Marriage in Croatia - British nationals

Applying for a Certificate of No Impediment in Croatia

Our advice would be to first call the register office where you want to get married, and ask them which documents they will require from you/ your partner.

The registrars in Croatia ask for a the Certificate of No Impediment (to show that you are free to marry), and the Certificate of Custom and Law (Certificate de Coutume- shows that the marriage will be valid in the UK for administrative purposes as well as confirms your passport number and states that you are a British citizen).

You can apply for both documents at our office in Zagreb, or the Split/ Dubrovnik Consulates if those are nearer to where you live in Croatia.

You have to show 21 days of residence in Croatia before applying for the Certificate of No Impediment in Croatia (registration with local police is proof of residence), and bring your passport and your original Birth Certificate with you. If you have been married before, please also bring the original Decree Absolute. You will be asked to swear an Affidavit and give Notice of Marriage.

The Notice of Marriage will be displayed at the Embassy for 21 clear days after which we can issue you with the Certificate of no Impediment (if no impediment has been shown to exist).

The Certificate of no Impediment has to be taken to the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Zagreb for our signature to be certified (Department for certifying signatures, Petretićev trg 2, Zagreb. Telephone number 01 4599 282).
You can also apply for the Certificate of no Impediment in the UK (see below). The Certificate of Custom and Law can only be issued in Croatia.

At the moment the fee for giving the Notice of Marriage is HRK505, for issuing the Certificate of no Impediment HRK505 and for the Certificate of Custom and Law also HRK505. Please check the fees before applying, they occasionally change.
It is essential that you check directly with the register office and see what documents they will require (so you will not be paying for something you will not need).

We know that the registrars ask for an original Birth Certificate not older than 3 months (you will have to apply for a new one at the General Register Office or the local branch), and that it has to have the Apostille stamp on it (obtainable at the Legalisation Office, Norfolk House (West), 437 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 2AH, T 01908 295 111; F 01908 295 122).

Also, all documents have to be submitted to the local register office 45-30 days before the date of marriage (please check directly with the registrar because the rules change).

APPLYING FOR CERTIFICATE OF NO IMPEDIMENT IN THE UK

The procedure is more or less the same, but the Notice of Marriage is given to a Register Office in the UK.

The Register office issues you with the Certificate of no Impediment 21 days after you have given the Notice of Marriage.
With that original you can, at our offices in Zagreb/ Split/ Dubrovnik, apply for the Certificate of Custom and Law if the registrar in Croatia (where you are going to get married) requires it. (The Certificate of Custom and Law can only be issued in Croatia).
The fees have to be paid when applying for the documents.

If you will have the Certificate of no Impediment issued in the UK, we can issue you the one in Croatian with no charge (because you will have already paid the fee in the UK).
Please note that the Notice of Marriage and the Certificate of no Impediment are two different documents.

The requirement for certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Zagreb might still apply- you have to check with the registrar whether he/ she requires you to have it.

For more information contact us.