How many witnesses can you have?
- Officially, a maximum of two witnesses are permitted in Germany – at the registry office and in the Catholic Church.
- At the registry office, you may designate zero to two witnesses; in the Protestant Church, witnesses are optional, while in the Catholic Church, they are mandatory.
- Only the two officially named witnesses are allowed to sign at the registry office.
- You can organize your free church wedding however you like and, as a rule, include as many witnesses as you want.
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You're in the middle of wedding preparations and suddenly the question arises: How many witnesses are you actually allowed to have? Don't worry, you're not alone! Many couples in Germany are unsure whether they can name one or more witnesses and what they need to bear in mind. In this article, we explain in detail what the official regulations say and how you can deal with this in practice.
Can you have more than one witness?
Basically, yes—you can have more than one witness.
In Germany, witnesses are no longer required by law. This means that a wedding ceremony is valid even without witnesses. However, if you wish, you can name up to two witnesses. According to German law, it is not possible to have more than two official witnesses. In practice, this means that you can register a maximum of two people as witnesses – for example, one witness for the bride and one for the groom. These two people can then witness the marriage ceremony by signing the register.
But what if you would like to have several witnesses, for example, several people from your circle of friends? Since only two witnesses are officially recognized, no other friends can take on the legal role of witness.
However, you can still include them in your ceremony—for example, as bridesmaids/groomsmen, ring bearers, with their own tasks, or simply as symbolic “honorary witnesses.” It is important to understand that, legally speaking, a maximum of two people can be considered witnesses to the marriage. Anything beyond that is purely symbolic.
You don't have to choose between zero and two witnesses. You can also get married with just one witness if you prefer.
How many witnesses are permitted at the registry office?
Officially, up to two witnesses are permitted at the registry office. Therefore, you may decide whether you would like to have no witnesses, one witness, or two witnesses.
When you register your marriage, the registrar will ask you: “Would you like to name witnesses?” – You are then free to decide.
If you decide to have witnesses, you should note the following formal requirements:
- Witnesses must be of legal age and bring valid identification (ID card or passport) to the wedding ceremony.
- Witnesses should be able to follow the ceremony linguistically – interpreters can be used if necessary.
Witnesses have no legal obligations; their presence and signature are primarily a matter of form and tradition.
A maximum of two witnesses are permitted. Both of them may sign. It is not officially possible to register three or four witnesses.
How many witnesses are allowed in a church wedding?
Whether you need witnesses for your church wedding, and how many, depends on which denomination you are marrying in. Here is an overview of the most important differences:
Witnesses at Catholic weddings
In the Catholic Church, the following applies:
- Exactly two witnesses are required for the marriage to be recognized as valid.
- These two people act as representative witnesses of the community and confirm that you have said “I do” before God.
Requirements for witnesses in the Catholic Church:
- They must be at least 14 years old.
- They should understand the wedding ceremony procedure.
- They do not have to be Catholic—Protestants, non-denominational individuals, or even your own (older) children can be witnesses.
After the wedding ceremony, both witnesses sign the church wedding certificate.
Witnesses at a Protestant wedding
- In the Protestant Church, witnesses are usually voluntary.
- A Protestant wedding is a church service to bless a marriage that has already been registered at the registry office.
You have the freedom here – depending on the parish, you can also choose more than two witnesses.
Witnesses at a non-religious wedding ceremony
With a non-religious wedding ceremony, you are completely free to organize it however you like. There are no legal requirements. In theory, you can have as many witnesses as you want.
How many witnesses – summary
Wedding ceremony | Number of witnesses | Mandatory? | Signature required? |
Civil | 0 to 2 | No | Yes, if named |
Catholic | 2 | Yes | Yes |
Protestant | 0 to 2 | No | No |
Independent wedding ceremony | As many as you want | No | No (symbolic possible) |
Do you have to have witnesses?
No, you don't have to have witnesses – at least that's how it's clearly regulated for civil marriages. In Germany, witnesses have not been mandatory for marriages since 1998. So you can easily walk down the aisle or go to the registry office just the two of you (plus the registrar) and get married without naming a witness.
One exception, as mentioned above, is the Catholic Church. For a Catholic wedding, you need two witnesses.
Apart from legal or church requirements, witnesses are voluntary, but often also something very nice. Many couples want a witness at their side, simply to have emotional support on this big day.
