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Civil Wedding Ceremony in Bosnia

To perform a civil wedding in Bosnia you will need to visit the Registrar twice. Once to register your intention to marry, and again for the actually wedding itself. Registering your intention to marry is usually done within 40 days of your actually marriage date (in some cases its possible to arrange this up to three months in advance). On your wedding day the civil ceremony can either take place at the Registrar's Office or your location.

Prior to the wedding day you will need to spend a good week in Bosnia to sort out your documents. This must be done about 40 days before your wedding date to ensure a Registrar is available on your wedding day.

(Other websites advertise that you can book a Registrar 1 to 8 days before your wedding date. Although this can be done in emergency situations, under normal circumstances this cannot be done. The registrar is under NO obligation to visit your wedding location or provide you with a service at their office on the date your request, unless you give them 40 days to organise themselves.)

The documents you need to organise are listed below.

At the time of writing the cost of a Registrar performing a ceremony at the Registrar's Office currently cost 41 Euros.

A civil wedding away from the Registrar's Office costs between 400 Euro and 1000 Euro. This is calculated by the Registry Office and dependant on many factors, like distance from office, time of day, day of week etc.

Also, you will need an Official Translator at the registration of your Intention to Marry and at the ceremony itself. The cost of this is dependant on the translator available on the day and your ceremony's location.

 

Documents Required for a Civil Wedding in Bosnia

For British and Irish:

All citizens will required the following documents.
  • (UK & IRE) If you are divorced, a Decree Absolute and your previous marriage certificates
  • (UK & IRE) If you spouse has passed away, your spouse's death certificate and declaration on oath (affidavit) that you have not remarried since
  • (UK & IRE) If you have changed your name, your Deed Poll document
The above needs to receive an Apostille and then be translated into Bosnian(see below).
  • (UK & IRE) original passports
  • (UK & IRE) photocopies of the picture page of you passports
  • (UK & IRE) photocopies of the picture pages of your witness (also include their addresses and occupations)
  • (UK & IRE) 4 passport sized photographs of Bride and Groom, just in case they are needed

The above you need have on your person when visiting the Registrar in Bosnia.

On the civil wedding day you will only need:

  • (UK & IRE) original passports of Bride and Groom
  • (UK & IRE) original passports of witnesses

 

For British Citizens:

The documents you need for the Registration of your Intention to Marry in Bosnia:

  • (UK) Original long-form Birth Certificates
Registrar's in Bosnia require a long-form Birth Certificate, no more than 3 months old, with an Apostille Stamp, and official translation into Bosnian. A new Birth Certificate can be obtained from the General Registrar's Office. When in receipt of your new birth certificate you must take this to a Legalisation Office to receive an Apostille Stamp (this seal is a mark that the British Government officially recognises the document). You can either post this request or for a same day service attend the office in person. If you attend in person, having done this innumerable times, we suggest you arrive as early as possible, say 6am, to ensure you are processed that day. Hundreds of people queue everyday day and anyone arriving after 11am are highly unlikely to be seen that day. If you post your application, give 2-3 weeks to receive your stamped documents back.

  • (UK) Certificate of No Impediment, and
  • (UK) Certificate of Custom and Law

These two certificates are required by Bosnian Registrar's in order to give notice of your intention to marry in Bosnia. It is possible to obtain these certificates whilst in Bosnia. However, in our opinion this is not the best solution and instead suggest you follow the route detailed below. This will save you a month long trip to Bosnia and peace of mind that everything is done correctly and on time.

To obtain your Certificate of No Impediment you must first register your intention to marry with your Local Registrar Office in the UK. After 21 days the Registrar will issue you with the Certificate of No Impediment, which is valid for 6 months ONLY. So don't get this too quickly.

The Certificate of Custom and Law can only be issued by the British Embassy or Consulate in Bosnia. When you go to Bosnia to register your intention to marry, you will first need to visit the British Embassy, with your Certificate of No Impediment. You must ask them to provide both these documents into Bosnia. This process will take a couple days and cost about 100 Euros.

With both these documents in hand you will need to visit the Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs who will verify these documents. This can usually be done on the same day if you arrive early. ONLY THEN can you visit the Registrar in your chosen district to register your intention to marry!


For Irish Citizens:

The documents you need for the Registration of your Intention to Marry in Bosnia:
  • (IRE) Certificate de Coutume, and
  • (IRE) Certificate of Custom and Law
These two certificates are required by Bosnian Registrars in order to give notice of your intention to marry in Bosnia. It is possible to obtain these certificates whilst in Bosnia. However, in our opinion this is not the best solution and instead suggest you follow the route detailed below. This will save you a month long trip to Bosnia and peace of mind that everything is done correctly and on time.

To obtain your Certificate de Coutume you must first register your intention to marry with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin or Cork. You must apply no sooner than 6 month but no later than 4 months before your intention to marry. The forms you need to fill in are located on the website of the Department.

The Certificate of Custom and Law can only be issued by the Consulate in Zagreb, Croatia. When you go to Bosnia to register your intention to marry, you must ask them to provide both these documents into Bosnian. This process will take a couple days.

With both these documents in hand you will need to visit the Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs who will verify these documents. This can usually be done on the same day if you arrive early. ONLY THEN can you visit the Registrar in your chosen district to register your intention to marry!