Vienna holds a certain air of romance, from its historic cobbled streets, to opulent palace gardens, to the green hills and vineyards that surround the city. It can be a wonderful place to get married—but like any wedding, the process still comes with its fair share of red tape.
Whether you’re a couple from out of the country, you’re both Austrian locals or you’re an international pair, there’s a way for you to get married in Austria. And it’s no different for same-sex couples (though the government calls this a “registered partnership”).
In Austria, civil marriage is the only form of marriage that has legal standing, so wedding ceremonies are conducted by a civil government office. Couples who want to commemorate their marriage with a religious ceremony often do so following the civil one.
But that doesn’t mean it’s all paperwork and no charm—an Austrian wedding can still be as elaborate or simple as you like, especially in Vienna, which has more than 100 wedding venues to choose from.
Here’s how to get married in Vienna, with information from the Austrian civil authority:
Find a registry office, or “Standesamt”
Vienna has seven marriage registry offices covering the city’s various districts. The office you apply through will handle your documents, confirm your wedding date and organize your official ceremony.
Vienna’s registry offices provide their own ceremony halls, but they also offer “dream weddings” at many other approved venues around the city. Popular venues include the Hirschstetten Flower Gardens, Kagran School Gardens, Winery Cobenzl and Vienna City Hall.
Legal fees for a civil wedding at the registry office can cost between €70-€170, according to Vienna’s “Standesamt.” Fees for a “dream wedding” can range from €500-€600, not including the price of the venue. There may be additional fees, for instance if you book a musician.
Setting a Date: Reserve and Register
For a wedding in one of Vienna’s official ceremony halls, register two to six months before the wedding day. It can take two to six weeks to fully complete marriage registration in a big city like Vienna, says the Austrian civil authority, so couples should prepare their documents and apply well before their desired wedding date. That said, the marriage certificate is only valid for six months—so don’t apply too early, either. Make an appointment to get the process started.
If you opt for a “dream wedding” venue, there are a few other things to complete before contacting the registry office. You’ll first need to reserve a wedding date with the department “Traumhochzeit in Wien” (Dream Weddings in Vienna). After that, contact your chosen venue to make a reservation—availability may vary. Once you set a date, you’re ready to make an appointment at one of Vienna’s registry offices.
COVID Notice: Marriage registration is currently only possible with a scheduled appointment, accompanied by a COVID test and FFP2 mask. Some limitations may also apply to the ceremony itself, such as a limited number of guests or restrictions on live music.
Prepare your documents and complete an interview
In order to determine the legality of your marriage, the Austrian registry office will conduct an interview with both members of a couple, going through legal documents, discussing official name changes and confirming your date. If one or both of you don’t speak German, you may be required to hire an interpreter for the ceremony.
Documents required for marriage registration will vary depending on a couple’s citizenship. If you aren’t from Austria, you may have to sign a marriage license in your country or at your country’s consulate before you can apply for a wedding date. If your country has a consulate in Austria, it’s a good idea to look there for more information.
Here’s a basic list of documents to prepare, including copies for each:
- Passport or ID
- Birth certificate
- Proof of citizenship
- Proof of primary residence
- Any documents pertaining to children or previous marriages (e.g. divorce papers)
All documents in a language other than German will have to be translated by a legally-certified translator. An apostille may also be required for certain documents. Getting these done can take some time and may require requests from your home country.
Check the government website for more specific information on collecting the correct documents, or ask your marriage registrar directly.
Wedding planning recommendations
Once you’ve been certified for marriage and have your date and venue reserved, you’re finished with the legal logistics. Of course, you might be neck deep in all of the other planning that goes into a big wedding. Here are METROPOLE’s recommendations for bringing your Viennese wedding to life, from dress to flowers to cake (and of course, there are many, many more out there!):
- For wedding dresses and suits, head to Flossman or Steinecker in the 1st district.
- For wedding invites printed in Vienna, talk to Martini-Druck in the 7th.
- For decorations and floral arrangements, head to Lederleitner, which has multiple locations in the 1st district. Check out Blumenkraft in the 4th for a contemporary twist on wedding bouquets.
- For wedding cakes, stop by Gerstner in the 1st, which has been baking sweets since 1847. If cupcakes are your thing, visit Cupcakes Wien in the 8th.
- For food service, talk to Motto Catering.
- If you’d rather hire someone to take care of the details, try A Very Beloved Wedding, an award-winning wedding planner based in Vienna.
