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Contracting a Civil Marriage
The contracting of civil marriage in Cyprus is valid since 1923. Civil marriages are entered under the provisions of the Marriage Law 104(I) of 2003. Since the procedure is simple, many couples from all over the world come to hold their marriage in Cyprus and combine this event with holidays.
Answers to all your queries and any other relevant information {including the legislation, fees, procedures, and the particulars (telephone and fax numbers, email, etc.) of all the Cypriot Municipalities that hold civil marriages} can be found at the Union of Cyprus Municipalities web page.
You should consult the aforesaid link for any information on the issue, and you are also urged to contact the Union of Cyprus Municipalities personally (as well as the Municipality in which you are planning to hold your marriage).
Loss of the original, issue of a true copy of marriage certificate
In case of a loss or if you need more copies of your marriage certificate, copies of true marriage certificates are issued, either by the Municipality that hold the civil marriage or by the Ministry of Interior (Registration Service), after paying for each true copy.
Apostille
After the marriage is celebrated, you will be issued with an original marriage certificate. Since in most cases, the celebration of civil marriage concerns couples from all over the world, the aforesaid certificate may need to be “Apostilled”, according to The Hague (Apostille) Convention of 5th October 1961, Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. The said Convention facilitates the circulation of public documents executed in one State party to the Convention and to be produced in another State party to the Convention. It does so by replacing the cumbersome and often very costly formalities of a full legalisation process with just the issuance of an Apostille, and applies only between the States parties.
Therefore, an Apostille is actually a stamp on a certificate (e.g. Marriage, Death Certificates), so that it can be accepted in a number of countries, that are contracting members to the Apostille Convention. The stamping / legalization of any certificate with an Apostille, depends on the person's nationality. More specifically:
• If the country you are national of, is a contracting member of the Apostille Convention, then the certificate is legalised with an Apostille by the Ministry of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus, after paying the relevant fee.
• If your country you are national of, is NOT a contracting member of the relevant Convention, then the said certificate can be legalised with an Apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus after paying the relevant fee.
In case you are abroad and you need your original (or true copy) of marriage certificate to be Apostilled, then you have to send the original marriage certificate to Cyprus: either through a Cyprus Diplomatic Mission, or via DHL / registered post, etc. (and undertake all the relevant costs), or even bring it personally to Cyprus.
Note: For direct contact please contact:
Union of Cyprus Municipalities
P.O. Box 22033 CY 1516 Lefkosia (Nicosia)
Tel: +357-22-445170, Fax: +357-22677230
http://www.ucm.org.cy/eng/civil_marriages.htm
E-mail: endeky@cytanet.com.cy
Ministry of Interior
Registration Service
CY 1457 Lefkosia (Nicosia)
Tel: +357-22-804473, Fax: +357-22-804598
Ministry of Justice and Public Order
CY 1461, Lefkosia (Nicosia)
Tel: +357-22-805964, Fax: +357-22-805966
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Legalisation Department
CY 1447, Lefkosia (Nicosia)
Tel: 00357-22-401101, Fax: +357-22-661881
Email: minforeign1@mfa.gov.cy
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