Challenges of getting married in Latvia for citizens and foreigners: why Georgia has an advantage

What you need to know about getting married in Latvia

Like any country, Latvia has its own requirements for those planning to marry within its territory. According to current legislation, the requirements for registering a marriage in Latvia are as follows:

• Age requirement. Marriage is allowed from the age of 18. An exception is made from the age of 16 with parental consent or approval from the orphan’s court, and only if the other spouse is of legal age.
• Same-sex marriages. Latvian law strictly prohibits marriage between persons of the same sex. Such unions have no legal validity within the country.
• Prohibitions based on kinship. Marriage is not permitted between direct relatives, including children and parents, siblings, and between adoptive parents and adopted children.
• Monogamy. A person who is already legally married cannot register a new marriage.

The official fee for marriage registration in Latvia is 14 euros. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg: the total cost usually increases due to mandatory translation of documents into Latvian and fees for a formal ceremony at the Civil Registry Office (Dzimtsarakstu nodaļa).

Off-site marriage registration in Georgia for a couple from Latvia (a Latvian citizen and an Armenian citizen)

Challenges for Latvian citizens

Even for holders of a Latvian passport, registering a marriage in 2026 remains a procedure strictly regulated by the Civil Law (Civillikums) and the Law on the Registration of Civil Status Acts. The main issue here is the couple’s complete dependence on government schedules and formalities, which cannot be bypassed.

Procedure at the civil registry and waiting periods

According to Latvian law, you cannot get married on the same day you apply. The law establishes a mandatory minimum waiting period of one month from the date of application. In exceptional, “urgent” cases, the head of the Civil Registry Office may reduce this period, but this requires substantial proof and remains at the official’s discretion. The maximum validity of a submitted application is six months.

Mandatory documents for marriage registration in Latvia

According to Article 17 of the Registration Law, couples must:

• Appear in person at the Civil Registry Office to submit a joint application (electronic submission is only possible if both partners have a secure electronic signature with a timestamp).
• Present valid passports or ID cards.
• For those previously married: present a divorce certificate, court decision, or the death certificate of the former spouse. Important: if these records are not entered in the Latvian Population Register, you will need to request archival extracts yourself. Without confirmation that the previous marriage has ended, the application will not be accepted.

Religious ceremonies with legal force

Latvia has a unique provision: a church marriage in certain denominations is legally equivalent to registration at the Civil Registry Office. According to Article 51 of the Civil Law, only clergy from the following eight denominations can conduct a marriage that the state officially recognizes without a visit to the Civil Registry Office:

1. Lutherans
2. Catholics
3. Orthodox
4. Old Believers
5. Methodists
6. Baptists
7. Seventh-day Adventists
8. Jews

If you belong to another faith (for example, Buddhism, Islam, or new religious movements), or if one of you is an atheist, you do not have the right to a legally recognized religious ceremony. In this case, you must first complete the formal procedure at the Civil Registry Office and only then organize a “ceremony for the soul,” which completely undermines the integrity of the wedding day.

Requirements for “transparency”

Although marriage registration is possible at any Civil Registry Office in Latvia, regardless of residence, the obligation to report changes in personal data (including a surname change) to the PMLP (Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs) within 30 days remains unchanged. Any inaccuracies in documents or delays in providing proof of marital status may result in a refusal to register the marriage.

Official Marriage Ceremony in Tbilisi with Kate&Co Weddings

Even harder for foreigners

If the marriage registration process is a bureaucratic routine for Latvian citizens, it turns into a complex legal quest for foreigners. Latvian legislation (Art. 18 of the Law on the Registration of Civil Status Acts) imposes strict filters, ignoring which leads to an immediate refusal to accept documents.

Legal status of residence

According to the law, a foreigner can only marry in Latvia if, at the time of registration, they are legally present in the country. This means having:

• A valid visa (including long-term D-category visas);
• A temporary or permanent residence permit;
•  The right to visa-free stay (for citizens of eligible countries, such as the United Kingdom). Anyone staying in the country illegally is not entitled to register a marriage.

Documentary barrier and language requirements

In addition to the standard application and passport, a foreigner must provide a certificate of marital status issued by the competent authority of their country. If a person holds multiple citizenships, certificates must be provided from all countries with which they have a legal connection. All foreign-issued documents must undergo:

1. Legalization or an apostille (depending on the issuing country).
2. Notarized translation into Latvian in accordance with Art. 10 of the Law on the State Language. Errors in translation or absence of an apostille render the document legally invalid for the Latvian civil registry.

A beautiful wedding ceremony in Kojori (near Tbilisi) for a couple from Latvia

Verification of “real connection” and waiting periods

Latvia actively combats sham marriages. According to Art. 18 (part 4) of the law, a civil registry official has the right to extend the waiting period up to six months to conduct an in-depth verification of the authenticity of documents and the genuineness of the couple’s intentions. If officials have doubts about the existence of a “real connection” or suspect the marriage is being contracted for ulterior motives, such as obtaining a residence permit, the registration will be denied.

Financial aspects

Although the basic state fee for registration is €14, the actual costs for a foreigner in 2026 are significantly higher:

• Services of certified translators and notaries;
• Payment for apostille in the country of origin;
• Fees for a ceremonial registration (set individually by each municipality and may amount to hundreds of euros).

Language barrier

The ceremony and all official communication at the civil registry take place exclusively in Latvian. If one of the partners does not have sufficient proficiency in the state language, the couple must, at their own expense, provide a certified translator for the ceremony, which also requires additional time and costs.