Marriage in the Republic of Moldova may be concluded both between a citizen of the Republic of Moldova and a foreign citizen, as well as between two foreign citizens, subject to the legal requirements of the Republic of Moldova and the requirements applicable to documents issued abroad.
For a foreign citizen, one of the most important steps is to properly prepare the required documents in their country of origin. Depending on the issuing country and the applicable international treaties, documents may need to be apostilled or legalized before they can be submitted to the authorities of the Republic of Moldova.
1. Can a foreign citizen get married in the Republic of Moldova?
Yes. A citizen of the Republic of Moldova may marry a foreign citizen in the Republic of Moldova, provided that the legal requirements for entering into marriage are met.
Two foreign citizens may also get married in the territory of the Republic of Moldova, subject to the applicable legal requirements and the submission of the necessary documents.
In both situations, the foreign citizen's documents must be properly prepared so that they can be used in the Republic of Moldova.
2. What documents should be prepared in the country of origin?
One essential aspect is to ensure that documents issued by foreign authorities are properly prepared before coming to the Republic of Moldova.
Depending on the person's citizenship, civil status and the legislation of their country of origin, the following documents may be required, as applicable:
- passport or identity document;
- birth certificate;
- certificate concerning civil status;
- certificate of legal capacity to marry or certificate of no impediment to marriage, as applicable;
- a document confirming the termination or dissolution of a previous marriage, if the person has previously been married;
- other documents required by the competent authorities.
The exact list of documents may vary from one country to another and from one individual situation to another. Some documents may also have a validity period or may be required to have been issued recently.
Therefore, it is advisable to verify the applicable document requirements before travelling to the Republic of Moldova.
3. Apostille, legalization or exemption from legalization
A document issued in another country is not automatically equivalent to a document issued by an authority of the Republic of Moldova. In order to be used in the Republic of Moldova, it may, depending on the circumstances, have to undergo the appropriate authentication procedure.
Apostille
If the issuing country and the Republic of Moldova are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, the document may be authenticated by means of an apostille issued by the competent authority in the country where the document was issued.
An apostille is a simplified procedure for authenticating public documents intended for use in another state that is a party to the Convention.
Legalization
If the apostille procedure does not apply and there is no international treaty providing for a simplified procedure or exemption from legalization, the document may require legalization, also referred to in certain contexts as consular legalization.
This procedure may involve several stages, depending on the issuing country and the type of document.
Exemption from apostille or legalization
There are also situations where documents may be recognized without an apostille or legalization, based on a treaty, international convention or special rules applicable between the Republic of Moldova and the issuing country.
For example, certain multilingual extracts from civil status records may benefit from a special regime under International Commission on Civil Status (ICCS) Convention No. 16 of 8 September 1976.
Therefore, it should not be automatically assumed that every foreign document requires an apostille. The applicable regime must be verified based on the issuing country and the type of document.
4. Translation of documents into Romanian
Foreign-issued documents submitted to the authorities of the Republic of Moldova must, where applicable, be accompanied by a Romanian translation, notarized as required.
In practice, it is important to prepare the document for use in the Republic of Moldova before having it translated, including obtaining an apostille or legalization where required.
The translation must accurately reflect the content and form of the document and comply with the requirements applicable to official documents. Depending on the circumstances, the translation may subsequently require notarization of the translator's signature.
This helps avoid situations where a document is translated before it has been properly authenticated in the issuing country.
5. What does the civil status authority require and what is the role of a residence permit?
According to information published by the Public Services Agency (ASP), the following documents may be required for marriage registration, depending on the circumstances:
- identity documents of the persons intending to marry;
- birth certificates;
- documents concerning the civil status and, where applicable, the legal capacity to marry of the foreign citizen;
- documents confirming the termination or dissolution of a previous marriage, if applicable;
- a valid residence permit for the foreign citizen, in situations where required by the applicable procedure;
- other documents, depending on the specific circumstances.
A residence permit may be relevant to the marriage registration procedure depending on the foreign citizen's circumstances and the duration of their stay in the Republic of Moldova.
For foreign citizens residing in the Republic of Moldova, it is important to ensure that their residence status is properly established and documented when preparing the application file.
Therefore, each foreign citizen intending to marry should have their individual documentation status verified before submitting the marriage registration application.
6. What if both future spouses are foreign citizens?
Two foreign citizens may get married in the Republic of Moldova, subject to the applicable legal requirements and the submission of the necessary documents.
Each future spouse must establish their identity, civil status and compliance with the legal conditions for entering into marriage.
The documents of each person should be assessed separately, as the requirements may differ depending on the issuing countries.
For example, if one future spouse is a citizen of a country that is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, while the other is a citizen of a country with which the Republic of Moldova applies a different legal regime, their documents may require different authentication procedures.
Therefore, the fact that both future spouses are foreign citizens does not mean that their documents must be prepared in exactly the same way.
7. Authorized interpreter at the ASP and during the marriage ceremony
When one or both future spouses do not have sufficient knowledge of Romanian to understand the procedure and the declarations that must be made, the participation of an interpreter may be required.
The role of the interpreter is not limited to verbally translating information. An authorized interpreter may accompany the foreign citizen throughout the procedure and facilitate communication with the civil status official.
At the Public Services Agency
Depending on the specific circumstances, the interpreter may be present:
- at the service counter, for the submission of documents and the application;
- during communication with the civil status official;
- to interpret questions and information provided by the authority;
- when documents are signed and declarations are made, where interpretation is required;
- when documents and the marriage certificate are collected.
The presence of an interpreter is important to ensure that a person who does not sufficiently understand Romanian fully understands the information, declarations and documents they are required to sign.
During the marriage ceremony
The interpreting service (oral interpretation) may also continue in the ceremonial hall.
If one or both future spouses do not have sufficient knowledge of Romanian, an authorized interpreter may be present throughout the official ceremony and provide interpretation between the future spouses and the civil status official.
The interpreter may faithfully convey the questions, declarations and explanations provided by the official, allowing the foreign citizen to understand the procedure and freely and consciously express their will.
For an international couple, the presence of an authorized interpreter provides additional assurance that every stage of the procedure and ceremony is properly understood.
REMIDALIS can provide both document translation services and interpreting services (oral interpretation), including accompanying clients to the Public Services Agency, providing language assistance when submitting and collecting documents and, where applicable, providing an authorized interpreter during the marriage registration ceremony.
8. After the marriage is registered
After the marriage is registered, the spouses receive the document confirming the marriage concluded in the Republic of Moldova.
If the Moldovan marriage certificate is to be used abroad, the applicable requirements in the country where the document will be presented should be checked. Depending on the country, the document may require an apostille, legalization and/or translation.
It is important to distinguish between:
foreign document → use in the Republic of Moldova
and
Moldovan document → use abroad.
Each situation may have its own requirements concerning document authentication and translation.
9. How can REMIDALIS help?
REMIDALIS Translation Bureau provides services for individuals preparing documents for marriage in the Republic of Moldova, including foreign citizens.
Depending on the circumstances, services may include:
- official translation of documents;
- translation of civil status documents;
- translation of passports and other documents;
- notarization of translations;
- apostille and legalization, depending on the document and applicable procedure;
- interpreting services (oral interpretation);
- accompanying clients and providing language assistance during official procedures.
For each case, the required documents should be established individually, as requirements may vary depending on the person's citizenship, the country where the documents were issued, their civil status and the purpose for which the documents will be used.
Important: Administrative requirements and procedures may change. The information presented in this article is valid as of the date of publication and should be verified against the current requirements of the competent authorities of the Republic of Moldova and the authorities of the country where the documents were issued.
