What are the requirements to get married in Lithuania?
It depends on the conditions — marrying in Lithuania is allowed for adults, but wanting to and having a passport is not enough, and the popular myth "I apply and marry the same day" is wrong. Under the Civil Code, marriage may be entered into by opposite-sex people who have reached 18, freely and by mutual consent; in Lithuania marriage is possible only between a man and a woman. For those under 18 who wish to marry, a court may reduce the age in simplified proceedings by no more than three years — down to 15, and in the event of pregnancy the court may allow an even younger person to marry. The application is filed with the civil registry office, and the marriage is registered no sooner than one month after the application. Most importantly, and often overlooked: you cannot marry a close relative, a person who is already married, or someone declared legally incapable — such a marriage is deemed void. A 30 EUR state fee is charged for registration, while the price of a formal ceremony is set by the municipality itself.
📋 The rules
- Marriage may be entered into by opposite-sex people aged 18, freely and by mutual consent (Civil Code)
- A court may lower the marriage age by no more than 3 years (to 15); in case of pregnancy, even more
- The application goes to the registry; the marriage is registered no sooner than 1 month later
- You cannot marry someone already married, a close relative or a legally incapable person
- The state registration fee is 30 EUR; the ceremony price is set by the municipality
🔓 Exceptions
- A marriage contracted abroad is recorded in Lithuania by submitting documents to the civil registry office
- A marriage in a traditional religious community's church has civil effect if the data is passed to the registry within the statutory period (10 days)
- In urgent cases (e.g. pregnancy or illness) the registry may register the marriage before the month passes
⚠️ Penalties & fines
What matters here is not a fine but the fact that an unlawfully contracted marriage can be declared void. If a marriage is contracted in breach of the conditions — with an already married person, a close relative, an incapable person or under duress — a court may declare it void, and it is then treated as if the marriage never existed. Often overlooked: a void marriage creates no spousal property rights, so an honest party may lose shared assets or inheritance guarantees. Marrying without a prenuptial agreement automatically triggers the joint community-property regime — everything acquired during the marriage becomes common, which drives the division on divorce. Concealing an earlier marriage or giving false data to the registry leads to the marriage being annulled, and the culpable party may also face liability. A formal ceremony, venue and extra documents cost separately, so the real cost of a wedding far exceeds the 30 EUR fee.
📎 Official sources
- e-seimas · Civil Code, Book III (contracting marriage) →
- Registrų centras · marriage registration →
- e-tar · Civil Code (marriage conditions) →
❓ Frequently asked
At what age can you marry in Lithuania?
Marriage may be entered into by people who have reached 18, but a court may reduce the marriage age in simplified proceedings by no more than three years, that is, down to 15. In the event of pregnancy, the court may allow a person younger than 15 to marry after assessing their maturity and the important reasons.
Can you get married on the same day?
No, a marriage is registered no sooner than one month after the application is filed with the civil registry office. This waiting period is meant for reflection, but for important reasons, such as pregnancy or illness, the office may register the marriage earlier.
Is same-sex marriage possible in Lithuania?
No, under the Civil Code and the Constitution marriage in Lithuania is possible only between a man and a woman. Same-sex couples cannot register a marriage, and the legal regulation of partnership remains unresolved and is handled through the courts.
How much does registering a marriage cost?
A 30 EUR state fee is charged for registering a marriage, while the price of a formal ceremony and venue is set separately by each municipality. The total cost therefore depends on the chosen place and rite, not just on the state fee.
Is a church marriage valid for the state?
Yes, a marriage held in the church of a traditional religious community has civil effect if the church passes the data to the civil registry office within the statutory period. In that case the marriage is deemed contracted from the date of the church ceremony, and the registry records it.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “marriage requirements lithuania”
- “minimum age to marry in lithuania”
- “how long to wait to register marriage”
- “marriage registration fee lithuania”
- “can you marry at 16 in lithuania”
- “same-sex marriage in lithuania”