Requirements for registering a marriage in Sweden for a non-Swedish and a Swedish Citizen.
Note: The requirements differ for persons who are in Sweden on a work visa, sponsorship or a like…
Provided that your soon-to-be spouse is a foreign national and that their partner is a Swedish national, then the best advice is to first have the marriage registered in the foreign nationals home-country or a European Country that recognizes a marriage rather easily. Contact us to know a list of these.
As per the law, matrimonial matters are regulated in the Marriage act and in the Act on Certain International Legal Relationships Concerning Marriage and Guardianship(IÄL).
First, one must complete an obstacle (hindrance) test, which means that the Swedish Tax Agency checks that you are over 18, are not closely related to each other and that neither of you are already married etc.
When your obstacle test has been approved, you will receive an obstacle test certificate and a marriage certificate. You can ask to receive these certificates in English to make it easier during the wedding, chapters 2-3 of the marriage code and chapter 1. § 8a first point IÄL.
Then you need to apply for a marriage certificate. A marriage certificate is proof that you, as a Swedish citizen, have the right to marry before a foreign authority. This document is not required in all countries for a wedding abroad, but it may still be a good idea to apply for it and bring it with you to the wedding. However, note that the certificate is only valid for four months, so it may be a good idea not to apply for it too soon before the wedding.
In Sweden, the identity card is valid as a document that replaces the marriage contract (marriage license). You therefore need to apply for an identity card for you in English that shows whether you have children, information about your parents and whether you have been married before. This identity card will also be stamped by the Swedish Tax Agency, which many foreign authorities require.
Some countries want to know that you have no felony convictions before marrying a citizen from their country. It may therefore be a good idea to apply for an extract from the charge register from the police.
You can also contact the person who will marry you and ask if the documents can be in English or if they need to be translated. If translation is required, make sure you get this done before the wedding date to get help with it. In some cases, a translation process can take time and needs to be apostilled. (Requirements differ)
Since it can differ between different countries, which documents you need for a marriage to be valid in the country you are getting married in, and it might be useful to contact the embassy that your partner is a citizen of to gain more insight and ask if you need other documents in addition to those listed above.
After the wedding, you need a marriage certificate which must be sent to the Tax Agency in order to get your marriage approved and registered in Sweden, ch. 1. § 7 IÄL. It is a document that certifies that you have married. The marriage certificate needs to be approved by the authorities from where your spouse is from. If possible, request a copy of the marriage certificate in English. It is important that when you submit the marriage certificate to the Tax Agency that you can both show a valid ID document. If one of you has changed your surname as a result of the wedding, you need to obtain new ID documents where the new surname is used.
Otherwise, if you need help contacting the Swedish Migration Agency and understanding more of your rights then please feel free to contact us!
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