Marrying in Cyprus
Cyprus has been marrying foreign couples for decades, and its law is built for it. A civil marriage under the Marriage Law of 2003 is performed by the municipality's marriage officer, at the town hall or at an approved venue such as a hotel, after a notice of marriage and a fifteen-day wait, or earlier on a special licence when the municipality approves. The documents are the usual ones, with translations into Greek or English and an apostille where the country of issue requires it, and the certificate is issued by the municipality on the day.
The island gives four coasts and a mountain. Paphos in the west has the harbour, the sea caves at Peyia, the rock of Aphrodite and the hotels along the coast road; Limassol in the south has the seafront hotels and the vineyard villages behind it; Larnaca in the south-east has its own hotels and the island's main airport; Ayia Napa and Protaras in the east have the finest beaches and the small white chapels on the headlands. Inland, the Troodos mountains hold Byzantine chapels seating up to fifty, used for evening ceremonies that catch the sunset over the sea.
The season runs from early April to late October with almost no rain in the middle of it. May, June and September are the planners' months: warm but not punishing, and quieter than July and August, when afternoons reach 30 to 35°C. Two airports serve the island: Larnaca for the south and east, Paphos for the west.
The seasons
- Best
- Shoulder
- Peak
- Quieter
5 Star view Our reading of the wedding year, from the months below.
- Best months
- May, June and September
- Shoulder season
- April and October
- Peak season
- July and August
Summers are hot and dry from mid-May to mid-September, with virtually no rainfall between May and October and June and July afternoons of 30 to 35°C. May, early June and September to October are the comfortable months. Winters are mild on the coast and the mountains can see snow.
The weather, month by month
Lower row: average rainfall in the month, mm
Lower row: average rainfall in the month, mm
Reference Paphos: climatological normals 2002 to 2011, Department of Meteorology, through the WMO World Weather Information Service. Larnaca: climatological normals 2002 to 2011, Department of Meteorology, through the WMO World Weather Information Service. Read 5 October 2026.
Daylight and sunset
The bar runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month. A ceremony is usually timed an hour or two before the sunset shown.
Calculated From the coordinates of Paphos, local time, for 2027.
Ramadan and Eid
For couples and guests who observe them, the dates to plan a wedding around.
| Year | Ramadan | Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 8 Feb to 8 Mar | 9 Mar | 16 May |
| 2028 | 28 Jan to 25 Feb | 26 Feb | 5 May |
Calculated From the Umm al-Qura calendar. The observed dates follow the sighting of the moon and can fall a day either side.
The areas of Cyprus
Paphos and the west
The harbour town, the coast road of hotels north to Coral Bay and Peyia, the sea caves, the shipwreck beach and the rock of Aphrodite: the island's most-photographed ceremony spots, served by its own airport.
Limassol
The south coast city with the long seafront of large hotels and, behind it, the Commandaria wine villages of the hills. The biggest receptions and the widest hotel choice.
Larnaca
The south-east coast and the main airport: palm-lined seafront, beach hotels and bungalow resorts, and the village of Tochni in the hills behind for a traditional stone-house wedding.
Ayia Napa and Protaras
The east: the island's finest beaches, Ayia Thekla and Pernera, white chapels on the headlands, and resort hotels with dedicated ceremony areas and chapels of their own.
The Troodos mountains
Byzantine chapels seating up to fifty, for a ceremony at six in the evening with the sun setting over the sea below, and the cool of the hills in summer.
What venues are like
Counted The Cyprus venues by kind, counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
Beach resort hotel
The large hotels of Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca and Ayia Napa: a licensed ceremony area, often a chapel of their own, the beach, and rooms for the whole guest list.
Beach and headland ceremony
Approved beach and clifftop spots, from Ammos and Ayia Thekla in the east to the Peyia sea caves and Aphrodite's rock in the west, with the reception at a hotel nearby.
Beachfront estate
Private beachfront venues such as Ktima Alassos at Paphos: a ceremony lawn, a shaded garden and an uninterrupted view of the sea, for up to 200 guests.
Mountain chapel
The small Byzantine chapels of the Troodos, for a ceremony of fifty at sunset.
Village house and winery
Stone houses in the hill villages such as Tochni and the wineries of the Limassol hills, for a rural wedding with the sea an hour away.
How large a wedding the Cyprus collection takes
Counted Counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
For a large or private celebration
- Take 300 guests or more
- 2 of 6 venues
- Whole venue to yourselves
- 0 of 6
- Your own caterer welcome
- 0 of 6
- Largest
- Galu Seaside, up to 400
Counted Counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
Halal catering, service without alcohol, a private celebration for the ladies and a prayer room are arranged venue by venue: ask when you check your date. See the Cyprus venues for 300 guests or more.
Airports and transfers
- Larnaca (LCA) The main airport, just outside Larnaca on the south-east coast, with the widest choice of international flights.
- Paphos (PFO) Near Paphos on the south-west coast: smaller, and the airport to use for the western resorts.
Two airports, and the right one halves the transfer: Larnaca for Limassol, Larnaca, Ayia Napa and Protaras; Paphos for the west coast. Coach transfers from the airport are the usual arrangement for a wedding party.
Marrying legally in Cyprus
A civil marriage is performed by the municipality's marriage officer, at the town hall or at an approved venue such as a hotel. The couple gives notice of marriage and the ceremony follows after fifteen days, or sooner on a special licence, and within three months of the notice.
- 115 days before
Give notice of marriage
Both partners attend the municipality with passports, birth certificates and certificates of no impediment, translated into Greek or English and apostilled where the country of issue requires it. A special licence lets the ceremony take place before the fifteen days have passed, if the municipality approves.
- 2The day
The ceremony
Performed by the marriage officer at the town hall or an approved venue, with two witnesses over 18. The municipality issues the marriage certificate.
- Notice
- 15 days, or a special licence
- Valid for
- 3 months from the notice
- Municipal fee
- about €128, or about €282 for a special licence
- Witnesses
- 2, over 18
Already married at home?5 Star view
Many couples complete the legal or religious marriage in their own country and hold the celebration here. A ceremony with no legal effect needs none of the steps above: the venue and the planner arrange it.
Who needs a visa
Travelling from the United States
American citizens visit Cyprus without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The passport must be valid for at least three months after departure, have been issued within the previous ten years and have two blank pages.
Travelling from the United Kingdom
British passport holders visit Cyprus without a visa for up to 90 days. The passport must have been issued less than ten years before arrival, be valid for at least three months after the planned departure, and have at least one blank page. Cyprus is not in the Schengen area, so these days do not count towards a Schengen allowance.
Travelling from the Gulf
Cyprus is outside the Schengen area and issues its own visas, so a Schengen visa does not cover it. Citizens of the Gulf states confirm what they need with the Cyprus embassy or consulate for their country before booking.
Other nationalities
EU nationals need no visa. Other nationalities check with the Cyprus High Commission or Embassy in their country.
The Republic's rules apply to the south of the island, where the wedding resorts are.
Reference Marriage Law 104(I)/2003 as set out in the Politis guide to civil marriage in Cyprus and Mondaq and Legal 500 notes (procedure, fees, documents). gov.uk: Cyprus entry requirements. Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs: visa information; US Department of State: Cyprus. Checked 5 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the authority that will marry you before you book.
Accommodation
Guests stay in the resort that hosts the wedding, on the seafront in Limassol or Larnaca, in the beach hotels of the east, or in a hill village house a short drive from the coast.
At the table
Cypriot cooking is the meze table: dozens of small dishes, grilled meats and halloumi, with Commandaria, the island's sweet wine, at the end.
Meze
The long shared table of small dishes, from dips and salads to grilled halloumi, sheftalia and souvla, served over two or three hours.
Halloumi
The island's cheese, grilled, in every meze and every breakfast.
Souvla and kleftiko
Lamb and pork on the spit, and lamb slow-cooked in a sealed clay oven, the village feast dishes.
Fish on the harbour
Sea bream, red mullet and calamari in the harbour tavernas of Paphos and Zygi.
Commandaria
The sweet amber wine of the Limassol hills, among the oldest named wines in the world, for the toast.
What planners tell couples
The municipality marries you
A civil marriage under the Marriage Law 104(I)/2003 is performed by the competent municipality's marriage officer, at the town hall or at an approved venue such as a hotel. The procedure starts when the couple attends the municipality and gives notice of their intended marriage.
Fifteen days, or a special licence
After the notice of marriage the ceremony follows a fifteen-day waiting period and must take place within three months of the notice. A special licence lets the ceremony happen before the fifteen days have passed, subject to the municipality's approval and availability. Published municipal fees are about 128 euros for the standard procedure and about 282 euros for a special licence, with extra charges for copies, out-of-hours ceremonies or venues away from the town hall.
The documents
Valid passports or identity cards, birth certificates, a certificate of no impediment or single-status certificate (an affidavit or consular certificate where the home country issues one), a divorce decree absolute or a former spouse's death certificate where it applies, and proof of lawful residence if applicable. Documents issued abroad are translated into Greek or English and, depending on the country of issue, apostilled or legalised.
Witnesses and the certificate
Two witnesses over 18 with valid identification. The municipality issues the official marriage certificate; for use abroad it may need legalisation.
The chapel at sunset
The Troodos chapels seat about fifty and take evening ceremonies from six o'clock, timed to the sunset over the sea; the civil formalities are completed with the municipality first.
Summer afternoons
June and July afternoons reach 30 to 35°C; ceremonies are held in the late afternoon and the reception after dark, and May, June and September are the months to choose.
What venues here charge
2 of the 6 Cyprus venues publish a starting price. A price is only comparable with another quoted on the same basis, so they are shown by basis.
| Quoted | Venues | Lowest start | Highest start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per guest | 1 | €80 | |
| Venue hire | 1 | €3,100 |
Counted Starting prices as the venues publish them, counted from the venue records when this page loaded.
What each price includes is on the Cyprus wedding venues page.
