Marriage, divorce, family name

Two people may marry if they are at least 18 years old and capable of judgement. Capable of judgement means: you understand what you are doing. They may not already be married. They may also not be closely related, so not parent and child or brother and sister. Since 2022, two women or two men may also marry. Income, place of residence or the parents' consent play no role.

Before the wedding, the couple together register their intention to marry at the civil registry office. The office checks the requirements. This is called the preparatory procedure. After that, the civil wedding takes place. A church wedding is voluntary and may only take place after the civil wedding. The wedding usually takes place in the wedding room of the civil registry office.

For names, the rule is: each person can keep their name. Or the couple chooses one of their birth names (the name before the first marriage) as their common family name. If they have no common name, the parents decide at the wedding which name the children will get. A divorce can be requested by the wife, the husband or both together.