CIVIL CEREMONY IN CROATIA

croatia wedding legal requirements

Civil ceremonies are the only legally recognized form of marriage ceremony in Croatia. If you're planning your wedding, understanding the Croatia wedding legal requirement is essential. Couples must apply for the ceremony 30 to 45 days before the wedding date. Submit your application to the local registrar where the wedding will take place.

Several days before the wedding, both the bride and groom visit the Registry in person to finalize the documents and confirm the details. To avoid delays, double-check all details and timing during your application. Bring original and complete paperwork, as Croatia keeps the documents for records and statistics. They will not return them.

A Croatian civil ceremony lasts approximately 20 minutes and takes place in Croatian, the official language. If one or both partners do not speak Croatian, a court-appointed translator will assist by translating the ceremony into English or another preferred language. The couple pays for this service. Ensuring clear communication helps meet the Croatia wedding legal requirement for non-Croatian speakers.

A wedding is a memorable event that revolves around you and your loved ones. This is the time in your life when dreams and wishes come true. It's the day you'll never forget and want to be perfect.

Your wedding doesn’t have to happen in a standard registry office. Choose a luxury hotel or a stunning outdoor location for your ceremony and reception. However, the Registry Office must pre-approve your chosen location to ensure it meets the Croatia wedding legal requirement.

LISt of documents required for civll ceremony in Croatia

Civil Marriage in Croatia

The relevant documents cannot be older than 90 days before actual wedding date. Your application must include the full names of your two witnesses and copies of their passports. Outlined below is the list of documents required, but please understand that this is intended to be a guideline only.

1. Single Status Certificate

2. Newly issued birth certificates

3. Certificate on Customs and Law

4. Bride and Groom Passport Copies

5. Two witnesses, passport copies

6. Decree Absolute and previous Marriage Certificate if applicable

7. Death Certificate of previous spouse and previous Marriage Certificate ( if applicable)

8. Name Change Deed Poll Certificate – if applicable.

9, Adoption Certificate – if applicable.

The required documents and legal processes may differ depending on nationality and have to be priory and carefully checked in the embassy. As usual, documents you have to submit for your civil wedding in Croatia require an Apostille. However, there are foreign countries having additional agreements with Croatia, therefore, you need to confirm which documents must have Apostille verification. If you wish to avoid all this paperwork we suggest to have symbolic ceremony in Croatia. Please also note that ceremony conducted in Croatian Catholic Church is not recognised as a legal one.

Need help WITH YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY?