Can Foreigners Get Married in Belarus?
You entered Belarus officially (with a visa or temporary residency authorization, residence, and a desire to wed a Belarusian lady) and intend to do so inside the country. But you’re unsure how to do all of this in Belarus legally. Our article details the steps to take, forms to fill out, and locations to visit to register a marriage in Belarus legally.
Foreign nationals and Belarusian citizens are both allowed to be married legally. There will be no changes to the standard operating method, although non-US citizens will need to gather some additional paperwork. To do this, one must go through the process of having a document acquired by a foreign national in his country legalized. But there’s a lot more to it.
So, if you’re really considering taking Belarus women for marriage from https://ladadate.com/belorusian-brides, this guide will explain everything you need to know.
Requirements for a Wedding in Belarus
The lawmaker in Belarus lays forth the specific requirements for getting married. This includes both parties being of legal age to marry and no other barriers to the couple getting hitched.
Persons are legally considered mature and competent to enter into marriage after they reach the age of 18. Secondly, there must be no legal or social barriers to marriage, as outlined in Article 19 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Marriage and Family.
These barriers can be:
- If at least one of the marrying persons is already married,
- If the marriage involves blood relatives, parents, siblings, and children,
- In the case of mental illness or dementia of one of the marriage partners.
A marriage can be declared invalid if the marrying person conceals these circumstances. The union may be nullified later if one or more of these conditions are not met during the marriage.
Legal Marriage Age in Belarus
Getting married in Belarus often requires one to be 18 years old. While doing so, the lawmaker makes allowances for situations such as pregnancy, the birth of a child, and the attainment of full legal rights before reaching the age of maturity (emancipation).
If each of these situations applies, the registrar’s office may lower the minimum age to marry by up to three years.
Marriages between people under the age of 18 are permitted under Art. 18 of the Marriage and Family Code and do not need the permission of either set of parents.
Getting Married in Belarus
When a couple gets married in Belarus, the official paperwork must be filed with the local civil status registration office closest to the home of either the bride or the groom or the bride’s or groom’s parents. In such a circumstance, a parent’s passport is necessary.
It’s possible to register marriages in nontraditional settings, such as a house, hospital, etc., in rare instances. You are not required to have your wedding ceremony inside the registrar’s office.
Legal paperwork required by the registrar’s office to legally register a marriage
Marriage licenses are obtained from the local register office by the soon-to-be-wed couple. In addition, they state in the application that they have no objections to being married and provide details such as their preferred last names, whether or not either of them has been married before, and whether or not they share any children.
The following items, together with a joint declaration from both parties, are needed to register a marriage legally; The passports of both individuals; Proof of payment of the State’s required marriage license fee.
Registration of marriage by the State
The registered office (ZAGS) is obligated under Art. 212 of the Marriage and Family Law to inform the parties of all the nuances of the marriage registration process.
The registrar’s office also informs prospective spouses of their rights and responsibilities as husband and wife. It stresses the seriousness of the consequences of lying about any impediments to legitimate marriage.
Marriage registration takes place on the day agreed upon by the parties to the marriage, as stated in Article 213 of the Marriage and Family Code. Both parties must physically appear at the marriage registration office.
Passports of the soon-to-be-spouses are marked with the marriage seal. The spouse’s given name, middle name, and birth date are all included in the file.
Belarusian law requires the registration of marriages to foreign nationals
The law recognizes marriages between Belarusians and people from other countries. While the process for registering a marriage is the same as normal, the papers that must be submitted in this circumstance are unique.
For this reason, the following items must be presented at the registry office:
- statements from both parties
- passports (for an immigrant, also a notarized translated passport)
- a certificate of absence of the partner, allowed in a foreign state
- a document confirming the legality of a foreigner’s stay in Belarus
- a receipt for payment of the state duty.
Acknowledgment of marriage and prenuptial agreement
Husband and wife enter into a marriage contract because they want to. As a result, a legally binding marriage contract need not be signed to register a marriage.
Concurrently, the lawmaker clarifies that a prenuptial agreement may be made both before and after a couple ties the knot. A husband and wife may legally sign a marriage contract whenever they want.
A wedding contract should be signed before a notary. To have a notary publicly attest to a marriage contract will cost you about 200 Belarusian rubles.
