Civil marriage in Romania: documents, deadlines and foreigners
Everything you need to marry at a Romanian city hall: documents, the 10-day rule, medical certificates, witnesses, surnames and the extra paperwork for a foreign partner.
- Each partner needs valid ID, an original birth certificate and a Romanian pre-marital medical certificate, and you need two witnesses.
- You file together, in person, at the city hall where one of you lives, between 30 and 11 days before the ceremony.
- A foreign partner also needs proof of legal capacity to marry from their embassy, apostilled and translated documents and, if needed, an authorised interpreter.
- Medical certificates are valid for 30 days at city halls applying the current rules and must still be valid on the wedding day.
- Registering the marriage has no stamp duty, but weekend or off-site ceremonies carry local fees, for example between 60 and 2,500 lei.
To marry in Romania you need valid ID or passports, original birth certificates and a pre-marital medical certificate for each of you. You file them together, in person, at the city hall where one of you lives, between 30 and 11 days before the ceremony, with two witnesses. A foreign partner also needs proof of legal capacity to marry.
This guide is for international couples (one Romanian partner and one foreign, or two foreigners), for Romanians living abroad who want to marry back home, and for anyone helping them with the paperwork. Everything below was checked in October 2026 against the Romanian Civil Code, Law no. 119/1996 on civil status records and the civil status pages of several city halls. Each city hall organises things slightly differently, so always confirm the details with the one you choose.
Civil and church: what counts legally
In Romania only the civil marriage at the city hall has legal effect. Many couples also have an Orthodox (or Catholic, or other) church wedding, often on the same day, but Article 48 of the Constitution states that a religious marriage may only be celebrated after the civil one. The church will ask to see your civil marriage certificate. Romanian law does not allow two people of the same sex to marry in Romania.
Where to file
You make the marriage declaration in person and together, in writing, at the city hall where the marriage will take place (Civil Code, art. 280). Under Law 119/1996, that is the city hall (or civil status service) covering the place where at least one of you has a registered domicile or residence.
- Neither of you lives in Romania? You can only marry elsewhere by exception, with the approval of the local mayor. Ask the city hall directly before you book a venue around it.
- One partner cannot travel for the filing? They may make the declaration at the city hall where they are, which forwards it within 48 hours (as Tulcea city hall explains). This works within Romania; from abroad, ask the city hall and the Romanian consulate what they accept.
- Booking the date: some districts of Bucharest, such as Sector 5, take online bookings, but only for couples where at least one partner is Romanian; two foreign nationals must meet the registrar in person first.
Documents for Romanian citizens
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Romanian ID card or passport (original) | valid on the filing day and on the wedding day |
| Birth certificate (original) | not damaged or laminated; often a copy too |
| Pre-marital medical certificate | standard form, stating the person «can marry» |
| Proof the previous marriage ended | only if divorced or widowed |
| Marriage settlement from a notary | only if you choose separation of property |
This is the list published by city halls such as Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest Sector 6 and Tulcea.
Documents for a foreign partner
City halls ask the foreign partner for the following. Requirements vary with nationality, so treat this as a checklist to confirm at your city hall, not a final list.
- Valid passport, with a Romanian visa or residence permit where one is required.
- Birth certificate, apostilled (for Hague Convention countries) or superlegalised, then translated into Romanian by an authorised translator, with the translation certified by a Romanian notary. EU citizens can often ask their home registry for a multilingual standard form under EU Regulation 2016/1191, which avoids the translation.
- Proof of legal capacity to marry: a document issued or authenticated by the embassy or consulate of their country in Romania, confirming they meet the conditions of their national law and there is no impediment to marrying in Romania (Law 119/1996, in the wording quoted by Tulcea city hall). Countries call it differently: a certificate of no impediment in the UK, an Ehefähigkeitszeugnis in Germany, a certificat de capacitate matrimonială in Romanian. Swiss citizens, for example, present a certificate of matrimonial capacity issued by the Swiss authorities and apostilled, as Cluj-Napoca notes.
- A notarised sworn statement (made before a Romanian notary) that they are not married and meet the conditions of their national law.
- Divorce or death certificate from any previous marriage, apostilled or superlegalised, translated and certified.
- A notarised statement on the surname they will use after marriage, which Sector 6 asks for.
- The medical certificate, issued in Romania like the Romanian partner's.
Some city halls, such as Buzău, also ask for a civil status certificate from the place of residence. Documents in a foreign language must always come with a certified Romanian translation.
For British citizens, the British Embassy in Bucharest issues the certificate of no impediment by post, using the application pack on gov.uk. There is a 28-day waiting period before it can be issued, so start at least two to three months before the wedding.
Apostille, superlegalisation and treaties
- Hague Apostille Convention countries (most of Europe, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia): an apostille from the issuing country is enough.
- Countries with a bilateral legal assistance treaty with Romania: documents may be exempt from apostille or legalisation.
- Everyone else: superlegalisation through the foreign ministry of the issuing country and the Romanian embassy or consulate there.
The interpreter
If the foreign partner does not speak Romanian, you must bring an authorised interpreter to the filing and to the ceremony (Cluj-Napoca). The couple arranges and pays for the interpreter. Choose one authorised for the right language pair and book them early, because Saturdays in September are as busy for them as for photographers.
The medical certificate
Issued by a family doctor or private clinic after a few tests. It is not covered by the public health insurance basic package, so it is paid; clinics advertise test packages from around 70 lei (about €14), as a rough guide.
- Validity: under the methodology city halls apply today, 30 days from issue (Cluj-Napoca, Sector 6, Tulcea). A few city halls still show the old 14-day rule on their websites, so check.
- It must be valid on the wedding day, not only on the filing day.
- A foreign partner usually gets it in Romania, from a Romanian doctor, on the standard form. A certificate from abroad would need translating and may not match the form, so ask first.
The 10-day rule and the filing window
On the day you file, the registrar posts an extract of your declaration at the city hall and on its website, so anyone can object if there is a legal impediment. The marriage can take place after 10 days, counting both the posting day and the wedding day (Civil Code, art. 283), so in practice on the 11th day at the earliest. If 30 days pass without the wedding, you must file again (art. 284).
Wedding on Saturday 18 September 2027. You can file on working days between Friday 20 August and Wednesday 8 September 2027. The medical certificates must still be valid on 18 September.
The mayor can approve an earlier date for serious reasons (art. 283(4)), usually with supporting documents, typically related to health. Do not plan your trip around this exception: build in the full window.
If you live abroad, plan two trips or one longer stay: the filing must happen in person, together, at least 11 days before the ceremony.
Witnesses, surname and fees
Witnesses. You need two (art. 287). They must have full legal capacity and be able to attest what they see (art. 288); relatives are allowed. They bring an original, valid ID card or passport. A foreign witness who does not speak Romanian may also need the interpreter, so ask.
Surname. You choose it in the marriage declaration (art. 282): each keeps their own name, both take one partner's name, both take the combined names, or one keeps their name and the other takes the combined names. A Romanian partner who changes surname has their ID card invalidated at the ceremony and must replace it within 15 days (Cristești city hall). A foreign partner should check how their own country will register the new name.
Fees. Registering the marriage carries no stamp duty (Sector 6). Weekend or off-site ceremonies have local fees set by each council, for example 60 lei (about €12) on weekends and 120 lei (about €24) off-site in Cristești, or 500 lei (about €100) on non-working days and 2,500 lei (about €500) for off-site ceremonies in Constanța. Add translations, notary fees, the interpreter and the medical certificates.
After the wedding
- You usually receive the Romanian marriage certificate at the ceremony.
- To use it abroad, it generally needs an apostille, which for civil status documents is issued by the prefect's office (Instituția Prefectului) of the county, and a translation, or a multilingual extract where your country accepts it.
- Register the marriage in the foreign partner's country, if required there.
- If you also have a church wedding, take the certificate to the parish.
For the full road from engagement to the day after, use our month-by-month wedding planning checklist. If you are choosing a date in 2027, check the Orthodox wedding calendar for 2027 first: the civil ceremony can happen any day the city hall works, but church weddings cannot. And if your foreign guests are wondering what happens at the party, send them our guide to Romanian wedding traditions.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, as long as at least one partner has a domicile or residence in the city hall's area (or the mayor approves an exception). The foreign partner needs a passport, an apostilled and translated birth certificate, proof of legal capacity to marry from their embassy and a notarised statement that they are not married. Start the paperwork two to three months ahead.
The legal minimum is 11 days from filing, because the declaration is posted for 10 days, counting the filing day and the wedding day. The filing must happen no more than 30 days before the ceremony. A foreign partner's documents can take weeks to gather, so allow two to three months in total.
It is a document from the foreign partner's own authorities or embassy confirming they are free to marry under their national law. It has different names: certificate of no impediment in the UK, Ehefähigkeitszeugnis in Germany, certificat de capacitate matrimonială in Romanian. Romanian city halls require it, apostilled or legalised and translated.
Yes, if either partner does not speak Romanian. The couple brings an authorised interpreter to the filing and to the ceremony and pays for them. Book early for peak-season Saturdays.
A marriage legally concluded in Romania is generally recognised abroad, but you will need the Romanian marriage certificate with an apostille (issued by the county prefect's office) and often a translation or multilingual extract. Some countries also ask you to register the marriage with their own authorities.
No. The Romanian Constitution states that a religious marriage may only be celebrated after the civil one, and the priest will ask for your civil marriage certificate. Many couples hold both on the same day.
