Cyprus
Getting married in Cyprus
Aphrodite’s Rock and the harbour of Paphos, the cliffs of Kourion near Limassol, white sand and sea caves at Ayia Napa and Protaras, Larnaca by its salt lake, the pine-clad villages of the Troodos, and Nicosia within its Venetian walls.
Cyprus is a sunny island in the eastern Mediterranean, of beaches and sea caves, ancient sites, pine-clad mountains and wine villages, with a long wedding season: the summer, from mid-May to mid-September, is hot and dry, and the sea stays above 22 °C from June to November.
Couples from abroad can marry here legally, without living here, before the marriage officer of any municipality they choose — at the town hall, on a beach or in a hotel garden, and with the special procedure within a day or two. Others sign the papers at home and celebrate here with a symbolic ceremony, by the sea at sunset or in a Troodos village.
6 places
Where in Cyprus
Harbour towns, beaches, mountains or the capital: each has its own light, landscape and best months. Start with the one that feels like you.
- PaphosThe west coast of Cyprus, where the sun sets into the sea: a harbour with a stone fort, Roman mosaics by the shore, Aphrodite’s Rock at Petra tou Romiou and the wild coves of the Akamas.Best: Apr · May · Jun · Sep · OctPhotographers joining
LimassolA seafront city with an old town round a medieval castle, the cliff-top theatre of Kourion above a long beach, and the wine villages on the slopes behind.Best: Apr · May · OctPhotographers joining
Ayia Napa & ProtarasPale limestone cliffs hollowed into sea caves, the natural arch of Cape Greco, and sheltered coves of fine sand at Nissi, Konnos and Fig Tree Bay — the south-eastern corner of Cyprus.Best: Apr · May · OctPhotographers joining
LarnacaA palm-lined seafront, a Byzantine church and a medieval fort, a salt lake where flamingos winter below a mosque among palms, and stone villages in the hills — a few kilometres from the airport.Best: Apr · May · OctPhotographers joining
Troodos MountainsPine forest, cool air and stone villages at the heart of the island — with painted Byzantine churches, waterfalls, and snow on Mount Olympus in winter.Best: May · Jun · Sep · OctPhotographers joining
NicosiaThe capital inside its round Venetian walls: lanes of old houses and churches, the restored streets of Laiki Geitonia, a new square bridging the moat — and summers far hotter than on the coast.Best: Apr · May · OctPhotographers joining
Through the year
When to marry, region by region
Dark: the easiest months. Outlined: they work with some planning. Grey: the quieter, wetter or hotter part of the year there.
- Paphos
- January: Quieter
- February: Quieter
- March: Good with planning
- April: Best
- May: Best
- June: Best
- July: Good with planning
- August: Good with planning
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good with planning
- December: Quieter
- Limassol
- January: Quieter
- February: Quieter
- March: Good with planning
- April: Best
- May: Best
- June: Good with planning
- July: Good with planning
- August: Good with planning
- September: Good with planning
- October: Best
- November: Good with planning
- December: Quieter
- Ayia Napa & Protaras
- January: Quieter
- February: Quieter
- March: Good with planning
- April: Best
- May: Best
- June: Good with planning
- July: Quieter
- August: Quieter
- September: Good with planning
- October: Best
- November: Good with planning
- December: Quieter
- Larnaca
- January: Quieter
- February: Good with planning
- March: Good with planning
- April: Best
- May: Best
- June: Good with planning
- July: Quieter
- August: Quieter
- September: Good with planning
- October: Best
- November: Good with planning
- December: Quieter
- Troodos Mountains
- January: Good with planning
- February: Good with planning
- March: Quieter
- April: Good with planning
- May: Best
- June: Best
- July: Good with planning
- August: Good with planning
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good with planning
- December: Quieter
- Nicosia
- January: Quieter
- February: Good with planning
- March: Good with planning
- April: Best
- May: Best
- June: Good with planning
- July: Quieter
- August: Quieter
- September: Good with planning
- October: Best
- November: Good with planning
- December: Quieter
The seasons
What each season brings
- March – MaySpringGreen hills and wild flowers after the winter rains, and warm days by the sea — about 19 °C in March, 25 to 27 °C by May, when the sun sets around a quarter to eight. Orthodox Easter, in April or early May, is the island’s great feast. The sea stays cool until June, and snow can linger on the high Troodos until mid-April.
- June – AugustSummerHot, dry and almost rainless, with more than 12 hours of sunshine a day in July. Highs reach 30 to 33 °C on the coast, about 37 °C in Nicosia, inland, and nearer 27 °C in the Troodos. Keep the time outdoors for late afternoon — the sun sets around eight in June, half past seven by mid-August — with shade and water for your guests. July to September are the busiest months, about 600,000 visitors each: book early.
- September – OctoberAutumnThe sea is at its warmest — 27 °C in August, still above 22 °C through November — and the coast eases from about 30 °C in September to 27 or 28 °C in October. The first rains return in October; the clocks go back on its last Sunday, and the sun then sets around five. For many couples, the best time of the year.
- November – FebruaryWinterMild by the sea — about 23 °C in November, 17 to 19 °C from December to February — but these are the wettest months, and the days are short: the sun sets around twenty to five in December. Snow falls on the Troodos above about 1,000 m, usually from December to mid-April, and Orthodox churches hold weddings during the Christmas fast only until 12 December.
The legal basics
Three ways to say yes
What makes a wedding legally binding in Cyprus, in short. Couples from abroad can marry here legally — even on a beach, and within a day or two — with some paperwork first.
- CivilThe mayor or another marriage officer of the municipality you choose marries you before two witnesses, at the town hall or at another suitable place the officer approves — a beach, a hotel garden or, with a permit, a castle — for an extra fee. You don’t have to live in Cyprus to marry this way. Marriage here is between a man and a woman; couples of any sex can register a civil union (politiki symviosi) at a District Administration, even if neither lives in Cyprus, with the effects of marriage except adoption.
- ReligiousA wedding by a registered priest of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, or of the Armenian, Maronite or Latin (Catholic) churches the Constitution recognises, is legally binding too; so is one by a minister of another faith on the Ministry of the Interior’s register, after the same notice at the town hall as a civil wedding. The Orthodox Church needs one of you Orthodox, both baptised and the bishopric’s licence; for a partner from outside the EU, some bishoprics ask for a civil wedding first.
- SymbolicAny place, any words, any celebrant — but no legal weight. Many couples sign the papers at home and celebrate here, on a beach at sunset or in a mountain village. Professional photography and filming at ancient sites need permission first, and drones fly under EU rules: register as an operator with the Department of Civil Aviation, and stay below 120 m, away from crowds and restricted zones.
Before any legal wedding
You apply together, in person, once you are in Cyprus, at the municipality where you will marry; no certificate from Cyprus itself is needed unless one of you is Cypriot or lives here. Each of you brings a passport, a birth certificate, a certificate of marital status from home no more than three months old and, if married before, the final divorce decree or the death certificate — in Greek or English or officially translated, and usually apostilled if issued outside the EU; the exact list depends on your nationality. You both declare there is no impediment, and two witnesses aged 18 or over attend. With ordinary notice (€128.15) the wedding is 15 days to three months later; the special procedure (€281.92) can marry you within a day or two. A ceremony away from the town hall costs more: Paphos’s 2026 guide lists €482 in all on a beach and €632 at a hotel. You receive the certificate, in English if you ask, on the day.
Rules, documents and fees change, depend on your nationality and vary from one municipality to another: always check with the marriage office of the municipality where you will marry — or, for a religious wedding, the church — and with your own country’s embassy or consulate, before you set a date.
Photographers
Photographers in Cyprus
The first photographers in Cyprus are joining now
We approve every photographer by hand, from three whole weddings, so the list starts small. Tell our concierge your date and your plans — it checks who is free and fits.
Plan your wedding
Guides
- Getting married in Cyprus as foreigners: civil, religious or symbolicHow couples who don’t live in Cyprus marry there legally: ordinary notice or the special procedure, documents by nationality, Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca, Ayia Napa and Nicosia, beaches and castles, church weddings, civil unions and the photographer.
- Which country for a destination wedding? The law, prices, crowds and light, comparedThe legal route for couples who don’t live there, season and crowds, price levels, light, flights, venues and permits for photographs — Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece, France and Austria compared with official figures, as of October 2026.
- How to choose a wedding photographer: the steps, and the questions to askThe decision in order — whole weddings, style, availability, the package, the contract and deposit, cancellation, delivery and a conversation — then a checklist of questions, with why each one matters.
- A wedding-day timeline for photosFrom getting ready to the last dance, planned around the light.
- A rain plan that still looks goodCovered spots, umbrellas and what photographers do on grey days.
- Deposits and payment protectionWhat you pay when, and what happens if plans change.
- Wedding photography contract checklist: what it should say, and how Lens & Vows handles each pointThirteen things a good contract covers — the day and the hours, what is delivered, deposit and balance, cancellation on either side, date changes, illness, image rights, personal data, backups, travel, overtime and complaints — and what our terms say about each.
All the countries we work in · More countries are coming.
Not sure yet?
Tell us about your wedding — we’ll find who is free
The place, the date, the guests, the photos you like. Our concierge checks who is free and fits, and comes back with photographers to choose from.