Many countries require non-nationals, before they can get married in their jurisdiction, to produce a certificate from their country of origin to show that they are free to marry. These are usually known as Certificates of Non-Impediment, Certificats de Coutume or Nulla Ostas. The Consular Section at the Embassy of Ireland in London will issue these to Irish citizens resident in Great Britain, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. However, residents of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland should apply to:

Consular Section
Department of Foreign Affairs
St. Stephens Green
Dublin 2

Telephone:  (01) 408 2568

Please note that marrying a non-EEA national does not automatically entitle them to Irish citizenship. If you intend to bring your spouse back to the UK after you get married, we strongly urge you to check with the UK Border Agency with regard to your future spouse's entitlement to reside in the UK. Similarly, if you intend to bring your future spouse to live with you in Ireland, you should contact the Irish Visa Office in London with regard to your future spouse's entitlement to reside in Ireland. The Irish Embassy in London do not have any influence over the British immigration system.

Certificats de Coutume will not be issued to persons under 18 years of age without the written and witnessed consent of their parents or guardians.  

A Certificat de Coutume is not currently required for an Irish citizen who wishes to get married in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales, the Channel Isles, the Isle of Man, or the United States.

We strongly advise that you check with the Embassy, Consulate, or High Commission of the country where you intend to get married, in order to establish their exact requirements for marriage in their country. You should do so before you contact the Embassy of Ireland so we can assist you efficiently.

If the country in which you are getting married requires a Certificate de Coutume with an Apostille attached, the application must be referred to Dublin for processing. This may take up to 3 weeks. You will be charged the standard consular fee (currently £34) for each document that needs to be Apostilled (including the Certificate de Coutume, birth certificate, etc). If you are an Irish-born Irish citizen, we can place an Apostille on your birth certificate. You can apply to the General Registrar's Office of Ireland for a new copy of your birth certificate, if required. If you are an Irish citizen who was not born in Ireland, and you require an Apostille on your birth certificate, it must be Apostilled by the government that issued your birth certificate.

The relevant forms can be downloaded from this website. Please see “Related Documents” below.  Please ensure that the information provided is legible.   These guidelines are available in print form - click here.

Documents required

If only one partner is an Irish citizen

1. Completed MP1 form for the Irish citizen
2. Completed MP2A form if Irish citizen was never married before or has been widowed
3. Completed MP2B form if Irish citizen is divorced, accompanied by the Petition for Divorce and Final Decree for their previous marriage
4. Completed MP2D form for non-Irish partner if they have divorced. This should be accompanied by the Petition for Divorce, Final Decree for their previous marriage, birth certificate and a photocopy of their passport. (This only applies if you wish to marry in Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal or Italy)
5. If the Irish citizen is a widow/widower, the death certificate for their previous deceased spouse
6. Long form civil birth certificate (showing both parents' details at the time of birth) for the Irish citizen
7. If the Irish citizen is getting married in a country that requires an Apostille on their Certificate of Non-Impediment, and they were born in Ireland, we can place an Apostille on their Irish birth certificate. If you require a fresh copy of your birth certificate, you can obtain it from the General Registrar’s Office of Ireland (http://www.groireland.ie).
8. If the Irish citizen is getting married in a country that requires an Apostille on their Certificate of Non-Impediment, and they were born outside of Ireland, we cannot place an Apostille on their birth certificate. You should have your birth certificate Apostilled by the government that issued it (For example, if you were born in the UK, but you are an Irish passport holder, you would have to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to have your UK birth certificate Apostilled).
9. A photocopy of the photo-page of your most recent Irish passport
10. If you acquired Irish citizenship through Post-Nuptial Citizenship or Naturalisation, your Post-Nuptial Certificate or Naturalisation Certificate.
11. A fee of £51 for the Certificate of Non-Impediment. You will also be charged a further £34 for any other Irish documents that must be Apostilled by us. Please note that if you require an Apostille on your Certificate of Non-Impediment, we will charge you for this service. Late applications received 28 days or less before the intended date of marriage will incur an additional fee of £51 (i.e a total of £102).
12. Applicants marrying in Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Portugal or Morocco should also provide a contact name (e.g. wedding planner, family member etc), address and phone number in the country of marriage in order for our respective Embassies/Consulates to forward your documents or arrange collection.

If both partners are Irish citizens

1. Completed MP1 for each Irish citizen
2. Completed MP2A for each single Irish citizen
3. Completed MP2B if either partner is divorced. This should be accompanied by the relevant Petitions and Final Decrees
4. If either partner is a widow/widower, the death certificate for the previous deceased spouse(s)
5. Long form civil birth certificates (showing both parents' details at the time of birth) for the Irish citizens
6. If the Irish citizens are getting married in a country that requires Apostilles on their Certificates of Non-Impediment, and they were born in Ireland, we can place Apostilles on their Irish birth certificates. If you require a fresh copy of your birth certificate, you can obtain it from the General Registrar’s Office of Ireland (http://www.groireland.ie).
7. If the Irish citizens are getting married in a country that requires an Apostille on their Certificate of Non-Impediment, and they were born outside of Ireland, we cannot place an Apostille on their birth certificate(s). You should have your birth certificate(s) Apostilled by the government that issued it (For example, if you were born in the UK, but you are an Irish passport holder, you would have to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to have your UK birth certificate Apostilled).
8. A photocopy of the photo-page of your most recent Irish passport
9. If either (or both) citizens acquired Irish citizenship through Post-Nuptial Citizenship or Naturalisation, the relevant Post-Nuptial Certificate(s) or Naturalisation Certificate(s).
10. A fee of £51 for each Irish citizen (excluding Italy where one fee covers both partners). You will also be charged a further £34 for any other Irish documents that need an Apostille. Please note that if you require an Apostille on your Certificate of Non-Impediment, we will charge you for this service.
11. Applicants marrying in Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Portugal or Morocco should also provide a contact name (e.g. wedding planner, family member etc), address and phone number in the country of marriage in order for our respective Embassies/Consulates to forward your documents or arrange collection.

PLEASE ALSO USE THIS HELPFUL CHECKLIST FOR YOUR OWN REFERENCE BEFORE APPLYING

The statutory declaration form can only be witnessed in front of a notary public, commissioner for oaths or a solicitor - Diplomatic/Consular officials at the Embassy do not witness these declarations. If you have been married more than once, a separate declaration is required for each marriage that has taken place.

Please ensure that the witness provides their professional address and landline number as their contact details. Mobile phone numbers and home addresses are strictly unacceptable. If we cannot contact your witness, or if we find that they are not on the Roll of Solicitors, we will return your application to you.

Applications should be made at least three months before the marriage is due to take place. The Certificate de Coutume is valid for 120 days from the date of issue.  

Applications should not be made or witnessed more than 6 months prior to the proposed date of marriage.

All documents in languages other than English should be translated. 

We accept cheques, postal orders, or bank drafts - these can be made out to "Embassy of Ireland". 

For safe return of your documents, we reccommend that you enclose a self-addressed "special delivery" envelope, which you can obtain from your local Post Office.

Recognition of Foreign Divorces

Under Irish Law, a divorce executed outside of the State may only be recognised if either spouse was domiciled in the jurisdiction of the Court that granted the divorce at the time that the divorce proceedings commenced. Domicile is a complex legal concept related to one's country of birth, or if they have emigrated, their intended place of future permanent residence.

In order to establish one's domicile, we ask that you provide as much detail as possible on declarations MP2B or MP2D, especially with regard to the previous addresses of you and your former spouse. If you need to continue on a seperate page, you may do so, provided that the additional information is signed by the person witnessing the declaration.

You are advised to obtain legal advice before completing the MP2B or MP2D declarations.

Registering Your Marriage in Ireland

In general, if a marriage is contracted outside of Ireland, it will be recognised under Irish Law. There is no facility for registering such marriages in the State, and the civil marriage certificate would normally be accepted as the legal proof of the marriage. In cases where a serious doubt exists as to whether the marriage is recognised in Irish law, legal advice may be sought and an application made to the Circuit Family Court for a ruling under Section 29 of the Family Law Act, 1995 as to whether the marriage is recognisable under Irish law.

IF YOU ARE ENTERING A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP ABROAD OR IF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NOT REFERENCED IN THESE NOTES PLEASE CONTACT THE EMBASSY ON 020 7235 2171.

Last updated March 2013