Summary
Anyone wishing to get married must submit a declaration at least 14 days before the marriage date to the civil registrar at the place of residence of one of the two future spouses.
Marriage creates a legal link between the spouses.
You must meet the following legal conditions in order to be able to marry:
- you are at least 18 years old;
- there is mutual consent (neither person is being forced to marry);
- there is no familial relationship between the future spouses;
- you are not already married (polygamy);
- one of the future spouses is a Belgian citizen at the time of the marriage or has resided in Belgium for more than 3 months (evidence required).
Same-sex marriage has been permitted in Belgium since June 2003.
In detail
The future spouses must submit the following documents to the civil registrar:
- duly completed application forms;
- a photocopy of both sides of their identity cards;
- a photocopy of both sides of the identity cards of their witnesses;
- where applicable, civil status certificates issued by a foreign authority.
These documents must be submitted at least 5 weeks before the marriage. Otherwise, the date of the marriage may be postponed.
Since the issue of the Royal Decree of 21 December 2022, which entered into force on 24 March 2023, a marriage declaration may be submitted electronically via a secure platform set up for your municipality. However, your municipality might not have this option. If you wish to make an electronic declaration, contact your municipality to check whether this is possible.
Ad hoc documents (proof of identity, proof of nationality, certificate of no impediment, etc.) may be submitted electronically. However, the original documents must then be sent to the competent civil registrar.
Proof of receipt will be sent to the declarant(s) once the requested documents are submitted and complete.
If the civil registrar considers themselves insufficiently apprised of the situation, they may ask the declarant(s) to appear before the registrar in person within a deadline set by the registrar.
Documents issued abroad must be legalised by the Belgian consulate or embassy in the country that issued the document. These documents must be translated into French or Dutch by a sworn translator, with the translation dated less than 3 months ago.
Foreign nationals registered in Belgium must additionally submit:
- a photocopy of their passport and/or national identity card;
- a photocopy of their Belgian residence permit;
- a certified copy of their birth certificate, translated and legalised; and
- where applicable, a certified copy of a divorce transcript or a death certificate of a previous spouse, translated and legalised.
Costs
The cost varies depending on the municipality. It ranges from free of charge to a maximum of EUR 300. Contact your municipal administration to find out exactly how much the procedure costs.
Deadline
The declaration must be submitted to the civil registrar at least 14 days before the marriage date.