first case, the newlyweds will receive an official certificate confirming their marital status, which has legal force in Russia. In the second case, the bride and groom simply participate in a ceremony organized abroad, but upon arrival in Russia they marital status remains unchanged.

On the territory of a foreign state, citizens of the Russian Federation can get married only if they fully comply with all the legal requirements of the country in which registration is planned. But, regardless of the conditions of another country, The bride and groom, according to the RF IC, can become spouses if the following circumstances are absent:

• the bride and groom have close family ties;
• one of the future spouses is officially registered in another marriage;
• the bride or groom received the status of an incompetent person in court due to an existing mental disorder;
• one of the spouses is the adoptive parent, and the other is the adopted person.

A citizen of the Russian Federation can officially register his marriage in almost any country in the world.

What documents are needed?

The list of countries where Russian citizens can hold an official ceremony is quite large. Each state may put forward its own special requirements for the list necessary documents, but, as a rule, the standard package includes:

If one of the future spouses is a citizen of a foreign country, then in order to get married, a citizen of the Russian Federation will need to apply for a fiancé/bride visa or a wedding visa at the embassy of the foreign country where the wedding is planned. A visa allows a citizen of the Russian Federation to come to the country to officially enter into a marriage.

In addition to the above documents, each foreign state may put forward additional requirements for the list of documents provided. For example, in some countries, if the bride was previously in a marriage that was dissolved less than a year ago, she will need to attach a certificate from a medical institution about the absence of pregnancy.

All documents must be translated into the official language of the country where registration will take place, and pre-certified in Russia.

Do I need to obtain permission from the authorities of the country in which registration is planned?

One of the first steps towards entering into marriage on the territory of a foreign state is for the future spouses to obtain permission from local authorities to conduct the ceremony.

To obtain such a document, the bride and groom contact the local mayor's office., municipality or other authorized body at the place of planned registration.

In some countries (eg Cyprus), you can contact your local municipality by telephone or email to request permission to perform a marriage ceremony. To do this, the applicant will need to scan all the necessary documents and send them by email to Cyprus, and upon arrival, provide their originals a certain number of days before.

To obtain permission from local authorities to register a marriage, the following documents are required:

• passports;
• birth certificates;
• if there was a marriage union in the past, a certificate of its dissolution.

Besides this, future spouses fill out a questionnaire with standard items, including personal data, information about marital status and the conclusion of a future union.

The waiting period for obtaining permission to register a marriage depends on the selected country. In some cases, it may take up to 6 months to receive the document.

Authorities may refuse to marry citizens of the Russian Federation if any condition imposed by a foreign state is not met.

Foreign countries, to be able to register family relations on their territory, they may impose requirements on the length of residence in the country or the availability of a bank account.

Is such a union recognized in Russia?

An officially registered marriage in another country will be recognized on the territory of the Russian Federation if the marriage certificate is legalized. The legalization procedure is carried out by the state in whose territory the marriage union was concluded.

Legalization of a marriage certificate is required if the relationship was registered in a country with which Russia does not have an agreement on the abolition of any type of legalization.

Legalization can be carried out in two ways:

• by affixing the Apostille stamp;
• consular legalization.

Apostille of a marriage certificate is possible only if the country in which it was received is a party to the Convention signed in The Hague on October 5, 1961. The Convention abolishes the procedure for the legalization of all foreign documents concluded in an official manner.

If the foreign state is not a party to the Hague Convention, then legalization of the document will be required. This process is much longer and more complicated. To do this, you will need to have the document certified by the authorities of the country's Ministry of Justice abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then at the Russian consulate.

Based on international treaties, documents, including marriage certificates, issued by some countries (for example, the Czech Republic, Latvia and others) are recognized in Russia without any legalization; only a notarized translation of the document is required.

The procedure for concluding a marriage union by citizens of the Russian Federation abroad is somewhat more complicated than on the territory of Russia. This is due to certain additional requirements put forward by the foreign state.

If the future spouses nevertheless decide to officially seal the family union outside the Russian Federation, then it is imperative to take care of the legal side of the issue so that in the future the marriage will be officially recognized on the territory of Russia.

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Based on the provisions of the Family Code, it is possible to register a civil marriage outside of Russia, that is, abroad. Also, the possibility of concluding and canceling the procedure is indicated in the Hague Convention, adopted in 1978.

Carrying out wedding ceremony outside the Russian Federation is permissible. States parties to the treaty in The Hague allow marriage when the newlyweds satisfy the requirements of domestic law, are citizens of a particular country, or comply with conflict of laws rules.

Important! Foreign citizens require legalization of their marriage certificate. There is a standard international apostille for parties to the 1961 Hague Convention.

Legislation

Russian laws also provide for the opportunity for the bride and groom to marry and register it abroad. The conditions of the ceremony are prescribed in the Family Code.

Article 158. Recognition of marriages concluded outside the Russian Federation

From the text you can find out whether a marriage abroad is valid in the Russian Federation:

• paragraph 1 states that a legal union of Russians, citizens of Russia with foreigners, formalized under the laws of another state, is recognized as valid. The procedure is possible only if there are no obstacles;
• clause 2 states that the Russian government recognizes marriage relations of citizens of other countries, for example, Germany, if the rules of the law are met.

Note! Newlyweds must not violate the laws of the country where they celebrated their marriage.

Article 14. Circumstances preventing marriage

It is impossible to legalize documents and marriages entered into by people abroad on the basis of this article. Marital relations are prohibited between:

• the person already has a husband or wife. The wedding will only be possible if the union is annulled or declared invalid;
• participants in the marriage ceremony are relatives (sisters, brothers, parents, children, granddaughters and grandfathers). Grounds for the ban - negative health children born as a result of incestuous relationships;
• The marriage is formalized by the adoptive parent and the child. Based on Russian legislation, such children are comparable to their own children.
• people who have mental disorders, as well as those declared incompetent by a court.

Note! If an obstacle is identified after the conclusion of the marriage, the court will invalidate the marriage.

Types of marriages abroad

Foreign countries sometimes have legislative differences in regulating marriage. In Russia, for example, a union is recognized that is officially registered in the registry office, of which there is a certificate. Outside the territory of the Russian Federation, persons can conduct a wedding in the following ways:

• in the church with the issuance of a certificate. Authorities are vested in organizations from Finland, Poland, and the USA. Marriages can only be celebrated by parishioners;
• civil partnership. Some states recognize such forms of relations. Partnership is equivalent to marriage and cohabitation at the same time;
• at the consulate. Based on Art. UK Russians can hold a wedding at a diplomatic mission abroad. Marriage at the consulate is official and acceptable for international newlyweds;
• same-sex. The forms, legal consequences and powers of spouses vary from country to country;
• actual, or cohabitation. Citizens of the Russian Federation can also live without an official ceremony. Such relationships have legal consequences.

Important! Fictitious unions are illegal and void.

Symbolic and official ceremony: what is the difference

Newlyweds can enter into a symbolic marriage and choose a ceremony abroad. Travel agencies offer many wedding story options against the backdrop of the ocean shore, nature reserve, or national park. A turnkey wedding is popular among Russian spouses, where all the little things - such as the celebration, banquet, flight and accommodation - are taken care of by the organizers. The symbolic ceremony has no legal consequences other than exit registration.

Advice! To avoid legal red tape, get married in a domestic registry office, and choose another place for the wedding ceremony.

Is foreign marriage recognized in Russia?

The grounds on which a marriage registered abroad will be valid in Russia are given in Art. SK. The obstacles are detailed in Art. SK. Keep in mind that domestic authorities officially recognize only legalized documents.

Same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage has been officially legalized by 28 countries (Portugal, Finland, Germany, France, Spain). Another 16 states recognize same-sex cohabitation and partnerships, but limit the rights of couples. For example, in Estonia, Hungary, Andorra, and the Czech Republic, IVF, adoption, and surrogate mother services are prohibited.

Important! In Russia, same-sex marriage is invalid by law. According to Art. In the UK, marriage is understood as the union of a woman and a man, i.e., heterosexual.

Procedure for registering a marriage abroad

Registration civil marriage is issued abroad in stages. Initially, it is worth clarifying the specifics of the laws of the selected country. After this, start preparing documentation and organizing the trip. Some countries require permission for the ceremony from the local municipality.

After the wedding has taken place, the apostilization procedure is carried out. This will eliminate obstacles from each state.

Conditions for official registration of marriage abroad

Newlyweds who have chosen a foreign option for holding a wedding ceremony must take into account its conditions:

• compliance with the legislative norms of the host country;
• no violations under Art. SK;
• mandatory legalization;
• notarized translation of a foreign marriage certificate into the state language;
• contacting the civil registry office at the place of registration to get a stamp.

Important! In the Russian Federation there are no sanctions for late legalization.

List of required documents for marriage

To hold a wedding ceremony abroad, the bride and groom must provide a package of documents. It includes:

• birth certificates;
• copies and originals of passports - foreign and domestic;
• a statement indicating the absence of a marital relationship at present;
• papers confirming the dissolution of a previous marriage;
• death certificate of spouse (for widows and widowers);
• an extract from the Russian registry office, which states that there are no legal obstacles.

Advice! Translate all documents into the language of the country of marriage, notarize and affix an apostille.

Cost of an official ceremony in other countries

When calculating, a marriage entered into by a couple of Russian citizens who choose a wedding abroad will be cheaper than a domestic one. So, the traditional ceremony with exit registration for 50 people it will cost an average of 450 thousand rubles. In St. Petersburg you will need to pay 850 thousand - 1.5 million rubles for it, in Perm - 300 thousand rubles.

When registering a marriage on the territory of another state, Russians will spend:

• from 100 to 600 thousand rubles. for two without guests - this includes travel expenses, housing for 5-7 days, the ceremony itself;
• during the peak tourist season - 20-30% more funds;
• from 150 to 200 thousand rubles. - when organizing painting yourself;
• plus 70-120 thousand rubles. - if you entrust matters to companies offering a “wedding package” (symbolic ceremony, payment of taxes, payments to registrars, decorators, lawyers for legalization of documents);
• plus 45-50 euros - for notarization of documents at the consulate.

Important! Prices do not include clothing, hairstyle, rings, photographer, cake and gala dinner.

How long will it take?

The duration depends on the place where the relationship of the future spouses is formalized:

• Greece - permit is issued within 7 days. A wedding is possible only after the documents are certified by the consulate;
• Las Vegas - you can get married and get divorced in one day;
• Mauritius island - weddings for foreign citizens are held only on weekends, brides and grooms must arrive 3 days in advance;
• France - Russians must live in any city for at least 10-40 days;
• Switzerland, Austria, Germany - authorities will issue a permit in 2-6 months.

The time for the celebration can be clarified at the diplomatic mission of the country.

Change of surname and citizenship when registering a marriage with a foreign citizen

In Russia, in most cases, a girl takes her husband’s surname. When registering a marriage in another state, the change of surname is not indicated. This can be done upon returning to the Russian Federation. There are exceptions in some countries. For example, in Austria, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, a woman will receive an official document with a different surname.

The process of changing citizenship has a number of nuances:

• replacing a Russian passport with a new one and obtaining a foreign passport with a different surname;
• mandatory extract from the place of registration in the Russian Federation, consular registration in the country of residence;
• complete replacement of bank cards, TIN, SNILS, medical policy;
• obtaining citizenship of another state - after 3 years in the standard manner;
• obtaining citizenship in a simplified manner - by residence on the basis of an official temporary permit.

Note! Russian citizenship is not lost during this procedure.

Confirmation of marriage in Russia: how to legalize the certificate

A certificate is issued for a marriage registered abroad, according to the requirements and in the language of another state. To legitimize the union, Russian citizens are required to undergo apostillization.

Simplified procedure for legalizing a certificate

After marriage is concluded in the countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention, the legalization of documents is carried out in a simplified manner. For this you will need:

If you get married in a state that is part of the CIS, legalization is also simplified. The basis is the Mutual Assistance Convention of 1992. Russians who signed in Bulgaria, Algeria, and Vietnam do not undergo legalization for reasons of bilateral agreements between the governments of the countries.

Important! A package of documents with an apostille is translated into Russian and certified by a notary.

The usual procedure for legalizing a marriage certificate

If a family union is registered in a state that has not signed the Hague Convention and does not have an agreement with the Russian Federation, the certificate is legalized on a general basis:

1. Writing an application using a standard form (issued at the consulate or downloaded from the State Services website);
2. Providing a package of documents. It includes a marriage certificate, its notarized translation and a receipt for payment of the state fee;
3. Legalization or refusal.

Note! The reasons for refusal are written in Art. 14 SK, but these also include the lack of details, illegibility of the text of the document, lack of numbering and firmware (if more than 2 sheets).

What difficulties may arise

Design future marriage and holding a ceremony abroad is not so easy. Couples in love may face several obstacles:

• in China, UAE, Thailand or Egypt, the certificate is not valid;
• in Indonesia only Catholics, Buddhists, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus can sign;
• a marriage license issued in Hawaii is certified by the Department of Health;
• newlyweds who want to get married in Bali must profess the same religion;
• you need to live in the Seychelles for 11 days, and in Sri Lanka - 4 days before the wedding;
• in Austria or Germany you can only get married with permission;
• in Puerto Rico, Egypt, Taiwan marriageable age The bride and groom are 20-21 years old.

Note! Some European countries take a long time to issue permits. For example, in Germany you need to wait 2-6 months.

In which countries can Russians register a marriage so that it is valid in their homeland?

A full marriage ceremony with a simplified process of legalizing the certificate is possible in several countries:

• Dominican Republic;
• Bahamas;
• Austria;
• Brazil;
• Barbados,
• Australia;
• Grenadines;
• Mauritius;
• Hungary;
• Iceland;
• Cyprus;
• Greece;
• Cuba;
• New Zealand;
• Slovenia;
• Seychelles;
• Fiji;
• Poland;
• Mexico;
• Sri Lanka;
• Romania;
• Jamaica;
• Czech Republic;
• Montenegro.

Advice! Take into account the specifics of legalization and carefully choose the location for the celebration.

List of the most popular countries for a wedding ceremony

To understand the peculiarities of a wedding, its cost and international document flow, you will need to study in detail the information about each country.

Advice! Leave in advance to stay in the country for the specified period.

For Russians, entering into a symbolic, church or official marriage as part of a vacation abroad is no longer a new thing. The advantages of the celebration include the originality of the ceremony, registration of same-sex relationships, joint holding of a wedding and honeymoon, savings on large quantities guests. Among the disadvantages are the costs of travel and legalization of documents, the expensive cost of the ceremony and the complexity of foreign legislation.

Over the past few years, travel companies have introduced such a service as “Weddings Abroad.” Frankly, the proposals look quite tempting: from a wedding in an ancient European castle to a ceremony on the ocean - you just have to choose. But a lot of questions immediately arise, which, however, can be reduced to 10 main ones, asked by absolutely all couples.

1. Are weddings abroad legal?

You don't even have to worry about this issue. Weddings abroad are completely legal as long as you follow all the necessary rules. Paragraph 1 of Article 158 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation states that marriages between citizens of the Russian Federation and marriages between citizens of the Russian Federation and foreign citizens concluded outside the Russian Federation in compliance with the legislation of the state in whose territory they were concluded are recognized as valid in the Russian Federation if there are no obstacles to the conclusion marriages provided for by law (bigamy, marriages between close relatives, incapacitated persons).

Thus, the main rule of weddings abroad is that they should not contradict the laws of either the country where the bride and groom are from, or the one where the registration takes place. Basically, the barriers to holding such weddings are religious beliefs (in Muslim countries, marriage of foreigners professing another religion is prohibited), bans on same-sex marriage, age limits and some individual features of country laws (for example, you can get married in France only after living here 40 days).

2. In which countries can you get married?

The most favorable countries by law for registering marriages are Australia, Austria, Greece, Dominican Republic, Iceland, Italy, Cyprus, Cuba, Mauritius, Seychelles, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Sri Lanka, Jamaica and the USA. Although each country, of course, has its own nuances. For example, in Cuba you can only organize a wedding on the hotel premises, in Greece you will have to stay for one day in Athens, and in Mauritius the day before the ceremony you will need to go to the capital of the island, Port Louis, to sign wedding documents.

3. What documents are required?

As a rule, the set of documents required for a wedding is common to all countries. It includes: international passports, birth certificates, certificate of marital status, divorce certificate (if already married) or death certificate ex-wife(husband). In some countries, they may ask for a doctor's certificate that your ex-wife is not pregnant (if you married less than a year after the divorce) or a so-called “certificate of freedom”, which certifies that you are not currently married.

All these documents must be translated into English language(sometimes in the language of the country), certified by a notary and affixed with an apostille. Apostille is a special stamp that is affixed to official documents emanating only from institutions and organizations of the Russian Federation as a party to the Hague Convention, and does not require further certification; it is recognized by the official bodies of all states that have signed the 1961 Convention. Copies of documents are sent to the country of registration, and the bride and groom bring the originals with them (some countries, such as Jamaica, require that the originals be sent immediately by mail).

4. What to do if the groom (bride) is not a citizen of the Russian Federation?

In this case there is nothing to worry about. Simply, a marriage certificate is also legalized in the territory of the country where the bride or groom is from. In addition, weddings abroad are ideal for couples where one of the spouses is a foreigner and there may be problems obtaining a visa to his country (for example, a bad visa history for Schengen countries or the USA). Then visa-free countries for most citizens, such as the Dominican Republic or Cuba, come to the rescue.

5. When should you start preparing for such a wedding?

Despite the fact that such a wedding greatly eases the troubles of the newlyweds, who will not have to run around looking for a banquet hall for guests, a photographer, musicians and toastmaster, we should not forget that this is still not a simple trip abroad for a week on a last-minute package.

Choose the place and day of the ceremony, the hotel where you will spend your honeymoon, and it’s better to start collecting documents two or three months in advance. This is especially true when the bride and groom want to register their relationship on some special day: on Valentine's Day on February 14, or, for example, on the magical day of 2007 - 07/07/2007 (there are more than 30,000 thousand lovers around the world Already booked this arithmetically perfect date for your ceremony). If the newlyweds do not get in touch in advance, then it may well turn out that all the plane tickets have already been sold, good hotels are full, and the dates of the ceremonies are booked a month in advance.

6. Do I need to bring a dress and suit with me from Russia?

It is not at all necessary to bring a dress with you from Russia, especially since it is quite problematic to pack it. In any country you can rent a wedding dress (or even just buy it in wedding salons countries). So, for example, in the Czech Republic it will cost 80-100 euros, and somewhere on exotic islands you can order colorful national costumes local residents. There are make-up artists, hairdressers and manicurists in any good hotel or beauty salon. If you have already chosen a hairstyle, then you can simply take a photo of it and then show it to the hairdresser. There will be no problems with professional photographers and videographers. The wedding coordinator will definitely tell you all the necessary addresses.

7. What ceremonies are there and how do they take place?

There are a great many options for holding ceremonies: in hotels, entertainment centers, underwater, on a ship, in a castle, at the foot of a volcano or on a snow-white beach. The bride and groom are taken to the registration place by limousine, carriage, helicopter or even on elephants. The ceremony can be conducted by an ordinary municipal employee or Elvis Presley himself. Here everything depends only on imagination. By the way, the imagination of the bride and groom plays an important role. Any agency will offer you a huge number of ceremonies that have already been tried out on more than one couple. But no matter how professional a manager is, he is by no means a magician or a telepath. Only you can be 100 percent clear on exactly what your wedding should be like and what you want to see and hear during the ceremony. Invent, suggest. A wedding is not a group tour where nothing can be changed - everything is in your hands. Don't be afraid to dream!

8. How and when do you receive a marriage certificate?

After the ceremony, the legal husband and wife are given a marriage certificate, which must be legalized at the consulate of the Russian Federation of the country where the wedding took place. This procedure in some countries takes a very long time and the newlyweds will receive a document already valid in the Russian Federation by mail in a few months (for example, for the Dominican Republic this period is six months).

Since in most countries the certificate is issued in English (Spanish, Czech) it will need to be translated into Russian and certified by a notary. As a rule, the agency handles all this. The spouses will only need to go to the passport office and stamp the passport. It is especially worth noting that neither the husband nor the wife can change their surname on the spot. This can only be done at home, for which, for example, in Cyprus a special certificate is issued for changing the surname.

9. How much does it cost?

Of course, a wedding abroad will cost a little more than in Russia. The most inexpensive ceremonies in the Czech Republic and Cyprus. So, a week-long trip to Prague with registration at the Old Town Hall will cost lovers about 4,000 euros for two. This price already includes such necessary services as escort to the consulate and police, all government fees and charges, preparation of documents, registration itself, wedding coordinator, car rental, champagne and legalization of a marriage certificate, economy class flight, hotel accommodation and all necessary transfers. Some additional services (a decorated carriage in which the bride and groom will drive up to the town hall, a banquet, bouquets of flowers) are agreed upon in advance and paid separately.

For a wedding on exotic islands you will have to pay twice as much. Here, of course, a significant part of the cost is the price of an air ticket (about $1,000) and hotel accommodation, where the cost of a room per night sometimes reaches $2,000 for two. When choosing a ceremony on the islands, it is better to count on a budget of $8,000 or more, but weddings here have a special romantic atmosphere. The ceremony site is decorated with tropical flowers, musicians are invited, the groom can even order a serenade for the bride and romantic dinner on some small uninhabited island.

However, it is worth considering that a wedding abroad is an individual journey, the final cost of which depends on many factors. For example, the exact cost of a ticket for a regular flight can only be found out directly when booking, since the price here varies depending on the availability of a particular fare for the required date.

Surcharges may apply if you are unable to book a late flight and end up in your wedding destination at 6am. As a rule, in most hotels, for check-in before check-out time (this is 12:00 or 14:00) they require you to pay half the cost of the day.

So, be prepared that the final cost of your wedding may increase due to unexpected expenses. Therefore, if the bride and groom do not want such surprises, it is better to book services in advance, especially if it concerns traveling during the so-called “high season” ( May holidays, July, August). Otherwise, while you are thinking about making an advance payment to start booking, free seats It may simply not be available or the additional payment will exceed all possible expectations.

10. How to choose the right company?

Now weddings are offered by most companies operating in the Russian tourism market: from large operators to small agencies. When choosing a company in such a responsible matter, you should be guided by the same principles as when buying a regular tour: the presence of a license, how long the company has been operating, the general impression when communicating with the manager and whether the agency has its own office. Perhaps one day a personal agent will come to your home with a full package of offers or talk about fabulous travels over a cup of tea in a cafe, but for the first time you need to meet on the territory of the “enemy” in order to study it from all sides. It’s even better if the company has its own website, where you can get acquainted in detail not only with the options for ceremonies, but also read stories and look at photographs of those who have already happily tied the knot outside the Russian Federation. And, of course, no one has canceled the numerous travel sites, forums and communities where you can find reviews about the company or just ask for advice.