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.
Marriage and registered partnership
When you register your marriage, you make a number of choices that you pass on to the municipality. These include at least the ceremony and the location. The costs depend on your wishes and the possibilities at the municipality.
What applies to 'marriage and marrying' also applies to 'registered partnership'.
You can get married in 's-Hertogenbosch in two ways
- Marriage with a ceremony
- A marriage without ceremony
1. Marriage with ceremony
A marriage with ceremony is possible in several places:
The wedding hall of the City Hall in 's-Hertogenbosch or the wedding hall in Perron-3 Rosmalen.
A designated wedding location; in the municipality the following locations are designated as permanent wedding locations:
Would you like to get married at one of these locations? Then always contact that location first to fix a date. Then you can register your marriage with the municipality via this website.
You can ask for a venue to be designated as a wedding location once. Please note that this location must meet various conditions. Contact the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch about this. Submit the application at least three months before your wedding.
The cost of using the venue is not included. Please contact the venue for more information.
Check the cost on the municipal website.
If you opt for a wedding with ceremony, you decide who leads the ceremony. You have the following choices:
- A wedding officiant from the municipality. Four weeks before the wedding date, the wedding officiant will contact you to prepare the ceremony.
- A family member or acquaintance. You must submit a request to have a wedding officiant appointed. Submit the request no later than three months before your wedding. There is a charge for this.
2. Marriage without ceremony
This is only possible at the city office (Wolvenhoek 1, 's-Hertogenbosch). This is possible from Monday to Friday, every half hour from 09:00 to 16:00. You must live in the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch to book a marriage without a ceremony. Check the cost on the municipal website.
You can also book a marriage without ceremony free of charge, again this can only be done at the city office. This can only be done on Tuesdays between 9am and 9.30am. The waiting time is often 9 months. You do not have to live in 's-Hertogenbosch to book a free marriage.
Conditions marriage without ceremony
- In the wedding room there is only room for the partners, the wedding officiant, the witnesses (minimum 2, maximum 4) and the photographer.
- It is not allowed to take photos and film recordings in the hall of the city office.
- There are no reserved parking spaces.
- You cannot play music.
- The wedding officiant does not give a speech.
- The ceremony lasts about 10 minutes in total.
You are not allowed to sprinkle rice, confetti, etc. Not only in the city office, but also not at the entrance or on the street.
Wedding times
Please note that you cannot get married at any time. The available times are:
- Monday to Saturday: between 09:00 and 19:00
- Sunday: between 09.00 and 16.00
You do not live in the Netherlands
If you both do not live in the Netherlands, you must report your marriage to the municipality of The Hague. More information can be found at Reporting marriage for Dutch nationals living abroad.
Announce proposed marriage and choose date
Online
Report your marriage or partnership online. You can immediately choose a day, time and location. Submit the notification on time if you want a ceremony with a speech. The wedding officiant will then have sufficient time to prepare your ceremony. You can submit your marriage notification up to one year in advance.
You will need the following to file the notification:
- DigiD
- Copies of the identity documents of yourself and witnesses
- If you choose your own location: the completed form for designating a one-off location
- You pay the fee immediately via iDeal.
Report your marriage and choose the date directly online
Registering at the counter
Would you like to report your intended marriage in person? Then make an appointment to visit the City Office, Wolvenhoek 1 's-Hertogenbosch via telephone number +31 73 6 15 51 55.
Change or cancel your marriage
Have you already reserved a date and time? If you change or cancel it, we will charge costs. We will also charge these costs if you book a wedding without a ceremony in the City Office, even though you do not live in our municipality.
Costs
The cost of a marriage or registered partnership depends on certain choices you make;
- whether or not there is a ceremony,
- the location,
- choice of wedding officiant and
- other details (such as a wedding booklet, etc.).
Wedding booklet
A wedding booklet contains the couple's personal details and marriage information. There is also space for mention of the children. A marriage booklet is not mandatory. A marriage booklet is written in decorative letters ("calligraphy"). It is also possible to include joint children in the marriage booklet. There is a charge for this.
Further information
For questions about applications, costs and conditions, contact the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch by phone or WhatsApp +31 73 615 51 55 or send an e-mail to the municipality via this digital contact form.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch
Visiting addresses
Wolvenhoek 1
5211HH 's-Hertogenbosch
| Monday | 08.30 - 17.00 |
| Tuesday | 08.30 - 17.00 |
| Wednesday | 08.30 - 17.00 |
| Thursday | 08.30 - 20.00 |
| Friday | 08.30 - 17.00 |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Oude Vlijmenseweg 200
5223GM 's-Hertogenbosch
| Monday | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |