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.
Municipality of Zutphen: Applying to get married
You register your marriage with the municipality, providing all the details about yourself, your partner and your witnesses. This can be done up to 2 weeks before the ceremony date. You can do it online, using your DigiD.
Do neither of you have Dutch nationality or were you both born outside the Netherlands? Then contact the municipality in time. Call 14 0575 (from the Netherlands) or +31 575 58 70 00 (from abroad).
You make a number of choices when planning your marriage. These choices relate to the type of ceremony and the venue. The costs depend on your wishes and the possibilities in the municipality of Zutphen.
Ceremony
The ceremony is the official part of entering your marriage. 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;
- family member or acquaintance.
If you choose a wedding registrar from the municipality, a registrar from the municipality of Zutphen 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 someone you know to conduct the ceremony? If so, you must fill in an application form (pdf, 68 kB, in Dutch), at least 12 weeks before the date you enter your marriage.
Location of the ceremony
You can hold the ceremony to enter your civil partnership at various locations in the municipality of Zutphen. You can choose from:
- a municipal building;
- a location of your own choice.
Costs ceremony and location
In a meetingroom in city hall ('s Gravenhof 2):
- Monday mornings at 9:00 am and 9:30 am: free.
Bride and groom and witnesses only. The municipality appoints a civil registrar. - Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.: € 106
Next to the bridal couple: a maximum of 10 guests (including witnesses and children).
The municipality appoints a civil registrar.
Ceremony in the old city hall ('s Gravenhof 1):
| Day | 10.00 am - 5.00 pm | 9.00 am - 5.00 pm | 5.00 - 8.00 pm | 10.00 am - 3.00 pm | other times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | € 387,15 | € 844 | € 1.387,85 | ||
| Tuesday | € 387,15 | € 844 | € 1.387,85 | ||
| Wednesday | € 387,15 | € 844 | € 1.387,85 | ||
| Thursday | € 387,15 | € 844 | € 1.387,85 | ||
| Friday | € 387,15 | € 844 | € 1.387,85 | ||
| Saterday | € 844 | € 1.387,85 | |||
| Sunday or public holiday | € 1.387,85 | € 1.387,85 |
Ceremony on a location of your own choice (like a restaurant, café or your own home):
- Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.: € 323,05
- Monday to Friday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.: € 401,60
- Saturday between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: € 401,60
- Sundays and public holidays, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: € 464,45
- Other times: € 730,05
Certificates
- Copy of the marriage certificate: € 15,70
- Basic marriage booklet/partnership booklet: € 28,45
- Luxury marriage booklet/partnership booklet: € 30,50
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Zutphen
Visiting address
's Gravenhof 2
7201DN Zutphen
| Monday | 08:30 - 12:00 13:00 - 16:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:30 - 12:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:30 - 12:00 13:00 - 16:00 |
| Thursday | 08:30 - 12:00 17:30 - 19:30 |
| Friday | 08:30 - 12:00 |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |