U.S. citizens may enter into marriage in Austria. The procedure is, however, somewhat complex. For this reason, U.S. citizens contemplating marriage in Austria should be completely familiar with the following provisions:
Legal Age for Marriage: Legal age for either sex is 18, but a marriage between an 18 year-old and a 16 year-old may be authorized by the court.
Please Note: Only the Austrian Registrar’s Office (“Standesamt”) can give you binding information regarding marriage requirements (detailed information can be found here: Marriage (oesterreich.gv.at)). Marriages cannot be performed by U.S. Embassies or U.S. Consulates.
Required Documents
- Passport
- Birth Certificate (original or certified copy, citing names of parents)
- Certificate of residence (driver’s license or latest tax slip)
- Documentary proof of dissolution of previous marriages, if any, e.g. final divorce or annulment decrees, marriage certificate from former marriages or death certificate. In the case of a divorce, in which the woman’s or the man’s nationality are different or which took place outside of their home country, the permission of the Austrian Ministry of Justice is required, which will delay the procedure.
- A Marriage/Partnership Affidavit/Certificate of No Impediment (doc/30kb) executed before a Consular Officer of the U.S. Embassy in 1010 Vienna, Parkring 12a, in which the U.S. applicant states that he or she is free to marry the other party according to the laws of his or her home state in the U.S. We are available Mon – Fri 08:00 – 11:30 am, please bring your U.S. passport and pay the fee (please click here to see the fee). Please make an appointment before coming.
- Notarized parental consent, if required (see above)
- Austria, the United States and many other countries are members of “The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.” This means that Austrian official will require that U.S. documents be certified and a so-called apostille be affixed. The apostille can only be obtained from the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of State in the U.S. state where the original document was issued.
Documents (other than passports) not in German must be accompanied by certified translations made by an official translator.
Where to Write for Vital Records (e.g. Birth, Marriage and Divorce Certificates)
Place of Marriage
Only civil marriage ceremonies are legal in Austria, although they may be followed by religious ceremonies if desired. Civil marriages are performed by officials of the Vital Statistics Office (“Standesamt”) in the appropriate jurisdiction.
Responsible authority
The civil status office responsible for the place of residence of one of the partners:
- The register office or register office association [Standesamt oder Standesamtsverband]
- In statutory cities: the register office [Standesamt] of the Magistrate
- In Vienna: the register offices [Standesämter in Wien] in Vienna
If you have no permanent or current residence in Austria, the register office of your last place of residence in Austria is responsible. In all other cases, the Register Office “Vienna – Inner City” [Standesamt Wien – Innere Stadt] is responsible.
Standesamt Wien Zentrum (Registry Office Vienna Center)
Magistrat 63
Wilhelm Exnergasse 5
1090 Vienna
Tel.: [+43] (1) 4000-09580
Fax: [+43] (1) 4000-9909580
Email: sta-zentrum@ma63.wien.gv.at
Homepage: www.standesamt.wien.at
Office hours: 07:30 am – 03:00 pm
TIP: Online reservations for wedding dates may be made in
Non-Austrians not residing in Austria can, however, choose to marry in any other Austrian community. They will have to show a certificate of residence (U.S. driver’s license or latest tax return).
Procedures
Both marriage partners should apply in person at the appropriate Vital Statistics Office (“Standesamt”), bringing with them the required documents listed above.
Anyone not present when registering to get married also needs the form “Erklärung zur Ermittlung der Ehefähigkeit” (Statement of marriageability). Please contact the Standesamt for exact details. The ceremony itself takes approximately 15 minutes. In case one or both marriage partners do not speak German, they must engage the services of an official Austrian interpreter at their own expenses.
Please be advised that you need an apostille affixed to your Austrian marriage certificate since it will otherwise not be accepted by the authorities in the US. You can ask the Standesamt for the the address of the approriate office which can issue an apostille.
Miscellaneous
You can register to have a civil marriage as early as six months prior to the desired wedding date, because the statement of marriageability [“Aufgebot”] is only valid for a maximum of six months. There is no minimum interval between registration and the marriage ceremony. However, in larger cities expect an average waiting time of two to six weeks.
Prior to the wedding the civil status office determines the marriageablitly of the fiancés during an oral interview with the help of the presented documents. During this oral trial usually both partners have to appear in person. Then a certification of marriageablity [“Aufgebot”] will be prepared.
Please note: When registering for a civil marriage, the partners can declare to the registrar which name the couple intends to use when married. For that reason it is advisable to decide on the name desired before registering to get married. Partners must have agreed on the name no later than on their wedding day.
Important note:
If one of the partners does not speak German, the couple must bring a sworn interpreter [www.dolmetscher.at] with them.
Fees
- 50 euro for the procedure to determine marriageability
Please note: Additional services such as music might incur additional costs
Validity of Austrian Marriages
Binding advice regarding the validity of an Austrian marriage in the U.S. can be obtained from of the office of the attorney general in the individual state or any other appropriate state official.
Wedding packages at different locations are offered at:
For civil partnerships see: https://www.wien.gv.at/amtshelfer/dokumente/lebensgemeinschaft/partnerschaft/begruendung.html