Croatia is known for its amazing landscapes, crystal clear sea, good wine, and Game of Thrones of course! Whether you like historic white stone buildings, partying like crazy, or just chilling by the beautiful Adriatic sea, Croatia and its thousand of islands is the perfect place to get married. But as a foreigner, you’re probably wondering how to get married in Croatia? Is it possible? Well, getting married in Croatia as a foreigner is definitely possible even if you’re not a full-time resident.
If you’re planning your wedding in Croatia you have two possibilities:
A legal marriage ceremony
A symbolic ceremony
In this post, we cover everything you need to know to prepare for your wedding in Croatia whether you want a legal or a symbolic ceremony.
Requirements for a legal wedding ceremony in Croatia
As for every wedding, if you decide to go for the legal ceremony, we advise you to plan everything as soon as possible as it can take time to collect all the documents you will need. In fact, the number of documents will depend on your nationality and situation.
We recommend you to contact your embassy in Croatia to get the exact requirements and delay getting the documents as everything can change from country to country.
One of the main pieces of information here is that you have to have documents that are not issued over 90 days before your Croatian wedding date.
For US citizens:
- A valid passport
- Birth certificate translated into Croatian by a sworn court interpreter issued within 90 days
- A sworn statement to prove that you’re a US citizen and that you’re free to marry
- If you don’t speak Croatian you will need a court-appointed translator for the ceremony
- If one of you is divorced or widowed you will need additional documents
Source: requirement to get married in Croatia for US citizen
For UK citizens:
- A certificate of no impediment (CNI) to prove you’re allowed to marry (you will need your passport, proof of residence in Croatia / hotel booking)
- The local registrar may also need a Certificate of custom/law, to confirm the marriage stipulated in Croatia will be valid in the UK
- If one of you is divorced or widowed you will need additional documents
Source: requirement to get married in Croatia for UK citizen
For Australian citizens:
- A certificate of no impediment (CNI) to prove you’re allowed to marry (you will need your passport, proof of residence in Croatia / hotel booking)
- If one of you is divorced or widowed you will need additional documents
Source: requirement to get married in Croatia for Australian citizen
For Canadian citizens:
- A certificate of no impediment (CNI) to prove you’re allowed to marry (you will need your passport, proof of residence in Croatia / hotel booking)
- A birth certificate
- A marriage search letter
- A single status affidavit
- If one of you is divorced or widowed you will need additional documents
Source: requirement to get married in Croatia for a Canadian citizen
Requirements for a symbolic wedding ceremony in Croatia
You’re afraid of all the paperwork and administration hassle? Or maybe you already got married in your home country but you would like a ceremony abroad? Then a symbolic wedding ceremony might be the right choice for you!
Symbolic wedding advantages:
Simplicity:
As you just read, getting married in Croatia and organizing a legal wedding ceremony as a foreigner can be really time-consuming as you have to get all the paperwork done in advance.
A symbolic wedding is way more simple to plan because you don’t have to deal with the administration. And if you don’t like paperwork and stressful delays like us that’s a big thing!
Freedom:
A symbolic wedding truly offers more freedom. It will be easier for you to pick your wedding venue in Croatia and your wedding date.
In addition, you will be able to plan the wedding exactly as you want it to be (formal or informal atmosphere). You don’t even need a real officiant!
What is the best month for a wedding in Croatia?
With approximately 2600 sunny hours during the year, Croatia is one of the sunniest countries in the whole world. Make sure to not forget your sunglasses! 😊
The majority of non-resident weddings are taking place in two parts of the country, Istria and Dalmatia.
These two regions are by the sea and they benefit from a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. That’s why we think June, September, and October are the best months to get married in Croatia. July and August are great too but take the heat and price accommodation into consideration. They’re also the busiest months for tourists.
Where to get married in Croatia?
Croatia has amazing and different landscapes such as mountains, lakes, fields, and more than a thousand islands!
If you’re getting married in Croatia as a foreigner, you certainly want to do it near the sea and have a taste of Croatian summer. Well, we’re not going to try to make you change your mind! We LOVE the Adriatic sea, and we shoot most of our weddings on the Dalmatian coast.
Feel free to have a look at our blog on Dubrovnik wedding venues to get a list of the best places where to get married in Croatia. And if you’re still looking for a wedding photographer in Croatia, make sure to contact us! We would love to help you capture all these beautiful moments and transform them into lifelong memories. Get in touch today and let’s start planning your wedding in Croatia!