Preparing for a Civil Marriage in Luxembourg
Our religious wedding ceremony in Thailand is one important part of our story.
However, we also prepare for our civil marriage in Luxembourg.
This part of the journey is very different.
It involves collecting official documents.
Some documents are available in English.
Others need translation.
Documents then need legalisation before they can be used in Luxembourg.
Once the documents are ready, they are combined with the other documents required for the marriage file.
Collecting Documents in Thailand
Because the religious wedding ceremony takes place in the region where my wife’s parents live, we use our time there to visit the local government office.
We collect the documents needed for our civil marriage procedure in Luxembourg.
The documents required in our personal situation include:
A full copy of the birth certificate mentioning the names of the parents.
A residency certificate.
Proof of single status mentioning the civil status.
A certificate confirming a change of name, because my wife has changed her first name.
To visit the local government office, copies of additional documents are needed, including copies relating to my wife, the village head and my wife’s father.
Documents in English
Fortunately, most of the documents we receive are available in English.
The birth certificate is the exception.
It is in Thai and needs to be translated into English.
For our procedure, documents accepted in Luxembourg can be in French, German or English.
Translation and Legalisation
The next challenge is finding a suitable translation and preparing the documents for legalisation.
This involves contacting translators, comparing prices and waiting times, checking translations and visiting the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Afterwards, we arrange an appointment with the Embassy of Luxembourg in Bangkok.
Checking the Marriage File in Luxembourg
After receiving the legalised documents, we add them to the rest of our marriage file.
This includes:
A copy of my wife’s passport.
A copy of my identity card.
A copy of my birth certificate.
The civil marriage questionnaire from the municipality.
I arrange an appointment with the population office to verify that the documents are correct and that the file is complete.
Everything is in order.
This is an important moment because it confirms that, in our personal situation, the prepared documents are accepted and the file is complete.
Life After Our Civil Marriage in Luxembourg
Once our civil marriage in Luxembourg was completed, the next administrative steps could begin.
Registration at My Address
My wife was registered at my address in Luxembourg and received her Luxembourg national identification number.
This registration was an important step towards establishing her administrative situation in Luxembourg.
Applying for a Residence Card
Following the registration, the municipality submitted a request for a residence card to the Immigration Directorate.
The immigration authorities subsequently arranged an appointment for my wife to have her photograph taken and her fingerprints collected.
A few days later, we were able to collect her residence card at their office.
It was another important milestone in our journey together, making her administrative situation in Luxembourg more complete.
Health Insurance – Co-insurance
As my wife is not currently working, I also submitted a request to my health insurance fund to include her under my health insurance coverage as a co-insured family member.
This is another important administrative step towards ensuring that she has access to the appropriate health coverage in Luxembourg.
There are several administrative formalities to complete after a marriage, but taking them one step at a time makes the process easier to manage.
Important
This page describes our personal experience.
Requirements can vary depending on nationality, residence, civil status and individual circumstances.
Procedures and document requirements can also change.
Always verify the current requirements with the competent official authorities.