Marrying a Russian citizen in Russia: documents for a foreigner

What a foreigner needs to register a marriage at a Russian registry office (ZAGS): passport translation, proof of legal stay, documents on previous marriages, and which of them must be translated and notarized.

A marriage between a foreigner and a Russian citizen is registered at a Russian registry office (ZAGS) under the same rules as any other marriage. The Russian partner's documents are simple; the paperwork that takes time is the foreign partner's.

What the foreign partner usually brings

• passport with a notarized Russian translation of the data page;
• proof of legal stay in Russia — visa, migration card, registration at an address, residence permit, as applicable;
• if previously married — a divorce certificate, a court decision or a death certificate of the former spouse, legalized and translated;
• in some cases, a certificate of marital status (no impediment to marriage) from the home country, if the registry office asks for one.

Requirements differ slightly between registry offices. Call or check with the one you have chosen before you book: some ask for the marital status certificate, others do not.

Applying and the waiting period

The couple files a joint application — at the registry office, via Gosuslugi or at a multifunctional centre — and pays the state fee. The marriage is usually registered one month after the application; the period can be shortened or extended in the cases set by the Family Code. Check the current state fee on Gosuslugi.

On the day of the ceremony both partners bring their passports; the foreign partner brings the passport translation too. If the foreign partner does not speak Russian well enough, the registry office may require an interpreter at the ceremony.

After the marriage

You receive a Russian marriage certificate — it needs no translation for Russian authorities. With it the foreign spouse can apply for a temporary residence permit without a quota, and later for a residence permit and simplified citizenship. See RVP documents.

If you plan to use the Russian marriage certificate in your home country, it will need a Russian apostille and a translation into your language there.

Name spelling

The registry office copies your name into the marriage record from the passport translation. That spelling will follow you to the RVP, the VNZh and citizenship, so make sure it matches your migration card and any earlier Russian documents. Read more in name spelling in Russian documents.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change; check the current list with your migration office before filing.