Getting Married in Romania- Dwell in Tranquility with this Step-by-Step Guide
Getting married is one of the most critical phases of a person’s life, and every couple goes an extra mile to make it the most special. Romania is no different as a family is considered an integral part of a person’s life, and weddings are important social events.
Romania perceives traditional weddings as a world in itself; they start early in the morning and don’t end until the following day. Marriage ceremonies pass through several different stages while taking the family to other places. The best thing is that the customs and traditions sprinkle the entire celebration, making the wedding ceremony ends with a long party with music, food at small hours, at night.
Now that a Romanian wedding amazes you, why not have a lowdown on these on your own. And, why not? You want to raise all eyebrows and make the day- the best of your life.
Where can I get married in Romania?
The country has a civil law system, and as per the Constitution, civil marriages are the only legal and valid form. Yes, it’ll come as a surprise to you that religious marriages of any kind aren’t good. The couple has the right to celebrate their marriage, by their rites, only after a civil marriage ceremony. If you feel that you can conduct a religious marriage in Romania without having a civil marriage at first, know that there can be a criminal penalty for not respecting this rule. However, this also doesn’t mean that you have limited options.
There are over 3,000 administrative units in Romania, and each unit has its civil status. Most of these units have a Casa de Casatorii, a marriage house that is fitted specially for marriage ceremonies. The couple has the ease of changing the legal residence quickly, which occurs at either the usual commune, municipality, or town. If you’re a citizen of a country with its Embassy or career consulate for marriage in Romania, and your country allows it- you can get married at the Consulate or Embassy, itself. On the other hand, both the spouses are Romanian citizens; they have the ease of marrying on the ship flying the Romanian flag on the high seas.
Yes, you heard that right!
Romania is one of the very few countries that allow the ship captain to perform legally valid marriages. But, the sad part is- both the spouses have to be Romanian citizens. If you have foreign citizenship, you first have to obtain Romanian citizenship, and then sail through the sea with colors of marriage.
How does Marriage Take Place in Romania?
Now that you know the importance of civil marriage in Romania and wish to have a religious wedding, realize it’s entirely possible.
Yes, as per the Romanian religious orthodox tradition, some couples decide upon a religious ceremony after a civil ceremony. Yet, know that a religious ceremony isn’t mandatory, and you can have it on any day after your civil wedding date. Generally, the local church holds the religious ceremony, but some priests also accept the act of formalizing the legal marriage in places other than the church. Just make sure to speak to them to ascertain their acceptance and arrange for the ceremony, well in time.
For preparing your marriage in time, you need to bring a list of documents along to the City Hall Office. Doing so helps in formalizing your wedding with a Romanian citizen. Some of these documents are:
- Passport with a valid Romanian visa.
- Birth certificate, plus a notarized Romanian translation. You can obtain the same from a notary office. Also, make sure that your home country authorities have legalized the birth certificate.
- Both future spouses must have prenuptial certificates. You can obtain these documents from Romania’s medical clinic. Note that these documents are valid for 14 days from the issue date.
- An official document issued by your country’s Embassy in Romania or a notarized statement that sheds light on the fact that you aren’t married. You should successfully meet all national law conditions for the conduct of your marriage in Romania.
- Certified copy of previous marriage’s termination proof, if one persists. Also, it would help if you translated the same legally into Romanian.
- The civil officer may state other documents if he/she deems necessary.
If you’re looking to schedule the marriage ceremony for a specific date, ensure submitting the marriage request file to the city hall. The duration must be two weeks before the desired date of marriage.
When must the couple choose?
Ensure choosing the marriage date at least once during the submission of the marriage declaration. If you have a regime in mind, other than the default, make in advance a matrimonial contract at Romania’s notary public. Also, bring along the photocopy to the civil status’s office. Your simple declaration suffices by default.
You can also change the marriage regime through a marital contract at a notary public’s office in Romania.
The family booklet- ‘livretul de Familie.’
This is an optional document, which is valid only in Romania. The authorities aim to prove the family’s membership at any time. However, this holds only when the family has children.
You can also order it for free, free from the office of civil status of your Romanian residence for you and the entire family after your first child’s birth. The existing families can also order the same, regardless of your child’s age.
Now that you have all the requisite documentation information, it’s time to make the love of your life your legal partner. After the 10- day wedding period, you have four days to conduct your civil marriage ceremony in Romania. The best thing about a civil ceremony is that it is straightforward. All you need is the identity documents and two legal witnesses. The legal witness can be anyone who’s 18 years and older. The couple can now go in for a religious ceremony after a civil ceremony in Romania. The country has diverse religions and churches, and couples can choose their church for a sacred marriage.
The Bottom Line:
Hopefully, you could get a gist of the prerequisites for getting married in Romania. Since every religion follows its customs and rules for getting married in a religious ceremony, it depends on your requirements. It is up to you and your spouse to discuss this step and decide upon how the wedding will play out.
Is something still left to be known? Well, yes!
Wishing you and your partner the best of luck in your marriage plans and a happy life that lies ahead. Hopefully, this guide was able to clear all your doubts about the marriage in Romania questions.
