Getting married or entering into a registered partnership
You can make your relationship official by marrying or entering into a registered partnership. Also the rights and obligations in your relationship, such as pension and inheritance.
Everyone 18 years and older can get married or enter into a registered partnership. People of the same gender may also do the same.
- Under Dutch law you cannot be married and enter into a registered partnership at the same time.
- You request a marriage or registered partnership by registering an intended marriage or registered partnership. You do this at least 8 weeks before the planned date.
- You can register your intended marriage or registered partnership in any municipality in the Netherlands. It is most practical to do this in the municipality in which you wish to marry or enter into a partnership.
- The marriage/partnership will be officiated by a civil registrar (trouwambtenaar). If you would like a civil registrar who has not been designated by the Municipality of The Hague as a civil registrar, then you can email your request to simplified or free wedding or partnership.
- The official part of the ceremony (the mandatory wording) is always in Dutch. The rest of the ceremony can be done in another language.
- Civil wedding location: take a look at the rates for the free-choice venues.
- Designating a civil registrar who is not a civil registrar in The Hague costs € 202.90 (rate in 2023).
- Are you using one of the municipality’s own designated civil registrars? Then the costs are included in the fee for the municipal wedding location. At a free-choice venue the costs are included in the municipal fees.
- You can get a marriage booklet or partnership booklet (this is optional). There is a fee for this.
You can pay in cash or use a bank card at City Hall Spui. You can only use a bank card at the Leyweg City Office. Unfortunately it is not possible to pay with a credit card.
- You can have a simplified or free wedding or registered partnership at City Hall Spui.
- Would you like to get married in a place of worship, such as a church or mosque? Then you first need to have a civil ceremony (officiated by the civil registrar). Afterwards you can have a religious ceremony in the church or mosque.
- Married couples and registered partners now automatically have limited community of property. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch government(External link).
- A registered partnership is not universally recognised and accepted in foreign countries. The most important differences between marriage and registered partnership in the Netherlands were eliminated on 1 April 2014.
- Did you recently get married or enter into a registered partnership in a different municipality? The municipality where you live will automatically be notified. You do not need to register your marriage or registered partnership yourself. This can take approximately 2 weeks.
Also see: Civil registrars