Sometimes, you might need to submit a Dutch Marriage Certificate for use in legal processes abroad. A lot of authorities abroad require the marriage certificate to be provided along with the apostille certificate as proof of marriage.
You might be required to provide a copy of your marriage certificate if you are travelling abroad with your spouse. This is especially common when one spouse has a job offer abroad and the other partner needs to apply for a visa to enter the country. Please keep in mind that it stays your individual responsibility to check if the certificate needs to be attested at the embassy or legalised via apostille.
Many authorities outside of the Netherlands might also request a legalised marriage certificate for dealing with the estate of one deceased spouse when some assets or property in the deceased spouse’s name needs to be legally transferred.
The Civil Registry is responsible for issuing copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates.
What is a Dutch Marriage Certificate?
A marriage certificate is a certified copy or extracts copy for Dutch nationals that got married. These certificates usually include the full names of both spouses, their occupation, place of residence, age and name of the father of both parties, place of marriage and the registration district.
A marriage certificate is sometimes also referred to as a Wedding Certificate and is an essential document in order to prove a change of name when married. In general, these documents might be required when applying for:
- Passports
- Bank accounts
- Pension funds
- Social security
- Employer ID
- Driving License
- Visas and immigration
- Divorce
- Adoption
How to apply for a Dutch Marriage Certificate
Your marriage certificate will only be available from the Amsterdam Civil Registry if you were married in Amsterdam. The DBI (Dienst Basisinformatie) is unable to issue any certificates dating back to prior 1930. Should you request an older certificate, you will need to work through the Amsterdam City Archives (Stadsarchief Amsterdam).
Obtaining an internationally certified copy
There are a few different versions of the Dutch Marriage Certificate which can be requested. These include the exact copy of the entry (afschrift) and the international certificate (internationaal uittreksel). Certain authorities accept only one of the two, so it is important to know in advance which version you need to apply for. Most Dutch authorities abroad require the afschrift (or full length) version of the certificate. The International Certificate (Internationaal Uittreksel) is just a summary (or abridged) version of the certificate.
