Lapland Weddings

All information relating to documentation and legal requirements stated here are for British Passport holders only.

Required Documents

• Minimum residency period - 1 Full Working Day
• Valid 10 year passport
• Certificate of no Impediment stating marital status. This is the only original document that requires to be sent to Lapland. This certificate is valid for 3 months.
• Must be 18 years or over by law

*Please note that we cannot be held responsible for delays, mistakes or errors relating to paperwork. These instructions are for guidance only. We would strongly recommend that you contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Finnish Embassy for a definitive guide.

Guidelines for Documentation

Step 1

Go to your local register to post your bands (intention to marry). This step takes 28 days from your appointment with your local registrar to getting your certificate of Non-Impediment. Gather together all required documentation - Passports (photocopy last two pages) and Certificate of No Impediment (obtained from local registrar - 2 forms - separate for Bride & Groom, one will have bride name first, one will have grooms name first)

• The date on the certificate of non impediment will be the date you collect the document. It will the be valid for 90 days, in which time you must be married.
• Local registrar / solicitor in the UK have in the past advised wedding couples that they do not need apostilles for the certificate of non impediment as they will be sending the original certificates. However, this is incorrect the magistrate in Finland requires the apostilles even though it is original document.

Step 2

Find a Public Notary - http://www.thenotariessociety.org.uk

• The Public Notary is required to authenticate the copies of the passports. Make sure the Notary signs his or her own name and not the company's name. Stamped or electronically signed signatures or computer generated seals are not acceptable.
  DO NOT let the notary sign the Certificate of No Impediment. (Photocopies of passports can be altered in photoshop etc so they need the Notary to say they are true copies. The Certificate of Non-Impediment is an original document so no need to say it is true.)

Step 3

Send notariesd copies of the passport along with the Certificate of Non Impediment to:

The Legalisation Office
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
PO Box 6255
Milton Keynes
MK10 1XX

For general enquiries phone on 0370 000 2244 or visit.

• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office issue the Apostille (International Stamp) for each document. An Apostille - this is an international stamp affixed to all legal documents in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1961: In the UK this is done by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. All documents sent must have the original apostille stamp attached.

Before sending your documents, you may find it useful to run through the following check-list:

• Make sure a public notary has signed your copy of your passport.
• Make sure the public notary has signed in his or her own name not the company name.
• DO NOT ALLOW the Notary to sign your certificate of impediment

Using the Government Online System

• You can get documents legalised using https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised
Please flow the instructions given on this site. If you would like your document returned by Special Delivery you must send the appropriate fee.
• Apostilles are £30 each you need four.

Please do not include the following:

• Passports or ID cards
• Documents not intended for legalisation
• Please note that for extra security it may be advisable to send all documents by Recorded Delivery. When sending documents to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office indicate clearly the country in which they will be used and your full name, address and telephone number.

Step 4

6 weeks prior to wedding date:

• Send us your paperwork -
  • Photocopy of passport with Apostilles on both bride and grooms
  • Certificate of No Impediment with attached Apostilles (separate for Bride & Groom)
  • Completed and signed 'Request for Examination of the Impediment's to marriage' (which you get from us)
  • Completed and signed ' Information about foreign in Finland'. (which you get from us)

In the event that the paperwork is not in order any further assistance given to ensure correction of this paperwork will be charged at an appropriate rate. Failure to conform to these procedures may result in cancellation of your Lapland Wedding for which Lapland Weddings cannot be held responsible.