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Please be advised that the Embassy of Ireland, Malta website has moved and this page is no longer being updated. The Embassy website is now available at Ireland.ie/valletta.

Marriage & Civil Partnership Abroad

If you are an Irish Citizen resident outside Ireland and need a Certificate of Freedom to Marry, find out how to begin your online application. Before you begin this step, you should always check first with the local Maltese authorities where you plan to get married what documents they will require from you.

Online questionnaire

To apply for a Certificate of Freedom to Marry, you must complete an online questionnaire about yourself and your upcoming marriage.

Statutory Declaration

Based on this questionnaire, you’ll be presented with one or more Statutory Declarations to complete and a checklist of supporting documentation you'll need to submit with your application.

You need to:

  1. Print and sign your questionnaire
  2. Print out a copy of each Statutory Declaration
  3. Print out your checklist
  4. Make the online payment
  5. Complete the Declarations and have them witnessed
  6. Post them to us with your supporting documentation and signed questionnaire.

Remember...

Print off or save each form right after your online questionnaire, as you won't be able to retrieve them later.

When to apply

Submit your application at least four months before the date of your marriage. Your witnessed statutory declaration(s) cannot be dated more than six months before the date we receive your application.

Remember...

Your application is not complete until we get hard copies of your questionnaire, statutory declaration(s), and all supporting documentation.

Your checklist will tell you exactly what supporting documentation you'll need for your application, which may include:

  • Your original long-form birth certificate
  • A court order, if you are under 18 years
  • Marriage and Death certificate of your previous spouse, if widowed
  • Petition and final decree of your divorce, if divorced
  • A photocopy of your current Irish passport
  • Your original naturalisation certification, if naturalised

Translating your documents

You'll need to submit certified translations of any of these documents, if the originals are in a language other than English or Irish.

Getting replacement documents

We need original documents (except for the photocopy of your passport) to process your application.

Getting your documents back

We will return all your original documents to you after we inspect them.

Remember...

If you haven't included all the necessary documents, your application will be returned to you.

Your statutory declaration must be witnessed before you can submit it.

Who can be a witness?

Your witness must:

  • Know you personally, or
  • Know a third party personally who can identify, or
  • Be able to verify your identity through your official documents (e.g. a passport)
  • Provide business contact number, address, and stamp.

Your witness needs to:

  • Witness you completing and signing your Statutory Declaration(s)
  • Complete and sign the relevant part of you Statutory Declaration(s)

Remember...

It's against the law to make a Statutory Declaration that you know is false or misleading in any way.

Fees for making an application for Cetificat de Coutume/Nulla Osta

Please ensure that the appropriate fee is included. If applying to the Embassy of Ireland in Malta, the fee for issuing a certificate of freedom to marry is €60 per Irish applicant.

Late Fee

Applications submitted 28 days or less before the date of the intended marriage or civil partnership will incur an additional fee of €60 per Irish applicant.

Bring your completed application to:

Embassy of Ireland
Whitehall Mansions
Ix-Xatt ta’ Ta’ Xbiex
Ta’ Xbiex