Marriages of Irish citizens abroad

Marriages of Irish citizens abroad are registered in the country where they occur. The General Register Office (central civil repository for records relating to births, deaths and marriages in the Republic of Ireland) has no function in advising on, or the registration of marriages of Irish citizens abroad. Marriages that take place outside the state are not normally registered in Ireland, except in very specific circumstances laid down in Section 2 of the Marriages Act, 1972. This meant only marriages consisting solely of a religious ceremony, conducted in the departement of Hautes Pyrenees, France before 1973 between couples where both or either partner was an Irish citizen on the day of the marriage had to be registered in Ireland. All other marriages that take place abroad do not need to be registered in Ireland.

Your foreign marriage certificate will usually be accepted for official purposes in Ireland where you need to show evidence that you are married. If the certificate is in a foreign language, you must provide an official translation or a translation from a recognised translation agency.