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MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE

Marriage Regulations in Austria
Eheschliessung in den U.S.A. (in German)
Divorce by American Citizens in Austria

MARRIAGE REGULATIONS IN AUSTRIA

American citizens may enter into marriage in Austria. The procedure is, however, somewhat complex. For this reason, Americans contemplating marriage in Austria should be completely familiar with the following provisions:

LEGAL AGE FOR MARRIAGE: Legal age for either sex is 18 for both males and females, but a marriage between an 18 year-old and a 16 year-old may be authorized by the court.

PLEASE NOTE: Only the Austrian Registrar's Office (Standesamt) can give you binding information regarding marriage requirements.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Passport
Birth Certificate (original or certified copy, citing names of parents)
Certificate of residence (driver's license or latest tax slip)
Documentary proof of dissolution of previous marriages, if any, e.g. final divorce or annulment decrees, marriage certificate from former marriages or death certificate. (i.e. Mexican divorces are normally not recognized in Austria). In the case of a divorce, in which the woman's or the man's nationality are different or which took place outside of their home country, the permission of the Austrian Ministry of Justice is required, which will delay the procedure.
A marriage affidavit executed before a consular officer of the U.S. Embassy in 1010 Vienna, Parkring 12a, in which the American applicant states that he or she is free to marry the other party according to the laws of his or her home state in the U.S. We are available Mo - Fr 08:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., please bring your U.S. passport and US$ 30 or Euro equivalent.
Notarized parental consent, if required (see above)
Austria, the United States and many other countries are members of "The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents". This means that Austrian official will require that U.S. documents be certified and a so-called apostille be affixed. The apostille can only be obtained from the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of State in the U.S. state where the original document was issued.

Documents (other than passports) not in German must be accompanied by certified translations made by an official translator.

Birth, Marriage and Divorce Certificates

PLACE OF MARRIAGE

Only civil marriage ceremonies are legal in Austria, although they may be followed by religious ceremonies if desired. Civil marriages are performed by officials of the Vital Statistics Office (Standesamt) in the appropriate jurisdiction. The ceremony takes place at the Vital Statistics Office (Standesamt) If either party to the marriage is an Austrian citizen, or resides in Austria (regardless of citizenship), the application for marriage must be filed at the Standesamt in the locality of that residence. If both parties to the marriage are non-Austrians and non-residents, the application should be filed at the Standesamt of the first district of Vienna.
The address of that office is:

Standesamt Wien Innere Stadt/Mariahilf
Schlesingerplatz 4 (2nd floor, on left)
1080 Vienna
Tel.: [43] (1) 401 34 08583 or [43] (1) 401 34 08581
Fax: [43] (1) 401 34 9908580
Office hours: 8 a.m. - 3:15 p.m
e-mail: post-a08@m61.magwien.gv.at

Non-Austrians not residing in Austria can, however, choose to marry in any other Austrian community. They will have to show a certificate of residence (U.S. driver's license or latest tax return).

PROCEDURES

Both marriage partners should apply in person at the appropriate Vital Statistics Office (Standesamt), bringing with them the required documents listed above.

The Standesamt will forward the documents for approval of the marriage to the appropriate Superior Court (Oberlandesgericht). After payment of the court fees, the file is returned to the Standesamt, which then schedules the date of wedding (there may be some difficulty obtaining appointments during the major holidays). The overall fees for the various procedures and services amount to approximately Euro 220 (approximately USD 176). If you do not apply in person, you can wire the necessary amount to Bank Austria Vienna (account number: 696 200 104), Vordere Zollamtstrasse 13, 1030 Vienna, Austria.

The ceremony itself takes approximately 15 minutes. In case one or both marriage partners do not speak German, they must engage the services of an official Austrian interpreter at their own expenses.

Please be advised that you need an apostille affixed to your Austrian marriage certificate since it will otherwise not be accepted by the authorities in the US. You should apply for an apostille at the Standesamt where your marriage ceremony is to take place.

TOTAL TIME REQUIRED

Although Austrian law does require a period of residence in Austria prior to marriage, the administrative procedures involved usually require two to four weeks to complete.

MISCELLANEOUS

Usually both marriage partners should be present in Austria during the entire period necessary to arrange for the ceremony. If only one partner can be present in Austria, s/he may make the arrangements providing s/he obtains the authorization (i.e. power of attorney) from the other partner on a form called Ermaechtigung. These forms (in German) are available from all Standesamt offices. If, for some unusual circumstances, neither partner can arrive well in advance of the ceremony, special arrangements can sometimes be made. The necessary information and forms may be obtained from the Standesamt Wien Innere Stadt-Mariahilf, Schlesingerplatz 4, 1082 Vienna, Austria, Tel: (43-1) 401 340. In such instances applicants will need to employ an agent in Vienna to process their application and pay the required fees. Applicants may select a personal friend for this service, or retain a lawyer. A list of attorneys is available at: List of Attorneys.

Validity of Austrian marriages:
Binding advice regarding the validity of an Austrian marriage in the U.S. can be obtained only from an attorney or an official in the appropriate State. However, marriages legally performed in Austria are generally recognized in the States.

Wedding packages at different locations are offered at:

The brochure "The Wedding of Your Dreams in Vienna" can be obtained from the Austrian National Tourist office at info@oewync.com.

For your information, please see the blank sample Marriage Affidavit in pdf format.

EHESCHLIESSUNG IN DEN U.S.A.

Die Gesetzgebung in Bezug auf Eheschliessung ist in jedem einzelnen Bundesstaat der U.S.A. verschieden. Die Botschaft kann daher keine bindenden Informationen geben, welche exakten Vorbedingungen für jeden einzelnen Bundesstaat notwendig sind.

Im allgemeinen sind jedoch die folgenden Dokumente erforderlich:

Gültiger Reisepass
Geburtsurkunde (Internationale Ausfertigung, jetzt übereits berall in Österreich für nach dem 1. Jänner 1939 Geborene erhältlich)
Ehefähigkeitszeugnis (ausgestellt vom Österreichischen Standesamt des gegenwärtigen oder letzten Wohnsitzes in Österreich)
Endgültiges Scheidungsurteil (falls zutreffend) in englischer Übersetzung.
Weiterhin ist es in den meisten der U.S. Bundesstaaten Pflicht, dass vor der Heirat eine Blutuntersuchung (blood test) durchgeführt wird, und zwar von einem Arzt in dem Staat, in dem geheiratet werden soll.

WICHTIG: Ein Internationaler Echtheitsvermerk Apostille gemäß dem Haager Übereinkommen (dem Österreich und die USA beigetreten sind) sollte unbedingt beantragt werden. Die Apostille erhalten sie vom Secretary of State des jeweiligen Bundesstaates.

Zusätzliche Informationen können Sie auch im Internet über Suchmaschinen, z.B. Google, recherchieren. Geben Sie den Begriff "weddings", sowie den Namen des betreffenden Bundesstaates und/oder der Stadt ein.

Weitere Informationen über Vorbedingungen für die Eheschliessung in den USA sollten von der Österreichischen Vertretung in dem betreffenden Bundesstaat eingeholt werden, in dem die Ehe geschlossen werden soll. Eine Liste der wichtigsten Österreichischen Vertretungen in den USA folgt:

Washington Botschaft der Republik Österreich
3524 International Court
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel.: (202) 895-6700
Fax: (202) 895-6750
e-mail: washington-ob@bmaa.gv.at,
consularsection.washington@mailbox.as (Consular Section)

Konsularbezirk: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, US-Virgin Islands

Chicago Generalkonsulat
Wrigley Building, Suite 707
400 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Tel.: (312) 222-1515
Fax: (312) 222-4113
E-mail: chicago-gk@bmaa.gv.at

Konsularbezirk: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Los Angeles Generalkonsulat
11859 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 501
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Tel.: (310) 444-9310
Fax: 47 79 897
e-mail: los-angeles-gk@bmaa.gv.at

Konsularbezirk: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Pazifische Inseln (unter Verwaltung der U.S.A.)

New York Generalkonsulat
31 East 69th Street
New York, NY 10021
Tel: (212) 737-6400
Fax: (212) 77 28 926
e-mail: new-york-gk@bmaa.gv.at

Konsularbezirk: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Eheschließung im Ausland, Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs

Las Vegas Wedding Information (English)
Hochzeit auf Reisen
Heiraten in Las Vegas

Birth, Marriage and Divorce Certificates

DIVORCE BY AMERICAN CITIZENS IN AUSTRIA

American citizens may obtain a divorce in Austria, provided that:
(a) both parties to the divorce reside in Austria
(b) the defendant resides in Austria or
(c) the plaintiff resides in Austria.

Jurisdiction is with the Circuit Court (Kreisgericht), Provincial Court (Landesgericht) and/or District Court (Bezirksgericht) in whose venue:
(a) either both parties reside or
(b) the defendant only resides or
(c) the plaintiff only resides.

In dealing with the case, the Austrian court will apply the laws of the jurisdiction, which the court finds appropriate to the particular case in question.

Owing to the formal requirements of Austrian juridical procedure as well as the complexities which may arise in a divorce action, it would normally be expected that the parties to a divorce action in Austria would engage the services of an Austrian attorney.

A list of English-speaking attorneys may be obtained from the U.S. Embassy, Consular Section, Parkring 12a, 1010 Vienna, Austria.

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