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Civil Wedding in Malta: Documents, Timings and Procedure

Civil Wedding in Malta: Documents, Timings and Procedure

By secteam

Information verified against official Identità and Public Registry sources in August 2026

Most articles about getting married in Malta are vague about the paperwork, because the paperwork is the part nobody enjoys writing about. It is also the part that goes wrong.

This guide sets out what the Maltese authorities actually require for a civil marriage: the forms, the documents, the deadlines and the fees. Everything below comes from Identità, the agency responsible for Malta’s Public Registry, or directly from the Marriage Registry. Sources are listed at the end.

One caveat first, and it comes from the Marriage Registry itself: there is no universal document list. The exact requirements depend on your nationalities, your countries of birth and your countries of residence. What follows is the standard framework for couples living abroad, but your own file must be confirmed with a Marriage Registry officer.

The two deadlines that matter

Almost every problem with a Maltese marriage file comes from misunderstanding these.

Three months before – Couples are asked to contact the Marriage Registry and book an appointment at least three months before the intended wedding date. The application for publication of the banns should not reach the Registry earlier than this.

Six weeks before – This is the hard deadline, and the detail matters: the minimum six-week period begins when your correct original documents are physically submitted and accepted by the responsible officer at the Public Registry, Marriage Registry Section, in Marsa. It does not begin when you send an email, and it does not begin when you post documents that later turn out to be incomplete.

In other words, your window for submitting originals is between three months and six weeks before your wedding date. Miss the near edge and the marriage cannot proceed on your date.

There is a second trap inside that window. Several required documents, the RZ1 and RZ2 forms, the free status certificate, the certificate of no impediment and any affidavit, are valid for only three months from issue or endorsement, and must still be valid on your wedding day. Request them too early and they expire before the ceremony; too late and you miss the six-week deadline. The usable window is narrower than most couples assume.

The forms

Two forms are required for a civil marriage:

RZ1 – Request for the publication of banns of matrimony, under Article 7(4) of the Marriage Act.

RZ2 – Declaration under Article 7(5) of the Marriage Act. This one must be signed by both applicants before a notary, solicitor or Commissioner for Oaths, and must be signed, stamped and dated by that official, not simply signed at home.

Both are available from Identità and both fall under the three-month validity rule above.

Documents for couples living abroad

For a couple resident outside Malta, the standard file is:

Required from everyone, whatever your situation

  • Completed and signed RZ1 and RZ2 forms
  • Photocopy of each partner’s passport
  • Photocopy of the visa or Schengen border entry stamp, where applicable
  • Photocopy of the ID card or passport of both witnesses
  • Original full birth certificate (or adoption certificate) for each partner. Where the birth is not registered at the Malta Public Registry, the certificate must include the parents’ details, a long-form or full certificate, not a short extract.
  • Original free status certificate for each partner. This is required of everyone, not only of those marrying for the first time.

All identification documents must be valid both on the date of application and on the wedding day.

Additional documents according to civil status

 SingleWidowedDivorcedAnnulled
Original marriage certificate ✓✓ 
Original death certificate of late spouse ✓  
Marriage certificate annotated with the divorce, or original decree absolute  ✓ 
Marriage certificate annotated with the annulment   ✓

Two situations worth knowing about

Where the civil authorities of your country do not issue a free status certificate, an affidavit by a third party is accepted instead. It must confirm your marital status, and it may be sworn by anyone over 18 who knows you well, typically a family member.

Applicants residing in Scotland, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Wight or the Isle of Man are required to provide a Certificate of No Impediment.

If your certificates are already registered in Malta

If your birth certificate, marriage certificate, or the registration of a marriage and its subsequent divorce or annulment is already held by the Malta Public Registry, only the date of the event is required rather than the document itself. Note also that any previous marriage registered in Malta must have been formally annulled or divorced, and duly recorded, before a new application can be made.

Apostille, legalisation and translation

If your documents come from an EU country, no apostille is required. This is a meaningful practical advantage for French, Italian, German, Belgian and other EU couples, and it removes a step that is often slow and expensive elsewhere.

Documents issued outside the EU must be apostilled or legalised as appropriate to the issuing country.

Separately, any public document not in English or Maltese must be translated into one of those two languages. Where only certain fields of a document are in another language, those fields must still be translated for the document to be processed. Identità publishes a list of recognised translators.

Three rules couples do not expect

Originals are kept – The Public Registry requires original documents and retains them indefinitely in its archives. You will not get your original birth certificate back. Order a second copy for yourself if you will need one.

Dual nationality must be declared – The Marriage Registry Officer must be informed if either partner holds dual nationality, or has any civil document registered with the Maltese Public Registry. Where a partner holds, or is entitled to hold, a second nationality, capacity to marry must be established for both nationalities, which can mean a second set of civil status documents.

What you must tell the Registrar – As part of the banns application, the Marriage Registrar must be notified of the place where the marriage will be held, the date, and the surnames the spouses will use after marriage, including the family name being adopted.

Witnesses

Two witnesses are required, each aged 18 or over. They may be relatives. Photocopies of their identification documents form part of your application file.

If you are eloping and travelling without guests, note that you must still produce two witnesses, this needs arranging in advance rather than solving on the morning.

Official fees

These are the government fees for the ceremony itself, separate from any venue, catering or supplier costs:

CeremonyOfficial fee
Civil marriage at the Marriage Registry€76.95
Civil marriage at another location€102.60
Catholic religious marriage€51.30
Marriage under another religious rite€102.60

Gozo

Couples marrying on Gozo apply for their marriage banns at the Marriage Registry in Victoria, not in Malta. If your venue is on Gozo, factor this into your planning from the outset.

Approval, payment and the final appointment

Once the paperwork is approved, a marriage celebrant is assigned. A Marriage Registry Officer confirms approval of the application by email, and payment of the fee is made at that point, not before.

A finalisation appointment with the Registrar is then arranged to settle the ceremony details, typically one to two days before the marriage. Both partners must attend with original passports, along with any relevant visas or Schengen border entry stamps.

This is worth building into your travel plans. Couples who arrive the evening before a Saturday wedding sometimes discover this appointment the hard way.

Step by step

  1. Three to four months before – contact the Marriage Registry and book an appointment. Email: pubreg.marriage.identita@gov.mt
  2. Establish your list – confirm with the officer exactly which documents your nationalities and residence require.
  3. Order your documents – timing them so they remain valid on the wedding day.
  4. Complete RZ1 and RZ2 – RZ2 signed before a notary, solicitor or Commissioner for Oaths.
  5. Translate and, if required, apostille – EU-issued documents need no apostille.
  6. Submit originals in person – between three months and six weeks before the date. The six-week clock starts here, and applications received after it are rejected.
  7. Approval and payment – confirmed by email, celebrant assigned.
  8. Final appointment – one to two days before, with original passports.
  9. The ceremony – with two witnesses aged 18 or over.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need to live in Malta to marry there?

No. There is no residency requirement and no minimum stay before the ceremony.

How long does the whole process take?

Allow three months from first contact with the Marriage Registry. The application cannot be filed earlier than three months before the date, and originals must be submitted no later than six weeks before.

Do French or other EU citizens need an apostille?

No. Public documents issued in an EU country are accepted without apostille. Translation into English or Maltese is still required if the document is in another language.

What if our country does not issue a free status certificate?

An affidavit sworn by a third party may be accepted instead. Confirm this with the Marriage Registry before relying on it.

Will we get our original documents back?

No. The Public Registry retains original documentation indefinitely. Order duplicates for your own records.

Can we marry anywhere in Malta?

Civil ceremonies may be held at the Marriage Registry or at another location, with a higher official fee for the latter. The venue must be notified to the Registrar as part of the banns application.

Is a Maltese marriage recognised abroad?

A marriage validly contracted in Malta is generally recognised in other countries, and you will receive a Maltese marriage certificate. Registration procedures at home vary, so confirm the steps with your own consulate or civil registry.

How many witnesses do we need, and can they be family?

Two, aged 18 or over, and yes, they may be relatives.

An important caveat

The Marriage Registry is explicit on this point, and it is worth repeating in its own words: information provided in advance is strictly indicative and intended for general guidance only. A final assessment can be made only when original documents are physically submitted and formally examined by the competent Marriage Registry Officer. No assurance is given that details confirmed in advance will remain unchanged after in-person verification.

Treat this article the same way, as an accurate map of the process, not as a substitute for confirmation from the Registry about your own file. Requirements and fees can change; this page was verified in August 2026.

Signature Events plans bespoke destination weddings in Malta and handles this process regularly on behalf of couples planning from abroad. If you would like the paperwork managed rather than deciphered, we would be glad to help.

Sources

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