Registration of a marriage performed in South Africa

If you got married in South Africa, kindly send the following documents by e-mail to the Consulate general where you are registered in order to be able to adjust your marital status in the National Register:

• the South African marriage certificate (abridged or unabridged), legalized with the Apostille by DIRCO
• registration form for a foreign family member (if your spouse isn't Belgian), signed by your spouse. Dutch form (DOCX, 33.79 KB) / French form (DOCX, 37.46 KB)
• copy of the passport/ID card of your spouse

Transcription of the South African unabridged marriage certificate into the Registers of Civil Status of a  Belgian municipality

You can have the South African marriage certificate transcribed into the Registers of Civil Status of a Belgian municipality. This is not mandatory, but the municipality can then provide extracts or certified copies of this certificate in the future if you need it. The marriage certificate can be transcribed in the register of civil status:

1. of your place of residence in Belgium;
2. of your last place of residence in Belgium;
3. of the place of residence of your relatives in ascending line (father, mother, grandfather, grandmother);
4. of the municipality where you were born in Belgium;
5. of the City of Brussels.

The transcription is not automatic and is made at your request, directly to the municipality.

You will have to submit the following documents to the municipality: unabridged South African marriage certificate, legalized with the Apostille by the South African DIRCO, with translation into the language of the municipality.