In addition to the fully completed and signed application form (available from the relevant state judicial administration or registry office), the following documents must be submitted in the original (additional documents may be required in individual cases):

• Marriage certificate or family register extract or marriage register extract of the divorced marriage as proof of the marriage.
• Complete copy or certified copy of the foreign decision issued by the court of the decision-making state with facts and reasons. As far as an official divorce is concerned, a divorce certificate or an extract from the divorce register must be submitted.
• Proof of the legal force of the foreign judgment (either by a legal force note on the judgment, by a separate document or by an entry in the register of civil status).
• Proof of entry in the register in the case of countries where this is required for the validity of the decision.
• Translations of all foreign language documents prepared by a recognized translator in Germany.
• Certificate of the applicant's earnings/income.
• Proof of the intended marriage in Thuringia by submitting the registration for marriage, if neither of the spouses of the divorced marriage is resident in Thuringia.
• Written power of attorney, if the application is submitted by an authorized representative.
• Copy of the applicant's valid passport.

The documents will be returned to you after completion of the procedure.

The originals of the documents must always be provided with the legalization of the competent German mission abroad or with the apostille of the competent foreign home authority.

In the case of legalization, the German embassy in the country of divorce confirms that

• the signatures on the document are genuine and
• the signatory was authorized to issue public documents.

Several countries have concluded the Hague Convention of 05.10.1961 on the Exemption of Foreign Public Documents from Legalization in order to simplify the process of over-authentication by legalization. According to Art. 3, para. 1 of the Convention, legalization is replaced by the apostille between the contracting states. It is issued by the competent authority of the state that issued the document. According to Art. 5, para. 2 of the Convention, the apostille attests to a rebuttable presumption of the authenticity of the document.

Special guidelines apply to documents from countries whose legal systems, in the opinion of the German Foreign Office, have such serious deficiencies that legalization is no longer justifiable. As a rule, these documents are checked for authenticity and accuracy of content by the German mission abroad by way of administrative assistance. The applicant must bear the costs incurred as a result.