Quick answer
- Where to marry
- Vietnamese civil registry (commune People's Committee)
- Embassy certificate
- CNEM — certificate of non-impediment to marriage, €25
- Not issued
- Certificate of custom (certificat de coutume)
On this page
Certificate of non-impediment to marriage (CNEM)
- Application form, dated and signed; choose the language of the certificate (French, Dutch or German).
- You must choose a place of residence in Belgium (people living abroad may use the address of a relative, friend, lawyer or notary).
- A sworn statement on your marital status and that you have no legal cohabitation contract with someone else; check your data in the Belgian National Register.
- A copy of your future spouse's identity document.
- Send it by email or post. The Embassy may invite both partners for an interview in Hanoi and forward the file to the Belgian public prosecutor, so allow time before the wedding date.
- Belgians not registered with the Embassy can still obtain a CNEM.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage (certificat de non-empêchement à mariage) | €25 |
Updated: Sources: FPS Foreign Affairs — fees for consular services (new amounts from 1 July, 1 August and 1 September 2026), Đại sứ quán Bỉ tại Việt Nam (Bộ Ngoại giao Bỉ)
Updated: Sources: Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam — civil status: marriage in Vietnam, CNEM (French), Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam — consular certificates (French), Embassy of Belgium — consular fees from 1 July 2026, FPS Foreign Affairs — fees for consular services (new amounts from 1 August and 1 September 2026)
After the wedding
- Registered Belgians must report the change of civil status to the Embassy with a copy of the marriage certificate.
- Registering the Vietnamese marriage certificate in the Belgian civil status database (BAEC / DABS) is done by the competent municipal registrar in Belgium; it is voluntary but strongly recommended. The FPS and consular posts do not do this for you.
- Since 11 September 2026 the Vietnamese marriage certificate needs an apostille from Vietnam's Consular Department (Hanoi) or the HCMC External Relations Department instead of two-step legalisation (the Embassy's pages, published earlier, still mention legalisation — ask the Embassy if unsure), plus a sworn translation into Dutch, French or German.
- Marriage does not automatically give your spouse Belgian nationality.
Updated: Sources: Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam — civil status: marriage in Vietnam, CNEM (French), FPS Foreign Affairs — registration of foreign civil status certificates in Belgium, FPS Foreign Affairs — marriage of Belgians abroad, Bộ Tư pháp Việt Nam — Việt Nam gia nhập Công ước Apostille (hiệu lực 11/09/2026), Bộ Ngoại giao Bỉ — công cụ tra cứu hợp pháp hóa / Apostille theo nước (chọn Vietnam)