What do you need to know
Documents from abroad must be in Dutch, English, French, or German. If this is not the case, you must have them translated by a sworn translator. These documents often need to be legalized. Check the rules for your country on the Netherlands Worldwide website.
What do you have to do
Moving from abroad to the Netherlands
When you first settle in the Netherlands, we ask for original birth, marriage, and divorce documents for yourself, and any death of your partner. See the "What you need to know" section for the requirements for the document.
Getting married in the Netherlands
There are different situations.
Your future partner lives in the Netherlands
- If one of you was not born in the Netherlands, the birth certificate may still need to be submitted. It's also possible that details of a previous marriage are not yet known. You can check this by logging in to MyGovernmentIf your parents' information is not provided, we will need the birth certificate. If your partner was previously married and this information is not provided, we will need documents proving this.
- If you have the document, you can make an appointment. In some cases, your partner will also need a certificate of unmarried status from the country where they last lived. If this is the case, we will contact you.
- If your birth certificate is registered, you can use DigiD to report intended marriage
Your future partner does not live in the Netherlands
- If your future partner does not live in the Netherlands, we need the following documents:
- Your partner's birth certificate
- Proof of registration of your partner's place of residence
- Declaration from the foreign government showing that your partner is not married (declaration of unmarried status)
- If your partner has been married before: the divorce certificate or the death certificate of the deceased partner
Once you have all the documents, you can make an appointment to notify your intended marriage. To do so, call the Civil Affairs department at telephone number 14 035 or fill out the contact form . It is not possible to make an appointment online because one of you does not live in the Netherlands. You must both be present at this appointment. The documents you bring will be checked. If everything is in order, the wedding date can be set immediately.
Other situations
There are also other situations where you need to submit documents from abroad. For example, if you had a child abroad or if you got married abroad. Once you have all the documents, you can schedule an appointment to have them registered.
