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    Marriage in Greece August 2018 English PDF

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    Jovanović Jelena
    To get married in Greece, one must obtain an apostilled marriage license and birth certificate, have the documents translated to Greek, and apply for a Greek marriage license at a city hall where one applicant resides at least 8 days before the ceremony. Couples can have either a civil ceremony at city hall or a religious ceremony by a clergy member, and all marriages must be registered within 40 days. U.S. marriages performed abroad are generally valid in the U.S. if valid in the country where performed.

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    Marriage in Greece August 2018 English PDF

    Uploaded by

    Jovanović Jelena
    314 views3 pages
    To get married in Greece, one must obtain an apostilled marriage license and birth certificate, have the documents translated to Greek, and apply for a Greek marriage license at a city hall where one applicant resides at least 8 days before the ceremony. Couples can have either a civil ceremony at city hall or a religious ceremony by a clergy member, and all marriages must be registered within 40 days. U.S. marriages performed abroad are generally valid in the U.S. if valid in the country where performed.

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    To get married in Greece, one must obtain an apostilled marriage license and birth certificate, have the documents translated to Greek, and apply for a Greek marriage license at a city hall where one applicant resides at least 8 days before the ceremony. Couples can have either a civil ceremony at city hall or a religious ceremony by a clergy member, and all marriages must be registered within 40 days. U.S. marriages performed abroad are generally valid in the U.S. if valid in the country where performed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    314 views3 pages

    Marriage in Greece August 2018 English PDF

    Uploaded by

    Jovanović Jelena
    To get married in Greece, one must obtain an apostilled marriage license and birth certificate, have the documents translated to Greek, and apply for a Greek marriage license at a city hall where one applicant resides at least 8 days before the ceremony. Couples can have either a civil ceremony at city hall or a religious ceremony by a clergy member, and all marriages must be registered within 40 days. U.S. marriages performed abroad are generally valid in the U.S. if valid in the country where performed.

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    Embassy of the United States of America

    Athens, Greece

    August 2018

    Getting Married in Greece

    **IMPORTANT: This document provides general information. You must contact the local City
    Hall in the area you wish to marry for specific requirements.**

    Eligibility
    U.S. citizens may marry in Greece in a civil ceremony, a religious ceremony, or both. You need
    not reside in Greece to marry in Greece, but the bureaucratic process to obtain a marriage
    certificate can take several weeks.

    Foreigners who permanently reside in Greece should possess a residence permit. U.S. citizens
    may stay in Greece up to three months without a residence permit. Be sure to obtain a stamp
    in your passport showing the date and place of entry upon entry into Greece or another
    Schengen country; otherwise, you will not be permitted to marry in Greece.

    CIVIL MARRIAGE

    The Marriage License – Neither Partner Lives in Greece


    You will need:
    1. Passport/travel document
    2. Apostilled foreign marriage license
    3. Official translation of marriage license into Greek

    When neither partner resides in Greece, Greek authorities require foreign marriage licenses
    issued by one’s current place of residence. Both parties will need a marriage license. U.S.
    marriage licenses should not contain any restrictive language such as: “This license is valid only
    for county “X” or “Marriage will take place in the state of New York.” If such restrictive
    language cannot be removed, the issuing authority should amend the license to include GREECE
    as one of the places where the marriage can take place.

    Apostilles: The marriage license should be endorsed with a special authentication for
    documents to be used internationally called an Apostille. An Apostille is provided by the
    Secretary of State in the country/state where the document is issued, not the Embassy. More
    information on Apostilles can be found on the Department of State’s website.

    Official Translations: The license and Apostille must be translated officially in Greek. You may
    obtain the translation at a Greek consulate in the United States or at the Ministry of Foreign
    Affairs (MFA) in Athens.
    The Marriage License – One or Both Partners Live in Greece
    If one partner is a resident of Greece, the marriage license for both can be issued in Greece by
    the City Hall where the resident is registered.

    You will need:


    1. A passport or other travel document
    2. An Apostilled birth certificate with an official translation (for a partner who does not
    reside in Greece).
    3. Ιf applicable, Apostilled documentary evidence (death certificate or final/irrevocable
    divorce decree) of the termination of all previous marriages with an official translation.
    4. An Affidavit of Marriage – in Greek and English signed and sworn by the marrying
    parties before a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Athens – stating that no
    impediment to the marriage exists. The Consular Section prepares the affidavit form
    and provides the notarial service for USD $50 or the Consular Exchange Rate Euro
    equivalent. The service is available by appointment at
    https://gr.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/notaries-public/
    5. A copy of a wedding notice published in Greek a local newspaper that predates the
    marriage license application. Contact City Hall or your wedding planner for details.
    6. A revenue stamp (paravolo) for 15 Euro.

    Apostilles: The Apostille must be obtained in the United States. You may order your birth
    certificate or other state-issued document from the National Center for Health Statistics
    (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm) or through vitalcheck (https://www.vitalchek.com/)
    depending on the state that issued your document. More information on Apostilles can be
    found on the Department of State’s website.

    Official Translations: The license and Apostille must be translated officially in Greek. You may
    obtain the translation at a Greek consulate in the United States or at the Ministry of Foreign
    Affairs (MFA) in Athens.

    To apply for a Greek marriage license, you must present the documents above in person at the
    City Hall (Demarchio) or the President of the Community (Proedros Kinotetos) where one
    applicant resides. If both partners are foreign nationals, each submits a separate set of
    documents. Authorities issue the marriage license eight days after the submission of the
    application. The marriage certificate is valid for six months, and the civil ceremony may be
    performed anywhere in Greece.

    Upon receipt of the license, the partners jointly apply to the Mayor or President of the
    Community where they wish to marry. The official then sets the date for the wedding
    ceremony. Some city halls require an additional fee. The marrying couple must arrange for two
    witnesses to attend the wedding ceremony, one of whom will act as an interpreter. Witnesses
    should carry passports or Greek IDs.
    RELIGIOUS MARRIAGE
    In addition to the documents listed above, you must present as a couple the documents below
    to the member of clergy who will perform the religious ceremony.
    1. Baptism certificate from the local parish in United States
    2. Marriage certificate (if civil marriage is performed before the religious one)

    The clergy member will apply for and obtain the marriage license. Greek law does not permit
    marriages between Christians and non-Christians. Each religious denomination has specific
    requirements. For more information, you may contact:

    1. Greek Orthodox Ceremony: Archdiocese of Athens, Tel. 210-3352322, E-mail:


    [email protected] or your local Greek Orthodox Church.
    2. Protestant Ceremony: St Andrew’s American Protestant Church, Tel. 210-645-2583,
    http://www.standrewsgreece.com
    3. Roman Catholic Ceremony: Saint Dionisios Aeropagitus Roman Catholic Cathedral, Tel.
    210 362 3603, http://www.cathecclesia.gr
    4. Jewish Ceremony: Jewish Community, Tel. 210 325 2875/2823/2773, www.athjcom.gr,
    [email protected].

    UNDERGOING BOTH CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS MARRIAGES


    The couple must obtain two sets of the required documents to arrange a civil and a religious
    ceremony. One set should be taken to the city hall, the other set should be taken to the
    responsible clergy member.

    REGISTERING THE MARRIAGE


    Marriages are not legal until registered, so don’t skip this important step. The U.S. Embassy
    does not register marriages of U.S. citizens in Greece. Instead, you must record your marriage
    at the Vital Statistics Office (Lixiarcheio) of the city where the marriage is performed. All
    marriages, civil or religious, should be registered within 40 days following the ceremony. Late
    registrations require a fee determined by the locale. Marriages can be registered by either
    spouse, or by proxy with a power of attorney.

    LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
    1. Either marriage, civil or religious, is considered a legal marriage. It is not necessary to
    undergo both.
    2. According to U.S. statutes, marriages performed abroad that are valid under the laws of
    that country are generally considered valid in the United States. Check with your state
    to be sure.
    3. A U.S. citizen does not acquire Greek citizenship by marrying a Greek; a Greek citizen
    does not lose Greek citizenship when marrying a U.S citizen.

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