In this article, I share with you all the details about the bureaucratic and legal procedure which you need to follow in order to ensure that your wedding is legally valid. I also share the process to get lawfully married through the catholic church and also the full list of documents required for a foreign couple to get married in Malta.

The information presented here is valid as at the start of 2024.

For all couples, getting married in Malta

The below is the process which you need to follow to get married in Malta in a legally recognised manner.

1. Appointment with the marriage registry

At least 3 months before the wedding you need to set an appointment with Identity Malta. You can make your booking by phoning (+356) 2590 4240 or emailing pubreg.marriage@gov.mt. The email must include a phone number where the couple can be reached.

What do need to take with you to the marriage registry?

Both ID cards
A photocopy of your witnesses ID card and on this photocopy your witnesses need to write their current address If it does not match the ID card
Birth certificates of each of you will be issued by them there and then when you are filling in all the paperwork. (if the applicants’ birth is not registered with the Malta Public Registry) a birth certificate that is apostilled or legalised as necessary is required.
The couple must also provide the celebrant’s name if they are getting married in a church, as well as the spouses’ surname/s after marriage and the family name being adopted.

In this meeting you will be:

A. Applying for marriage

On applying, the couple needs to provide information on the date of marriage, place of marriage, rite to be followed, present the necessary documents and take the required oaths and affidavits. All original certificates are retained by the Public Registry for registration purposes. You will need to pay a fee for the paperwork to be processed.

B. Applying to have the publication of Marriage Ban

During this meeting you will also be applying for the publication of Marriage Bans. Those couples who are getting married in Gozo should apply for their marriage bans at the Marriage Registry in Victoria, Gozo.

In the below cases, you may need some additional documentation:

If the witnesses are not Maltese, but reside locally, they should present a copy of their Residence Cards, together with a copy of their passport.
If either or both spouses have resided overseas for more than 12 calendar months, a third party declaration taken under oath that they are free to marry is required.
If either or both spouses have resided overseas for a longer period, a Free Status certificate is required from the country they were residing in. If at the age of 16 the spouse had more than one nationality they must present a free status certificate and 3rd party declaration depending on the case.
If the couple has been previously married or in a civil union, then they must present a Marriage Certificate/Civil Union certificate, and a divorce, annulment or death certificate as applicable.

All certificates required must be in or translated into Maltese or English. Non-EU documents need to be apostilled or legalised. If an original certificate issued by an EU member state is not in Maltese or English, a multilingual standard form can be submitted as a translation aid.

2. Collect Act of Marriage

Ten (10) days before their marriage, the couple must collect two (2) copies of the Act of Marriage and the Certificate of Bans, which should be submitted to the parish priest of the locality where the wedding ceremony will be held (if you are getting married in church)

For those getting married through the Catholic Church

For those who are getting married through the sacrament of marriage in the Catholic Church, the process requires some additional steps as described below.

Ta’ Cana Wedding course

For those who are getting married in the Catholic Church and are Maltese nationals they first need to attend a preparatory course for the newly married, organized by the Cana movement.

Couples should attend the ta’ Cana course around one to two years before their wedding. The course consists of 10 sessions and can be reserved through your parish church. Courses are held 3 times a year (January, April and October) and booking should be made at least 5 weeks in advance to ensure you find a slot. A fee per couple needs to be paid to the parish church.

At the end you will be presented with a certificate which is required when you get to completing the paperwork for your wedding. You can get more info about dates of courses here: https://canamovement.org/

Note: Courses in English are also held in some parishes and you can speak to your parish priest about this.

2. Appointment with the Parish Priest

Around 6 months before the wedding you need to make appointments with your respective parish church office. During this meeting, the parish priest will get to know you a bit better and understand your motives for asking to get married.

For this meeting you need to take with you:

Cana course certificate,
Baptism certificate,
and confirmation certificate for both spouses.

If you do not have them, you can obtain them from the churches where you were baptised and confirmed. After the interview with your parish priest, the parish priest will fill out paperwork for you that you can take it with you to your Curia appointment. If you are not getting married at your parish you need the permission letter from your parish to marry outside the parish.

3. Appointment with Curia

After your appointment with your local parish priest, you will need to set an appointment with Mons Vella. For an appointment, kindly phone from Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. on 25906805 or 2590 6211 (Email: alfred.vella@maltadiocese.org) at Curia.

For your appointment with Mons Vella, you are to take with you all the papers provided by your parish priests. You will need to pay a fee at the church curia, to process the documents.

Throughout the meeting Mons Vella will explain all you need to do and it would be a good idea to take some notes. In summary, you need to take the paperwork first to each of your parishes then to the church you are getting married at within the timeframe given to you by Mons Vella.

Complete list of documents required by foreign couples getting married in Malta

What documents do you need to get married in Malta?

1. Full birth certificate (with parents details on) for both spouses – must be apostilled

2. Copy of both Bride and Groom passport - no signatures or apostille required (original passport must be brought to the wedding ceremony)

3. Copy of witness passports with full address written on them - no solicitor signature or apostille required

4. Witness form (1 for each spouse) - solicitor signature and apostille required. These can only be completed within 3 months of wedding, no earlier

5. RZ1 - this is a joint form completed together by both spouses (it is to apply for wedding Banns) - no solicitor signature required but must be completed within 3 months of wedding, no earlier

6. RZ2 form - 1 for each spouse - requires solicitor signature. This must be competed within 3 months of wedding, no earlier.

If you have not been previously married:

A Free Status Certificate is required
Note: The UK does not issue Certificate of No Impediment’s for marriages in Commonwealth countries, therefore UK Nationals should obtain a 3rd Party Declaration in place of this.

If you are divorced:

Decree Absolute & previous marriage certificates
Affidavit by a 3rd person drawn up in the presence of a solicitor, stating that since the date of your divorce, you did not re-marry

If you are widowed:

Certificate of 1st marriage
Death certificate of former spouse
Affidavit by a 3rd person drawn up in the presence of a solicitor, stating that since the death of your former spouse, you did not re-marry

If you are under 18: