Iceland is one of the most beautiful and adventurous places to get married in. Just imagine saying, “I do,” in an old small Scandinavian church 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. Unlike some countries, same sex marriage is welcome here. Also, there are no requirements on being a resident here before you tie the knot.
The legal requirements:
You and your partner must be at least 18 years of age.
You must get signatures from two witnesses.
You and your partner must not be related by blood, marriage or adoption.
You must complete and send your marriage paperwork to the National Registry Office in Reykjavik at least two weeks prior to the wedding date. I would certainly recommend sending this much 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.
The legal papers you must bring with you before arriving in Iceland:
Passports
Birth Certificates
Certificate of Marital Status
Witness forms
Flight tickets
Confirmation from the Directorate of Immigration that you are legally residing or staying in Iceland.
Divorce papers (if divorced)
Death certificate of previous spouse (if a widow). If so, then you must provide papers showing the estate and liabilities of the deceased spouse.
Some people have said the application process for the required permits can take anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. We certainly recommend you sending your application in much earlier.
Please keep in mind this information is only a guideline. These laws and requirements may change without notice. Please contact your wedding planner or the Embassy of Iceland to confirm the requirements.
You can visit http://www.iceland.is/iceland-abroad/us/nyc/consular-services/getting-married-in-iceland/ They explain and list it all here.
We at Arctic Weddings wish you the best of luck!