Getting married or registering a civil partnership abroad: Information based on your answers

Marriage in Montenegro

Contact the Embassy of Montenegro to find out about local marriage laws, including what documents you’ll need.

You should get legal advice and check the travel advice for Montenegro before making any plans.

What you need to do

You need to prove you’re legally allowed to get married by getting a certificate of no impediment (CNI) and making an affirmation at the British embassy.

Get a CNI

You can normally get a CNI by giving a notice of marriage at your local register office or registrar in the UK. Find your local office or registrar in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey.

A CNI issued in Scotland is valid for 3 months. A CNI issued in England, Wales or Northern Ireland will not expire. Check with your local register office to find out how long a CNI is valid if you live in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. You should also check with the local authorities in Montenegro to find out how long a CNI is valid under local law.

Exchange your CNI and make an affirmation

You need to exchange your UK-issued CNI for one that’s valid in Montenegro at the British Embassy in Podgorica. You also need to make an affirmation at the British embassy that says you’re legally allowed to get married. It costs £50 for a CNI issued by the British embassy and £50 for an affirmation made at the British embassy.

Make an appointment at the British embassy in Podgorica to exchange your CNI.

You can make your affirmation at your appointment to exchange your CNI. You’ll need to complete an affirmation form. You can download and fill in (but not sign) the affirmation in advance.

You must take the UK-issued CNI and affirmation with you to your appointment.

If you’ve been married or in a civil partnership before

You’ll need to take one of the following documents:

your decree absolute or final order (this could be a printed PDF certified in the country where you got divorced) - if you’re divorced
your annulment certificate - if your marriage or civil partnership was annulled
your civil partnership dissolution - if your civil partnership was dissolved
your previous partner’s death certificate and marriage certificate - if you’ve been widowed

You can provide copies of a divorce decree or death certificate instead of originals. They’ll need to be certified by a notary public or solicitor in the country where the divorce took place or the death was registered.

You’ll also need to provide evidence of nationality or residence if the divorce or dissolution took place outside the UK. You’ll need to get it legalised and translated if it’s not in English.

You should also check with the local authorities in Montenegro to find out if you need to provide legalised and translated copies of any other documents.

The names on all documents you provide must appear exactly as they do on your passports - if not, the authorities may refuse to allow the marriage to go ahead. You may need to provide evidence if the name on your passport is different to your birth certificate (for example marriage certificate or deed poll).

Get married

You’ll need to give your CNI and affirmation to the person who’s going to marry you.

After you get married

Your marriage will be recognised in the UK if:

you follow the correct process according to the law in Montenegro
it would be allowed under UK law

You cannot register your marriage in the UK.

If your partner is not a British citizen, they can apply for British citizenship once they’ve lived in the UK for 3 years.