Everything You Need to Know for Marriage Abroad

After saying a big yes to the marriage proposal of the love of your life, the most basic question you may be thinking about is: What kind of wedding do you dream of? If your dream is to get married in a romantic city without the stress of wedding preparations, you may be interested in the information we will give you. We have compiled what you need to do to get married in foreign cities or have your wedding ceremony performed at consulates.

What are the Requirements for Nikahs at Consulates?

If you are thinking of getting married abroad, one of your alternatives is to have a wedding ceremony at the consulates. The Turkish Consulate in your destination country has the authority to officiate your marriage. The most important thing to consider here is that you and your future spouse must be Turkish Citizens in order for your marriage to be performed at the consulates. If one of the couple is a foreign national or has dual citizenship, your marriage cannot be performed at the consulates.

Although there is a Turkish Consulate, some countries do not perform marriage ceremonies due to their laws. Let's share these countries so that you can consider a different country if you are thinking about it. Countries where you cannot have your wedding ceremony performed are England, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Austria, Australia, Argentina, Switzerland and Chile.

What are the Documents Required to Get Married Abroad?

If you want to get married at a Turkish Consulate abroad, in addition to the documents we will mention below, we recommend that you investigate whether any other documents are required by the consulate of the relevant country or get information from the consulate. In general, the documents required to get married abroad are listed below.

• Marriage declaration: You must apply to the consulate in the city where you want to get married and fill out the marriage declaration form.
• Marriage License Certificate: You need to obtain it from the civil registry offices in Turkey with apostille.
• International Population Registration Sample: Again, you must obtain this document apostilled from the registry office.
• Identity Card and Passport: Original and certified photocopies of your identity card and passport are also required.
• Health Report: You can get your health report from your family physician showing that you do not have a disease that would prevent you from getting married.
• Photograph: At least 4 passport size photographs taken in the last 6 months.
• Information on Witnesses: You need to identify 2 witnesses, whose witnesses they are, photocopies of their identity cards and address information to the consulate.

If you are wondering what the apostille annotation is, let us explain immediately. It can be defined as a document approval system in order to certify that a document is authentic and can be used legally in a different country. We can say that apostille procedures are carried out in governorships and district governorships.

How and When to Apply to Consulates?

The first step you should take is to visit the website of the relevant consulate where you will apply for your wedding. If there are no other documents that you need to provide other than the documents mentioned above, you should scan your documents and make a pre-application to the consulate via e-mail. After submitting your documents, you should receive an e-mail from the consulate with information that your marriage will be performed. You can then set your wedding date with the consulate. One day before the day of your wedding, you must go to the consulate to submit the original documents. Even if you have scanned and sent them in advance, your wedding will not be performed if you do not have the original documents, so it is useful to check your documents before going to the consulate. It should be noted that when you go to take the original documents, there is also a fee that you have to pay as a marriage license fee.

Some Tips for Those Planning a Marriage Abroad

If you have made all your plans for marriage abroad, this information can be life-saving for you. After you apply to the Turkish consulate in the country you want for the wedding procedures; let us tell you what you should do on the day of the wedding. Among the preparations you will make for your wedding or wedding ceremony are, of course, wearing your wedding dress and doing your hair and make-up.

After choosing a suitable wedding dress or a nice white dress as an alternative, you can choose a bridesmaid who is knowledgeable about hair and make-up as your wedding witness. A hairdresser appointment in an unfamiliar country can take a lot of time and be costly for you. You can be ready for your wedding with a nice hair accessory that you will wear in your hair, a bridal tiara or a veil in the form of a cage veil. In addition, if you are going to go to the consulate for the wedding by public transportation rather than by private car or taxi; researching your destination in advance and determining which vehicles you need to use will both make your job easier and prevent you from being late for your wedding time.

What should be done after the Nikah Procedures?

If you are wondering whether there is a procedure you will take after your marriage is solemnized at the Turkish Consulate in a different country; we can state that there is not. While you are enjoying your honeymoon, the official procedures for your marriage are carried out online. Within a week and ten days, the information and documents regarding your marriage will also be available on the systems in Turkey.