American Marriage Validation in Germany. How?

[Marco&Bettina 502]

I don't know if I'm explaining this as well as my wife might can. But my wife & I got married in Texas on Jan 10, 2015. She would like to have our marriage verified/validated in Germany. We believe the German Embassy in Houston will want witnesses to our marriage. We had 2 witnesses but they were not asked to sign anything. The Officiant remembers them being there but says this to me about that: "I think you will have to ask where you got the marriage license and see if they can possibly have your parents sign and have it notarized or possibly a notary have a letter drawn up to fact they were witnesses. If they require a statement from me saying that parents were there let me know."

Does anyone know of any other way to accomplish our goal of having our US marriage verified/validated in Germany?

-Marco (USC)

Edited March 12, 2015 by Marco&Bettina

[karhu69 19]

Try here http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Laenderinformationen/01-Laender/Konsularisches/Eheschliessung_node.html

[awaywego 28]

We married in the US, as well, and looked into this. There is no registration process for marriages abroad. If you're married, cool, so long as it's legal in the jurisdiction performed and would be valid in Germany (e.g., you're not already married to someone else). I think this is covered in the link above in bureaucratic language.

If you want a version of your marriage certificate that is internationally recognized – including by Germany – you could look into adding an apostille (Texas info). We obtained one because we live in Germany and would be asked for the certificate, e.g., when we registered our residence.

If looking to inform Germany about a name change with marriage, try this link (in German): link

[Jamy2014 55]

We got married in Florida. We ordered an Apostille for the Court House marriage certificate. Additionally I got the name change (form see links posted here before mine) certified at the Orlando honorary consul.

With both I went to the Bürgerbüro (city hall) here in my home town in Germany and they put the marriage and name change into their system.

I didn´t need to translate the marriage certificate since they said to me that they will take it originally but that might be different from city to city.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Jamy2014

[Marco&Bettina 502]

Thanks all. This gives us a direction to move in.

[N&S 32]

We registered our marriage (married in MA) in Germany - applied for that when I was in the German embassy to change my name.

Check out :

http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/de/05__Dienstleistungen/03__Familie/Eheregister__S.html