Bruges (Brugge), the medieval capital of West Flanders, welcomes couples from across the world who wish to celebrate their civil marriage in this iconic city. When one partner is a foreign national, the municipality of Bruges requires a certificate of celibacy or capacity to marry, translated into Dutch by a Belgian sworn translator. Here is the complete guide to preparing your dossier.
Getting married in Bruges with a foreign partner: the essentials
The municipality of Bruges (Stad Brugge) processes civil marriage dossiers at the civil registry office. When one or both future spouses are foreign nationals, the dossier must include foreign civil status documents - including the certificate of celibacy - accompanied by sworn Dutch translations produced by translators registered with the Belgian FPS Justice.
Bruges attracts many international couples, including British nationals (particularly post-Brexit residents in West Flanders), French nationals, and people from North Africa, the Philippines and Eastern Europe. Our agency regularly handles translation requests specifically for Bruges marriage dossiers.
Documents required by the Bruges civil registry
- Birth certificates of both future spouses (translated if in a foreign language)
- Valid identity documents (passport or identity card)
- Certificate of celibacy or capacity to marry (translated into Dutch)
- Proof of residence in Bruges (if applicable)
- If applicable: foreign divorce judgment (translated and potentially recognised by a Belgian court) or death certificate of a previous spouse (translated and apostilled)
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Certificate of celibacy by country of origin
The name and format of the certificate of celibacy varies considerably by country. Here are the most commonly requested in Bruges:
- United Kingdom: a declaration of freedom to marry, or a certificate issued by the General Register Office
- France: certificat de non-empêchement or certificat de coutume
- Morocco: certificat de célibat (شهادة العزوبية)
- Philippines: CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage Record) issued by the PSA
- Turkey: bekarlık belgesi
- Poland: zaświadczenie o zdolności prawnej do zawarcia małżeństwa
- Romania: certificat de stare civilă
All of these documents must be accompanied by an official Dutch translation before being submitted to the Bruges civil registry.
Planning your timeline in Bruges
Belgian law requires a minimum 14-day period between submission of the marriage dossier and the ceremony (publication of banns). In practice, many Bruges couples plan their dossier 4 to 8 weeks in advance to account for:
- Obtaining the certificate of celibacy from the relevant consulate or authority (which can take 2-4 weeks)
- Having all documents translated (24-48 hours with our service)
- Any apostille or legalisation requirements (1-3 weeks depending on the country)
- The municipality's administrative processing time
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does the Bruges municipality require sworn translations for all foreign documents?
Yes. The civil registrar in Bruges requires sworn Dutch translations for all official foreign documents submitted as part of a marriage dossier. This includes the certificate of celibacy, birth certificates, divorce judgments and death certificates. Translations must be produced by a translator registered with the Belgian FPS Justice.
Can I get a certificate of celibacy from the British consulate in Belgium?
Post-Brexit, British nationals in Belgium can obtain a certificate confirming their freedom to marry through the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office or via the General Register Office. Some UK nationals in Bruges choose to use a statutory declaration. The relevant Belgian authority will confirm exactly which format is acceptable. Once you have the document, we can translate it into Dutch within 24 hours.
How long does a sworn translation take for a Bruges marriage dossier?
Standard turnaround is 24 to 48 hours for most languages after receiving your document. For urgent wedding timelines, our express 12h service is available. All translations are delivered by email as a certified PDF, which the Bruges civil registry accepts for initial submission.
Can we get married in Bruges if the certificate of celibacy is in a rare language?
Yes. Our agency covers more than 70 languages, including less common ones such as Tagalog, Amharic, Bengali, Sinhalese and many others. Contact us with details of your document and language - we will confirm availability and turnaround within a few hours.