Azerbaijan - Getting Married

ProcedureEdit

If you intend to marry in Azerbaijan, you prepare all pertinent civil documents, particularly those documents (divorce or death certificates) establishing the end of any previous marriage, with translations into Azerbaijani. These must be original documents or court certified copies.

It is not possible to register for marriage without a valid Azerbaijani visa. Visas may be obtained at home countrys Azerbaijani Embassy.

Get a Certificate of No Record of Marriage. The Government of Azerbaijan requires foreign citizens wishing to marry in Azerbaijan to provide a Certificate of No Record of Marriage issued by the Vital Records Department of his or her residence or from your embassy, unless you are a citizen of a country that Azerbaijan recognizes for marriages. This certificate should state that no record of marriage was found for the named individual. If the applicant was previously married, he or she needs to provide a marriage dissolution certificate, and if she/he is widowed, then the previous marriage and death certificate should be provided as well.

Please bear in mind that all of the above mentioned documents must be authenticated (Apostille) by the government authority of the issuing country, translated into Azerbaijani language and only then submitted to ZAGS office.

Go To The ZAGS Office. It is advisable you contact the Main Registrar Office (ZAGS) for the most up to date requirements to register your marriage. Once you have prepared all the required documents, the Main Registrar Office (ZAGS) will accept your marriage application (available at ZAGS office) and provide you with a marriage registration date.

Required DocumentsEdit

Valid entrance visa to Azerbaijan (for foreigners)
Passport/ID card
Completed application form
Anyone who has been married previously should bring documentation proving their civil status (divorce papers or death certificate) from your home country
"Certificate of No Record of Marriage" issued by the Vital Records Department in your country (for foreigners)
Receipt confirming payment of state duty payment (this can be paid at branches of Kap)

Office Locations & ContactsEdit

Ministry of Justice
Address: 72, Azadliq Avenue,
Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku AZ1007
Tel: (99412) 404-42-81
Fax: (99412) 404-42-99
E-mail: [email protected]

The Registry Service of the Civil Status Acts
Tel: (99412) 404-42-44; 404-42-07
Working days: I-II--III-IV-V;
Working hours: 09:00-18:00
Lunch: 13:00-14:00
Weekend: VI-VII
Hot line
(99412) 404-42-87
(99412) 404-42-88

List of regional (city) registration divisions

For contact details of Notary Offices in Baku: Click here

EligibilityEdit

Marriage age in Azerbaijan Republic is determined: for men - 18 years, for women - 17 years.

If there is a good reason, the appropriate body of the executive power (local bodies of the executive power) of the territory of the place of residence of the minor persons wishing to marry, can reduce their marriage age on the request, but not more for than a year.

FeesEdit

The fee charged for registration of marriage is AZN 5

ValidityEdit

Marriage is dissolved in case of death or judicial adjudgement of a spouse to be dead.
Marriage can be dissolved upon the application of one or both spouses, as well as upon the application of spouse's guardian, judicially adjudged to be disabled.
A husband does not have a right to prosecute a claim for divorce during the period of pregnancy of his wife or during 1 year after the birth of a child without permission of his wife.

Documents to UseEdit

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample DocumentsEdit

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing TimeEdit

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

InstructionsEdit

Under Azerbaijani law, either the bride or the groom must be an Azerbaijani citizen in order for the marriage to be registered in Azerbaijan. The Main Registrar Office (ZAGS) is the only authority that registers marriages, when foreign national involved.

According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 31 July 2002, besides regional (city) divisions for the registration of civil status acts, the regional registration of marriage in cities, living districts and villages is elaborated also by the representations of regional, city and towns executive power authorities in order to create comfortable conditions for residents of districts and villages located far from towns.

Marriage registration is not allowed between:

close relatives (parents and children, grandmothers, grandparents and grandchildren, brothers and sisters having common mother or father);
adopted persons and the adoptive parents;
persons if one or both of them are registered in another marriage;
persons if one or both of them are found by the court to be disabled as a result of mental illness or mentally backward.

Required InformationEdit

Your full names
Sex
Date and place of birth
Nationality
Personal identification document number
Marital status (never married or divorced or widowed)
The full names of your fiance/fianc

Need for the DocumentEdit

It is possible to get married in Azerbaijan as long as one of the couple is an Azerbaijani citizen. Under Azerbaijani law civil registration of all marriages is required and marriages involving a foreigner must be registered at the Main Registry Office (ZAGS).

The minimum age for marriage is 18 years for men and 17 years for women, or a year earlier for either in exceptional circumstances.

The process for getting married is relatively straightforward; however, it can be time consuming and a good deal of planning and organization is required to ensure that all of the necessary documents are in order.

Information which might helpEdit

The regional (city) divisions for the registration of civil status acts of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan conducts the registration of marriage, changes civil records, completes, corrects and liquidates these records, restores lost records, keeps archives and issues duplicate certificates. For the time being, there are 86 regional (city) divisions for the registration of civil status acts in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Foreigners must apply for official permission from the Azerbaijani government to marry a citizen of Azerbaijani. You must demonstrate to Azerbaijan officials that they are not currently married to anyone else - either you have never been married or all divorces are finalized - that your identity is proven, and that you have never committed any crimes in Azerbaijani. This is done by providing various documents including an Affidavit of Single Status to the Azerbaijani government either in Azerbaijan or via an Azerbaijani embassy.

External LinksEdit

http://azerbaijan.usembassy.gov/marriage.html

http://www.justice.gov.az/eng/cat.php?cat=0901

http://www.justice.gov.az/eng/cat.php?cat=0401

http://www.expatwoman.com/azerbaijan/monthly_azerbaijan_families_Marriage_in_Baku_11968.aspx

http://azerbaijan.usembassy.gov/marriage.html

http://gender-az.org/index_en.shtml?id_doc=93

OthersEdit

Medical examination of the marrying persons as well as consultation on medical-genetic problems and issues of family planning are held by state and municipal medical facilities on the place of their residence free-of charge and only with their permission.

Results of medical examination of marrying persons are medical secret.

If one of the marrying persons hid from another person the fact of dermato-venerologic disease or a disease caused by the virus of AIDS, another side has a right to appeal to the court for declaring the marriage invalid.