Getting married in Ireland

Conditions to meet to get married in Ireland

The conditions you need to meet to get married in Ireland are the same no matter if you are living in the country or if you are from abroad, if you are a same-sex couple or heterosexual, secular or religious. The only legal conditions you need to meet is that both parties are at least 18 years old, they are not currently married to another person and that it is a genuine marriage, i.e. not for visa purposes.

The next step will be to go to an Irish Registry office in person about three months before the wedding day. Both members of the couple will need to be present for the meeting, and you can bring an interpreter with you if needed. You can make an appointment for your registry meeting online. 

Documents needed for marriage in Ireland

There are a number of documents that both people will need to have in order to get married in Ireland. Both copies and original documents will be required, as well as English translations in certain cases. These are;

• Valid passport
• Birth certificate (if you were not born in Ireland, Italy, Belgium, France, Latvia or Denmark, you will need a letter from the embassy proving it is real or apostille stamp from an embassy)
• Nullification/dissolution/divorce certificate if you have previously been married
• Death certificate if your previous spouse passed away
• Proof of immigration status if you are not an EU or Irish citizen
• Non-Irish citizens may have to offer a Letter of Freedom to Marry from certain home countries.

Other information that you need to provide to the registrar includes;

• Location and date of the marriage ceremony
• Type of ceremony, i.e. Religious, secular or civil
• Details of the officiant
• Date of birth and names of the two witnesses
• PPS numbers if you currently reside in Ireland

Procedures for marriage in Ireland

There is a €200 fee that you need to pay on the day of the marriage, and there is a declaration that both people have to sign saying that there is no knowing reason why this marriage would not be lawful. You will then be given an acknowledgement that the marriage is registered. You will be issued with a Marriage Registration Form, which is valid within six months. Otherwise, you will need to re-register the marriage. 

If the couple is living outside of the country and cannot get married in person, sometimes the registrar will give them a postal notification. This is a form that can be filled out and sent back by post. However, the couple still needs to meet them five days in advance of the wedding day to get the Marriage Registration Form. 

Where the wedding takes place depends on the type of wedding. Civil ceremonies are usually at the registry office during the weekday. For a religious ceremony, a church will need to be booked, and there could be additional steps required.