Applying to get married in the Netherlands
Are you planning to get married? If you intend to get married, you must notify the municipality of this at least 2 weeks and not more than 1 year before the wedding.
There are certain requirements for marriage that everyone must meet:
- you must be at least 18 years of age;
- you cannot marry someone who is already married or in a civil partnership;
- you cannot be related to one other, e.g. grandparent, grandchild, parent, child or sibling.
Are you getting married to a non-Dutch citizen in the Netherlands? Then different conditions apply.
If you intend to marry someone of the same sex, you can get married in the Netherlands in the presence of the civil registrar. This is called a civil marriage, and you are only legally married once you have had a civil ceremony. In addition, it is possible to have a religious ceremony in some churches, but not all churches allow it. Check first with the church where you want to have the ceremony. A church wedding can only take place after the civil ceremony.
If you are getting married outside the Netherlands and are not yet 18 years old, your marriage will only be recognised in the Netherlands once both spouses have reached 18 years of age.
This is how it works for you
Here is some information from your municipality.
Applying to get married
You make a number of choices when planning and registering your intention to enter a wedding. These choices relate to the type of ceremony and the venue. The costs depend on your wishes and the possibilities in the municipality of gemeente De Bilt.
Ceremony
The ceremony is the official part of entering your wedding. You can choose from:
- no ceremony (free of charge);
- simple ceremony;
- elaborate ceremony.
If you choose an elaborate ceremony, you can choose who leads the ceremony. You can choose from:
- wedding registrar from the municipality;
- or someone else appointed as a registrar in another municipality. This person can then be appointed for one day in De Bilt.
If you choose a wedding registrar from the municipality, a registrar from the municipality of gemeente De Bilt will contact you a few weeks before the planned date to introduce themselves and find out more about you and your partner.
Do you want a family member or an someone you know to conduct the ceremony? If so, you must contact the municipality yourself.
Location of the ceremony
You can hold the ceremony to enter your wedding at various locations in the municipality of gemeente De Bilt. You can choose from a municipal building or other specified locations.
If neither you nor your partner live in the Netherlands, you must give notice of your marriage in the municipality of Den Haag (The Hague). You can find more information on how to register a marriage for Dutch citizens living outside the Netherlands at the netherlandsworldwide.nl website.
- A copy of a valid proof of identity (passport, ID card or driver's license) from both of you
- A copy of proof of identity from your witnesses (minimum 2, maximum 4) (this may also be later, but no later than 4 weeks before the wedding)
- The completed form and signed by both of you
The Civil Registry will check whether you meet the conditions. If this is in order, the marriage or partnership can be concluded after 14 days (up to 1 year at the latest).
Were you born abroad? Have you lived abroad? Do you not have Dutch nationality? Are you divorced abroad? Depending on your personal circumstances, you and your partner may need different documents. Please contact us in good time via 030 - 228 94 11.
When you register your marriage, you make a number of choices, which you communicate to the municipality. These choices relate to the ceremony and the venue. The costs depend on your wishes and the possibilities of the municipality.
Ceremony
The ceremony is the official part of your marriage. You can choose from:
- marriage free of charge;
- simple ceremony;
- elaborate ceremony.
If you opt for an elaborate ceremony, you determine who leads the ceremony. You have the following choices:
- A wedding registrar from the municipality. The wedding registrar will contact you a few weeks before the wedding date to introduce themselves and find out more about you and your future spouse. If you have a preference for a wedding registrar, inform the municipality of this.
- A family member or acquaintance. If you would like a family member or an acquaintance to be your own wedding registrar, contact the municipality.
Wedding venue
You can get married in various places. You can choose from:
- a wedding venue of the municipality
You pay no fee for this service. For more information, contact the municipality www.debilt.nl/contact
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of De Bilt
Visiting address
Soestdijkseweg Zuid 173
3721AB Bilthoven
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |