How to get married in Iceland
Iceland is one of the most beautiful and adventurous places to get married in. Just imagine saying, “I do,” in an old and charming Icelandic church or in the breathtaking landscape surrounded by moss covered lava rocks and a glacier off in the distance. Then hopefully spotting the northern lights (during the winter) later that night.
Getting married in Iceland is actually quite simple. Also, unlike some countries, same sex marriage is welcome here. If you’re wondering about how to get married in Iceland, then this step by step guide will help you with doing your own paperwork. We go over what documents you need to file, required legal papers, and the deadlines.
Can I do my Iceland marriage paperwork myself?
You absolutely can do it yourself! This post is designed to help you to do your own marriage documents. Just follow the guidelines below and contact the registry office at gifting@syslumenn.is with any questions. If you would like to have a civil ceremony then they can also help you find a celebrant for your wedding. If you wish to not have the extra stress of doing the paperwork yourself, then we’d recommend hiring a local wedding planner to do the work for you.
How much does a civil ceremony cost in Iceland?
A civil ceremony typically costs 10.000 ISK (about 80 USD or 70 EUR). This is for ceremonies performed on during weekdays at the registry office. It is also possible to do a ceremony outdoors in the beautiful scenery for an additional fee.
Not interested in a civil ceremony? We would be happy to recommend some of our favorite celebrants that we work with for a pagan ceremony, a humanist ceremony, a christian ceremony or any other religion.
Legal requirements to get married in Iceland:
You have to be 18 years of age or older.
Cannot be already married to someone else
You must bring proof that you are in Iceland legally. You can provide this proof either with your airline tickets, the stamps in your passport, or with a valid Visa.
You must complete and send your marriage paperwork to the National Registry Office in Reykjavik at least three weeks prior to the wedding date. I would certainly recommend sending this a bit earlier incase they notify you that your paperwork is incomplete or some documents are missing.
To get your Certificate of Marital Status, you must declare that you are free to marry before a notary public. It’s important to complete this no later than 4 weeks before your wedding date. There are some countries, like the U.S. that have no Federal authority to issue a certificate of marital status. However, Iceland still requires that you bring it, even though they recognize that not all countries issue this certificate. If you are unable to provide this documentation satisfactory to Icelandic authorities, then you may be denied permission to marry in Iceland.
You should receive your witness forms from the Registry Office that must be filled out and returned by your witnesses.
If you have been divorced, it’s important that you send the divorce papers to the Ministry of Interior. Their job is to certify that your papers are legal.
If you are a resident from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, or Finland. Then please read this PDF.
Required legal papers to get married in Iceland:
Only Original documents are accepted. Documents in english and other Scandinavian languages are accepted. Documents in other languages will need to be presented by a certified translator.
For people coming from abroad to get married, we recommend that you contact and email copies of your documents to gifting@syslumenn.is 3-4 weeks before your wedding date. The original copies of these documents are required no later than 5 days before your wedding date. You can either deliver these in person once you arrive to Iceland. Or, you can mail the originals.
Valid Passports from each party.
Birth Certificates from each person getting married. The original copies will be returned after the marriage ceremony.
Certificate of Marital Status. Each party must submit a marital status certificate that is issued within 8 weeks prior to their wedding date. This certificate is issued by authorities in the parties country of residence. However, some countries do not preform these. If that’s so, then the parties must have an authority create a certificate that confirms there are no impediments on each parties marital status.
Marriage Notification - This is a document that certifies that there is nothing legally preventing you from marrying one another. You can view and download the Marriage Notification PDF here.
Flight tickets - this is not mandatory, but it’s good to bring them just in case.
If divorced, then you will have to provide Divorce papers
If a widow or widower, then you must provide official document stating that the asserts/liabilities of the deceased have been finalized.
Please keep in mind this information is only a guideline. These laws and requirements may change without notice. Please contact gifting@syslumenn.is to confirm the requirements or if you have any questions.
You can visit https://www.syslumenn.is/thjonusta/fjolskyldumal/civil-marriage/ for more information.
We at Arctic Weddings wish you the best of luck!