What do I need to arrange if I want to marry in Belgium?
If you are a Dutch national planning to marry in Belgium, you will need to provide certain documents. And you may need to meet extra requirements
Can I get married in Belgium?
Ask the organisation that you want to perform the marriage in Belgium if you are allowed to marry there as a Dutch national.
As a Dutch national, you can get married in Belgium if you:
- are registered in Belgium, or
- live in Belgium, or
- are marrying a Belgian national.
Same-sex couples can get married in Belgium.
You cannot get married at the Dutch embassy.
Requirements for getting married for Dutch nationals
If you are a Dutch national and you want to marry, you must meet the following requirements:
- You and your partner must be 18 or older. If you are under 18 and you marry abroad, the Dutch authorities will not recognise your marriage until you and your partner are both 18.
- You and your partner must not already be married to or have a registered partnership with someone else.
- If you are under guardianship, you will need the permission of your guardian or of the limited jurisdiction judge (‘kantonrechter’).
- The following family members are not allowed to marry each other or enter into a registered partnership with each other: parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and brothers and sisters.
What documents do I need to marry in Belgium?
To get married in Belgium you will need the following documents:
A declaration of marital status shows that you are unmarried. You will need this declaration if your marital status is not known in the national register of Belgium. To get this document, you will need to submit a number of other documents.
More information about applying for a declaration of marital status
If you are a Dutch national planning to marry in Belgium, you may be asked to provide an affidavit of foreign legislation. This document is known by various names including ‘verklaring van wetgeving’, ‘verklaring van gewoonterecht’ and ‘gewoonterechtverklaring’ in Dutch and ‘certificat de coûtume’ in French. The Dutch embassy in Brussels no longer issues this affidavit. You can download a document (in Dutch) drawn up by the embassy explaining why this is no longer possible. Print this document and send it to the municipality where you plan to get married.
Is my marriage valid in the Netherlands?
Marriages performed in Belgium are recognised in the Netherlands.
Do I have to register my marriage in the Netherlands?
You may need to register your marriage in the Netherlands. This depends on where you live.
If you live in the Netherlands, you must register your marriage with your municipality. You will need your marriage certificate to do this.
If you live outside the Netherlands, you can have your marriage certificate converted into a Dutch certificate by the municipality of The Hague. This is not mandatory, but it can be useful if you ever need an extract in the future.
More information about registering a foreign marriage certificate in the Netherlands