Visas & Customs Requirements

Marriage:

Officers at American embassies and consulates have no authority to perform marriages in foreign countries. It is usually the laws and regulations of the country that prevail. In order to contract marriage in Belgium, one of the parties must reside in the country. There is no specific period of residence, but several weeks are generally necessary for completion of the required formalities.

If neither of the parties has a fixed residence in Belgium, one of them must establish a residence for this purpose. Upon arrival in Belgium, the party registers with the communal authorities in the district of his domicile and requests a "Bewijs van Woonst voor Huwelijksdoeleinden/Certificat de Domicile pour Mariage" (Certificate of Residence for Marriage Purposes). The party residing in Belgium (or the one who has established a residence as explained above), may submit the following required documents for both parties, and request publication of the banns in the commune in which he or she resides. The marriage may be performed ten days after posting of the banns.

In addition to the "Certificate of Residence for Marriage Purposes", the parties contracting marriage in Belgium are each required to produce the following documents:

1. a certified copy of the birth certificate


2. a certificate of residence showing full name, place and date of birth, last legal residence, nationality and marital status of the individuals


3. if one of the parties has been previously married, proof must be furnished of the dissolution of the former marriage, either in the form of
   • a death certificate of the former spouse, or
   • an authenticated copy of a divorce decree, as appropriate.