Sometimes, you might need to submit a Russian Certificate of Marriage (svidetel’stvo o brake) 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.

Many authorities outside of Russia 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.

 

What is a Russian Certificate of Marriage?

A Russian Certificate of Marriage is a certified copy or extracts copy for Russian 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 not to be confused with the Certificate of No Impediment for Marriage. The Marriage Certificate 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

 

What is the purpose of a Russian Certificate of Marriage?

A Russian Certificate of Marriage proves that two people are legally married and that they have a legally binding marriage contract in place. These are official records denoting that two people have participated in a partnership and it includes jurisdictions where wedding licenses are not in place.

 

The marriage certificate serves as proof that nuptials are permissible and also proves that the marriage has been witnessed by eligible witnesses.